Annotate a PDF with highlights, ink, and review marks
Mark up a document from one editor with text highlights, freehand ink, shapes, arrows, callouts, clouds, and check marks.
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Annotate a PDF with highlights, ink, and review marks
To annotate a PDF in PickPDF, open the document and choose a review tool such as Highlight, Draw, Shape, Arrow, Callout, or Check mark. Set the color, stroke, fill, and size before placing the mark. PickPDF keeps the working document on your device and writes supported additions into the saved PDF.
Step by step
How to use this tool in PickPDF
Open the review toolbar
Open the PDF, move to the page you need, and choose the annotation or drawing control that matches the review mark.
Set the appearance first
Choose a readable color, line width, fill, and opacity. A consistent scheme helps another reviewer understand the marks.
Place and adjust the mark
Drag across text for a highlight or place the control points for ink, arrows, clouds, callouts, and shapes. Move or resize the result before saving.
Save a review copy
Keep an unchanged source file, save the marked copy, and reopen it in the viewer your recipient uses.
Current capabilities
What the current PickPDF build supports
- Text highlight, underline, and strikeout
- Freehand ink and drawing
- Shapes, arrows, clouds, and callouts
- Check marks and review symbols
- Color, stroke, fill, and opacity controls
- One document history with undo and redo
Choose an annotation that matches the message
A highlight draws attention without changing the source words. Underline and strikeout marks carry a clearer editorial meaning. Ink works for short handwritten notes, while a callout connects a longer comment to one part of the page. Clouds and arrows suit plans, diagrams, and screenshots where you need to define an area.
Use a small set of colors and explain the scheme when several people review the file. For example, one color can mark required changes and another can mark questions. A consistent system reduces the chance that a recipient treats a suggestion as an approved edit.
Annotations and edited page content serve different jobs
An annotation records review intent. Editing rewrites or adds page content. Use the Text tools when the saved document needs a changed sentence. Use annotation tools when the recipient should see the original text and your response to it.
Some document workflows flatten review marks before distribution. Flattening can make the appearance stable, but it can also remove the ability to select or reply to an annotation. Keep an editable review copy until the team finishes the review cycle.
Check the marked PDF outside the editor
PDF viewers can render annotation appearances in different ways. Reopen the output and inspect small marks, transparent fills, line endings, and text callouts. Check print preview when the review copy may be printed, because pale colors can disappear on paper.
PickPDF performs the annotation workflow on the device. The saved PDF still contains the marks and any text entered into them, so apply the same storage and sharing controls that you use for the source document.
Common questions
Questions about annotate a pdf with highlights, ink, and review marks
Can I highlight text in a scanned PDF?
A scan needs a recognized text layer for text-aware highlighting. Run OCR first, or use a rectangle or ink mark over the image.
Does an annotation change the original words?
Review marks sit on or beside the page content. Use Edit text when you need to rewrite an existing PDF text object.
Should I flatten annotations?
Flatten a delivery copy when the recipient needs a fixed appearance. Keep an editable copy if reviewers still need to change or reply to marks.