Add new text to a controlled PDF without editing existing elements

[Amber34038448pq6x]

My workplace just updated to Creative Cloud and I am using Adobe Acrobat Standard. Previously, on the desktop version of Adobe Acrobat, I was able to insert text on top of a PDF file without editting any existing elements on the PDF. How do I do this in the Creative Cloud version of Adobe?

When I use [Edit a PDF > Add Content > Text] I am able to insert text, but I am also able to edit all existing text in the PDF. I'm using controlled documents that are not allowed to be changed, they can only be added onto, and I need to be sure I don't accidentally move/delete any part of the controlled document. Basically, I want to add text as if I am writing onto a printed PDF document, because if I can't figure this out then I will have to do that anyway.

[try67]

Use a Text comment. If you want to ensure the file is not edited it must be digitally signed, though.

[Amber34038448pq6x]

Thank you, that does work, but it's very clunky to use... is there any other way? A setting that can be changed or anything like that?

[Bernd Alheit]

Try the tool Fill & Sign

[Studio Reaume]

This has been driving me crazy! The old version was so intuitive when it came to adding text to a document and I just could not make the 2023 work like it used to. I did end up using the Fill & Sign as suggested above and it seems to do the trick. The Adobe tutorials for PDF do not show this work-around for adding text which would have been helpful.

[george3520775547oj]

I think Adobe needs to add a "typewriter" setting to the edit text option, where you can type on top of the underlying document without interacting directly with its elements.

[Jack.Daniels]

Fill & Sign  - Works great!  Thank you for the suggestion.

[jacobe19944639]

I noticed this change recently as well. I could previously add text anywhere but now add text opens the edit text option. They should be separate features. For now my workaround is to add text somewhere on the document outside of a text box and then drag it into place. 

[Theresa37935855qwwn]

Thanks for this suggestion. Have you been able to modify the text in your text box to show different styles other than the most basic (the font itself, the color, bold/italics/underline, etc.) so the changes can be tracked?

[law clerk]

I am glad I found this thread. I thought I was going crazy. I loved being able to add text anywhere on my pdfs without going through the edit feature. It just seemed simpler. Now I have to type somewhere else on the page and drag it into place which is a pain!!! The problem with the fill/sign feature is that I have to go back and resize the font and the color and I don't have all the same choices with the colors. ADOBE please give us this feature back. 

[actcrisg1]

Yes, please help - how to add text without going to Edit mode

[law clerk]

I figured out mine. I think the option was still there but maybe they just changed the icon. I can do it now using the circled icon. I hope that helps.

[Sarah29159761hju1]

View>Disable new acrobat, then it will prompt you to restart.

[jacobe19944639]

Well that's even better! Thanks for this