GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: New User

---

I opened a pdf file scanned in color.

When I choose Tools>Rectangular Select and then dragged the white foreground over to the area on the pdf I’ve drawn for replacement with the white foregrounds (as I can with a jpg, png, etc.) but nothing happens. The white foreground doesn’t replace the area I wish to replace in the pdf.

Is it possible to alter a pdf in Gimp?

If so, how?

I'm using Gimp 2.8 for Windows on W7.

Thank you.

When I was working with my colleague, it was a huge problem on the very beginning with PDF files. As far as I remember some kind of Adobe tool was used for editing.

If you need to edit a PDF as a PDF with embedded text and vectors then Gimp is not the tool. Ad*be not always required these days, LibreOffice will often suffice.

However Gimp will open a pdf and convert it to a raster (bitmap) image so that is irrelevant.

The Import PDF dialogue is worth a review. By default Gimp will use 100 ppi regardless of the original PDF value.



If there is small text involved then increasing the resolution to say 300 ppi is a good move.
Then you can have layers or separate images. That is up to you.

Recent posts from eagertolearn involved that arrow script. So it could be as Wallace described, the active layer is not the layer in view. Or could be a small arrow layer is active.

Either way make the required layer active. In this case the layer "11" should be active
not layer Arrow - or layer "12"