What is the Best Way to Annotate a PDF?

PDF annotation is a standard practice for students, professionals, and anyone who works with PDF files. Annotation preserves underlining, commenting, noting, and drawing on the PDF files in order to facilitate analysis and discussion in relation to the document.

Annotating PDFs can be very useful whether you are reading a contract for a business, grading students preparing files for exams, or just underlining content for personal use. How then should one mark a PDF? This article will look into tools comprising Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, online PDF annotation tools, and Systweak PDF Editor.

How to Annotate a PDF Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is one of the most effective PDF annotation tools that exists with a strong online presence. It comes pre-installed on most of the Windows PC for free trial use. A utility known for its intuitiveness, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC has special features that can assist users to insert annotations on a PDF file. Now let us know how annotation is done on a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Step-by-Step Guide to Annotate a PDF Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC:

• Start using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC installed on your device. If not, get it from the official website.
• The first step is to open the PDF file on which you want to add annotations. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, go to the “File” menu and click to select “Open.”

2. Access the Annotation Tools:

• Navigate to the toolbar which is located on the right side of the window, and select the “Tools” tab.
• To use the annotation tools, select Comment.

3. Highlight Text:

• In the Comment toolbar, the “Highlight Text” tool will be visible.
• To highlight the text you want to, use your mouse to select the text. Its color and opacity can be altered by right-clicking the mouse and selecting properties.

4. Add Sticky Notes:

• Press on the button ‘Add Sticky Note’ located in the toolbar.
• Select the area on the PDF you wish to have the comment, then directly write the comment.

5. Draw or Use the Pencil Tool:

• For freeform annotations, choose the pencil in the toolbar situated at the main window of the tool.
• You may make annotations directly on the PDF using your mouse. The parameters of the thickness and color of your drawing can be changed by using the “Properties” field.

6. Underline or Strikethrough Text:

• For underlining the text go to the toolbar and click the Underline Text button, if you wish to delete lines through the text click the Strikethrough Text button.
• To underline or strike through the text, just select it and Adobe Acrobat will type under or through the selected text.

7. Save Your Annotated PDF:

Once you have finished annotating, save your file by clicking “File” > “Save As” and choosing a location on your device.

How to Annotate a PDF Using Online PDF Annotation Tools?

If you need a quick and simple solution for just a few annotations, you can utilize different online PDF annotating tools available. It enables one to highlight PDFs without the need for downloading additional software. Freeware tools that are commonly used include Smallpdf, PDFescape, and PDF24 Tools.

Step-by-Step Guide to Annotate a PDF Using Online Tools

1. Choose an Online PDF Annotation Tool:

Select an online PDF annotation tool, such as Smallpdf, PDFescape, or PDF24 Tools.

2. Upload the PDF File:

On the tool’s website, select the option to upload a PDF file. You may be able to drag and drop the file directly onto the webpage.

3. Use Annotation Tools:

• Most online PDF annotation tools will provide options to highlight, add text boxes, draw, and add sticky notes.
• Choose the appropriate tool based on the type of annotation you need and make your desired changes.

4. Save and Download the Annotated PDF:

• Once you have finished annotating, click the “Save” or “Download” Most online tools will allow you to save your edited file to your computer or directly to cloud storage.

Online PDF annotation tools are ideal for quick edits, especially when you’re away from your main device or working on a file that doesn’t require extensive markups.

Systweak PDF Editor: A Comprehensive PDF Annotation Tool

The Systweak PDF Editor is one of the useful tools in the process of PDF file annotation. It offers various Annotation options such as sketching tools, sticky notes, and text highlighting among others. Systweak PDF Editor is quite easy to use and the layout of the interface helps users quickly locate the tools.

Key Features of Systweak PDF Editor

• Wide Range of Annotation Tools: Systweak PDF Editor allows you to underline the text, add comments as well as draw shapes, and insert images and stamps.
• Advanced Editing Options: Besides annotation, this software enables users to add/delete/modify text in the PDFs, merge and split PDFs, and convert the PDFs to other formats.
• Variety of Annotation: You can add a variety of annotation elements to your PDF files. Add Text Callout, Highlights, Underline, Strikethrough, Notes, Shapes, Freehand and Squiggly lines, and Stamps can be used for annotation.

Step-by-Step Guide to Annotate a PDF Using Systweak PDF Editor

1. Download and Install Systweak PDF Editor:

• Visit the official Systweak website and download the Systweak PDF Editor. Install the software by following the on-screen instructions.

2. Open the PDF in Systweak PDF Editor:

Launch the tool and click on “Open” to select the PDF file you want to annotate.

3. Select the Annotation Tools:

• Navigate to “Comment” in the top menu to access the annotation tools.
• Choose from options such as “Highlight”, “Underline”, “Strikethrough”, “Freehand Line”, “Add Notes”, “Stamp”, “Shapes” and more to add annotations.

4. Customize Your Annotations:

For each tool, Systweak PDF Editor provides customization options, including color, and opacity.

5. Save Your Changes:

When you’re done, click on “File” > “Save As” to save the annotated PDF to your desired location.

Conclusion

Anyone working with digital documents should be adept in PDF annotations. While online PDF annotation tools give fast and handy choices for editing on-demand, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC has a strong collection of tools for in-depth PDF annotation but it’s a little high on cost.

Perfect for all kinds of users, Systweak PDF Editor combines a user-friendly interface with the necessary tools. There is a PDF annotation tool available regardless of your requirements or budget that will enable you to quickly highlight, comment on, and use your PDF files.