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Adobe Markup Tools

There are several great tools in which you can use to markup or comment on a PDF. These Adobe markup tools will work with Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat Pro. 

To begin using any of the tools below, first open the PDF that you wish to mark up or comment on. Then, display the Comment & Markup toolbar, by selecting View, Toolbars, then click on Comment & Markup.

On the Comment & Markup tool bar you will see two panels that will aid in marking up a document:

  • Annotation Tools include tools for adding sticky notes, highlighting text, attaching other documents, and inserting audio commentary. You can use the text annotation tools for text editing, including insertions and deletions, strikethrough, underlines, and leaving notes for the author or other reviewers.
  • Drawing Markup Tools for adding text boxes, callouts with leader lines, or graphic shapes and drawings.
1. Sticky Note Tool: From the Annotations panel, click, or click and drag, on a PDF document page to create a note. Type your comments in the box created by the tool. 

2. Highlight Tool: From the Annotations panel, click and drag through a stretch of text to apply a bright yellow background over it, similar to the appearance of a highlighter pen. Double-click on the highlight with the Hand tool to type a comment in the box associated with your markup.
 Comment and Markup Toolbar
3. Text Box Tool: From the Drawing Markups panel, click, or click and drag, on your document to add a box with a colored border, and type your observations in it. 

4. Text Callout Tool: From the Drawing Markups panel, click on the page detail on which you want to comment, and move your cursor to the position at which you want the comment box to appear. Adobe Reader connects the box to the commenting subject with a colored arrow. Type your text in the box. 

5. Line Tool: From the Drawing Markups panel,use this tool to create a straight line segment at any angle on a document page. Use the Hand Tool to double-click on the line so you can add your thoughts to its comment box. 

6. Arrow Tool: From the Drawing Markups panel, use this tool to draw an arrow pointing at a detail you want to accentuate. Double-click on the arrow to open its comment box so you can type your annotations. 

7. Oval or Rectangle Tools: From the Drawing Markups panel, use this tool to create elliptical or circular markups. By themselves, these tools draw ellipses or rectangles on your document pages. When you hold down the "Shift" key while you use these tools, their output becomes circular or square. Double-click on these shapes to reveal their comment boxes. 


Note: To remove parts of what you've drawn, switch to the Eraser tool, also in the Drawing Markups panel.