Many forms and documents in Pakistan, India and the Gulf need a line or two in Urdu, Arabic or Hindi: a name, an address, a heading or a short note. Most free PDF tools handle these scripts badly. Letters that should join come out separated, Urdu and Arabic appear in the wrong order, and Hindi vowel signs land in the wrong place. The PDF Editor on this site uses your browser’s own text engine for these scripts, so the text comes out joined and in the right direction.
How to add the text
- Open the PDF Editor and choose your PDF.
- Choose Add text and tap or click where the text should go.
- Open the font list and choose an Urdu, Arabic or Hindi font (see below).
- Type or paste your text. Adjust the size and colour so it matches the document.
- Save the PDF and open it once to check the result.
Fonts for each script
- Urdu: Noto Nastaliq Urdu for the classic Nastaliq style. For small text on forms, Noto Naskh Arabic is often easier to read.
- Arabic: Noto Naskh Arabic and Amiri for formal documents; Noto Sans Arabic, Cairo and Tajawal for a modern, clean look.
- Hindi and other Devanagari text: Noto Sans Devanagari.
The fonts load from Google Fonts the first time you use them, so stay online while choosing one.
Typing in Urdu, Arabic or Hindi
- On a phone: add the language in your keyboard settings. Gboard on Android and the iPhone keyboard both support Urdu, Arabic and Hindi. Gboard can also transliterate Hindi, so you can type Hindi words in English letters.
- On Windows: add the language under Settings, Time & language, Language & region, then switch keyboards with Windows key + Space.
- Copy and paste: type the text anywhere you are comfortable, such as WhatsApp or Google Docs, then paste it into the text box.
Mixing languages in one line
A line that starts in Urdu or Arabic is treated as right-to-left, and numbers and English words inside it keep their place, as they would in a newspaper. If a mixed line looks odd, split it into two text boxes: one for the Urdu part and one for the English part. This is often neater for forms anyway.
What to expect in the saved file
Standard PDF fonts cannot shape these scripts, so the editor draws Urdu, Arabic and Hindi text as a high-resolution image placed exactly where you typed it. It looks sharp on screen and in print. The trade-off is that this text cannot be selected, copied or found with search. For most uses, such as filling in a name or adding a note, that does not matter. If you need searchable Urdu text, write the document in a word processor and export it to PDF from there.
Replacing text that is already there
To correct an existing Urdu or Arabic line, use the whiteout tool to cover it with the page colour, then add the new text on top in a matching font and size. This works more reliably than editing the old text directly.
Other places these scripts work
The same approach is used when you add a watermark in Urdu, Arabic or Hindi, and when you type Urdu or Arabic into a form field in Fill PDF form, so those come out joined and in the right order too.
Editing happens in your browser. Your PDF is not uploaded; only the font files are downloaded from Google Fonts.
Frequently asked questions
Will the Urdu text be selectable in the PDF?
No. To get correct letter joining and right-to-left order, Urdu, Arabic and Hindi text is saved as a sharp, high-resolution image of the text. It prints and reads perfectly, but it cannot be selected, copied or searched.
Which Urdu font should I use?
Noto Nastaliq Urdu gives the traditional Nastaliq look used in Pakistani newspapers and documents. Noto Naskh Arabic is simpler and easier to read at small sizes, which helps on forms.
Can I edit Urdu text that is already in the PDF?
Adding new text works best. Changing existing Urdu or Arabic text in a PDF is unreliable in most tools because of how those scripts are stored. Cover the old text with whiteout and type the new text on top.