---
title: "PDF guides: edit, sign, compress and redact for free | Paperwing"
description: "Plain-language guides to everyday PDF jobs on Windows and Mac: editing text, signing without Adobe, compressing without uploading, and redacting properly."
url: https://paperwingapp.com/guides/
---

1. [Home](https://paperwingapp.com/)
2. Guides

Guides

# PDF guides, in plain language.

How to do the everyday PDF jobs well, for free, without sending your documents to a website.

- [**How to compress a PDF without uploading it** Shrink a PDF for email or an upload form without sending it to a website. Free offline methods for Windows and Mac, and tips to avoid blurry results. *4 min read*](https://paperwingapp.com/guides/compress-pdf-without-uploading/)
- [**How to edit a PDF on Windows for free** Three free ways to edit a PDF on Windows 10 and 11, from quick notes in Edge to changing the actual text, without uploading your file or paying for Acrobat. *5 min read*](https://paperwingapp.com/guides/edit-pdf-on-windows/)
- [**How to redact a PDF properly** Drawing black boxes over text doesn't remove it. How to redact a PDF so the information is really gone, strip hidden metadata, and check your work, for free. *5 min read*](https://paperwingapp.com/guides/redact-pdf-properly/)
- [**How to sign a PDF without Adobe** Free ways to sign a PDF on Windows or Mac without Adobe Acrobat or an e-signature account, plus when you need a digital signature with a certificate instead. *5 min read*](https://paperwingapp.com/guides/sign-pdf-without-adobe/)

## Guides for each tool

Every major tool has its own step-by-step page. [Browse the tools](https://paperwingapp.com/tools/) .

## Open your next PDF in Paperwing.

Free for Windows and macOS. No account, no subscription, nothing to sign up for.

[Download for Windows](https://github.com/rohanvijaykumar/paperwing/releases/download/v1.2.3/Paperwing-Setup-1.2.3-x64.exe) · [Download for Mac](https://github.com/rohanvijaykumar/paperwing/releases/download/v1.2.3/Paperwing-1.2.3-mac-arm64.dmg) · [Download Paperwing](https://paperwingapp.com/download/) · [Star on GitHub](https://github.com/rohanvijaykumar/paperwing)

v1.2.3 · Windows 10 and 11 · 188 MB v1.2.3 · Apple Silicon · 192 MB · [Intel Mac?](https://paperwingapp.com/download/#mac) Free for Windows and macOS · v1.2.3 [Other versions](https://paperwingapp.com/download/)