---
title: "Create a new PDF from scratch"
description: "Start a blank PDF in PDFBetter: one empty page to type, draw, add images or build form fields on, plus how to add pages and where templates and AI drafts fit."
url: https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/create-blank-pdf/
collection: "Editing & annotating"
section: "Basics"
updated: 2026-10-18
publisher: "PDFBetter (AI Generated Inc.)"
---

# Create a new PDF from scratch

> Click **New** in the sidebar and choose **Blank document**. PDFBetter opens one empty page in the editor (US Letter or A4, depending on your language), where you can type, add images and shapes, build form fields and add more pages.

Do it in PDFBetter: https://pdfbetter.com/app/

1. **Start a blank document**: In the dashboard, click **New** → **Blank document**. You can also press `N`, or choose **New blank document** in the `⌘` `K` search. The [Create PDF](https://pdfbetter.com/tools/create-pdf/) tool does the same from the website.
2. **Add content**: The page opens in **Edit & fill** mode. Click the **Text** tool and click the page to type. Add images, shapes, lines, tables and notes from the toolbar.
3. **Add pages**: Open **Pages** and use **Insert blank page** (before or after the selected page), or **Merge or upload** in the top bar to bring in pages from a PDF, an image or an Office file.
4. **Name it**: Click **Untitled document** at the top left and type a name. Everything saves automatically.

## Page size

The first page is US Letter when the app is in English and A4 in the other languages. To change it, open **Pages** and use **Resize pages**, which scales content to a new paper size such as US Letter or A4. See [Manage pages in the editor](https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/manage-pages-in-editor/).

## Other ways to start

| You want | Start with |
| --- | --- |
| A ready-made invoice, lease, NDA or tax form | **New** → **From a template**, then **Use template** or **Fill out**. See [Find a form or template](https://help.pdfbetter.com/forms/find-form-templates-official-forms/). |
| A first draft written for you | **Create with AI**: describe the document and get an editable draft. See [Create a document with AI](https://help.pdfbetter.com/ai/create-document-with-ai/). |
| A form other people fill in | Start blank, switch to **Create form** and add fields. See [Make a PDF fillable](https://help.pdfbetter.com/forms/make-pdf-fillable/). |
| A PDF from a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file | Upload the file; it's converted to PDF first. See [Convert between PDF and Office](https://help.pdfbetter.com/convert-organize/convert-pdf-word-excel-powerpoint/). |

> **Note:** Text you type on a blank page is placed as text boxes on top of the page, not as flowing paragraphs like a word processor. For long documents with headings and paragraphs, write them in Word or Google Docs and convert, or let AI draft them.

### Can I create a blank PDF without an account?

Yes. Guests can create and edit a blank document. Guest drafts are deleted after a short time, and downloading needs a free account, like any [edited document](https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/download-edited-pdf/).

### Does creating a blank document count toward a limit?

No. Downloading the finished document counts as an edited-document download.

## Related articles

- [Add text, images, shapes and whiteout to a PDF](https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/add-text-images-shapes.md): In Edit & fill mode, pick a tool from the toolbar (Text, Image, Erase, shapes, marks, Table, Date, Draw) and click or drag on the page. Select anything you added to restyle, move, lock or copy it to other pages.
- [Manage pages, page numbers and watermarks in the editor](https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/manage-pages-in-editor.md): Click Pages in the toolbar to open thumbnails: drag to reorder, and use the buttons to rotate, duplicate, delete, crop, resize or insert pages. Page numbers and watermarks are in the toolbar too; headers, footers and Bates numbers are separate browser tools.
- [Create a document with AI](https://help.pdfbetter.com/ai/create-document-with-ai.md): Click Create with AI in the sidebar, pick what you're making, describe it and click Create draft. You get an editable, fillable PDF in the editor for 5 credits.
- [Find a form: templates and official forms like the W-9](https://help.pdfbetter.com/forms/find-form-templates-official-forms.md): Open Templates in the sidebar and pick Library for fillable templates or Official forms for government forms such as the W-9. Click Use template or Fill out and a private copy opens in the editor. In the editor, Find form searches both.
- [Editor basics: open, save, version history and download](https://help.pdfbetter.com/getting-started/editor-basics-save-download.md): Open a document from My documents (or Open in editor in its menu). The editor saves automatically; the status next to the name shows Saved. Restore earlier states from Version history, and get the finished file from Done → Download.

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Source: https://help.pdfbetter.com/editing/create-blank-pdf/ · PDFBetter Help Center · Last checked against the product 2026-10-18. Questions: support@pdfbetter.com