CCS PDF Editor · Docs

# How to use CCS PDF Editor

A short, everyday guide. Click ? in the app header for the full shortcut list.

Need more detail? See the User guide. Training tracks: USER-TRAINING.md.

## The 30-second version

1. Open a PDF (File menu, or drag the file onto the window).
2. Stay in Editor with Pointer to fill forms and move annotations.
3. Switch to Form only when you need to place or resize fillable fields.
4. Save Project while you work. Save PDF when you are ready to share.

Your document is edited on this computer. This app does not upload it to a CCS server. Closing the tab or the app without saving discards unsaved work.

## Open a document

Do this | What happens
--- | ---
File → Open / Append PDF | Pick one or more PDFs
Drag a PDF or `.ccspdf` onto the window | Same as Open
Already have pages open | Choose start new or append
File asks for a password | Type it in the unlock box. Cancel aborts the open

Tips

- `.ccspdf` files are CCS project files (the PDF plus your saved edits).
- You can open several PDFs and combine their pages.
- A rare DRM-locked file may need an authorized Print to PDF first.

## Editor or Form?

The header has a sliding switch.

Switch | Use it when you want to…
--- | ---
Editor (blue) | Annotate and fill form fields. Use Pointer to click into a field.
Form (purple) | Place, move, resize, or rename fillable field boxes. Annotations are dimmed and locked.

Rule of thumb: fill and mark up in Editor + Pointer. Design field layout only in Form.

Key | What it does
--- | ---
F | Jump to Form (Pointer)
E in Form | Back to Editor (Pointer)
E in Editor | Edit / Stamp tool
M | Toggle Editor / Form (always lands on Pointer)
V or Esc | Pointer / deselect

## Everyday editing (Editor)

Visible when the switch is on Editor.

Tool | What it is for | Key
--- | --- | ---
Pointer / Move | Select, drag, and fill form fields | V
Edit / Stamp | Work with existing PDF text / stamps | E
Add Text | Click to place a text box | T
Rectangle / Circle / Line | Draw shapes. Line can be thickened | R / O / L
Redact | Click or drag over text to drop a black cover bar (visual only, not certified redaction) | D
Table / Grid | Place a simple table overlay | G
Snip & Move | Capture a region and place it as an image | S
Insert Image | Place a picture from your files | I
Insert Signature | Stamp a picture of a signature | N

Select a shape to change stroke or fill. Undo / Redo are in the header (Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y).

Zoom: `+` and `−`, or Ctrl + scroll.

## Fill a form

1. Stay in Editor with Pointer.
2. Click the field and type, check, or pick from a list.
3. Save PDF (or Save Project) when you are done.

This works for forms that already had fields, and for fields you designed in Form mode.

Can't type in a field? You are probably in Form mode, or not on Pointer. Press E then V, and click inside the field.

## Design a form (Form workspace)

1. Switch to Form (F or the header switch).
2. Choose a form tool and click-drag on the page to size the field.
3. Select a field to rename it, set options, or resize it.
4. Save Project to keep designing later, or Save PDF so others can fill it.

Tool | Recipient gets
--- | ---
Text field | A type-in box
Checkbox | A clickable check box
Radio button | One option in a group — same group name, unique option value
Dropdown | A choice list (use Options…)
Signature field | A name-line widget in PDF readers

Radio tip: group name `payment_type`, values `cash` / `card`. Mark at most one as Default.

Save PDF keeps fields fillable. Editor annotations are flattened into the page.

Can't move a field box? You need Form mode, not Editor.

## Save Project vs Save PDF

| Save Project (`.ccspdf`) | Save PDF (`.pdf`)
--- | --- | ---
When | Still working; want to reopen edits | Sharing a finished file
Annotations | Stay editable | Flattened (burned in)
Form fields | Stay editable in CCS | Stay fillable for others
Password | — | Optional protect on export (not recoverable if forgotten)

Still editing tomorrow → Project. Sharing a form people can fill → PDF. Doing both is fine: Project first, then PDF.

There is no autosave to a server. Pick Save Project often.

## OCR a scan

1. Open the scanned PDF.
2. Click Scan OCR (or OCR on a narrow window).
3. Wait for local progress; keep the tab open.

OCR runs on your device (English). Pages that already have a text layer may be skipped; hold Shift and click to force a rescan.

## Signatures (two different things)

Feature | Where | What it is
--- | --- | ---
Insert Signature | Editor | A picture of a signature (flattened on Save PDF)
Form: Signature field | Form to design, Editor to fill | A name line with a local attestation

Neither one replaces a policy-required e-sign platform (DocuSign, Adobe Sign, and similar).

To fill a form signature: Editor + Pointer, click the field, check the attestation box, then type or pick a style.

## Print

File → Print prepares pages and opens the browser print dialog. Form designer chrome is not printed as purple boxes.

## If something is not working

Symptom | Try
--- | ---
Cannot type in a form field | Editor + Pointer, then click inside the field
Cannot move a form field box | Switch to Form
Cannot select a text box or shape | Switch to Editor
Save dialog never appeared | Save location is requested before long processing; hard-refresh and try again
Edits missing after reopen | You saved a PDF (flattened) instead of a Project
Forgot the export password | It cannot be recovered — re-export if you still have the project
Password PDF will not open | Confirm the password; rare DRM may need print-to-PDF
Desktop app will not start | WebView2 Runtime / .NET Desktop Runtime (see the Windows package START-HERE)

Still stuck: ITHelpdesk@ccsemail.org — mention browser or Windows app, file size, Save Project vs Save PDF, and Editor vs Form.

## More documentation

This page is the staff landing page for the `docs/` folder.

Document | Who it is for
--- | ---
USER-GUIDE.md | Full click-by-click reference
USER-TRAINING.md | Trainer tracks A–D + staff handout
WINDOWS-INSTALL-SOP.md | IT: install the Windows package
AUDITOR-FAQ.md | One-page answers for auditors
GOVERNANCE.md | Change control, privacy posture, residual risk
ARCHITECTURE.md | How the editor is built
SYSTEM-PROFILE.md | Owners, host blanks, contacts
DEVELOPMENT-STANDARDS.md | How we change the code
marketing/index.html | Browser pack: overview, pitch, generated HTML
README.md | Deploy overview
CHANGELOG-1.5.25.md | Release notes

Sensitive documents: only open files you are authorized to see, save records to the folder your department uses, and close the tab when you are done.

Rendered for the browser from repository markdown. Edit the `.md` sources, then re-run `powershell -File docs/marketing/render-docs.ps1` from the repo root.