Annotate a PDF in Preview on Mac
Although you can’t edit the text of a PDF in Preview, you can use the markup tools to provide feedback or write down something you want to remember. The editing tools in the Markup toolbar are ideal for collaborating – use them to suggest changes to a PDF and to respond to suggestions.
Go to the Preview app
on your Mac.Open the PDF you want to annotate.
Click
(if the Markup toolbar isn’t showing).Use the tools in the toolbar to mark up the PDF.
Note: To save a PDF and allow annotations to be edited later, choose one of the following: File > Save, File > Export, or File > Export to PDF. (PDFs are also saved with editable annotations when they’re saved automatically.) To save a PDF and flatten annotations (so that they can’t be edited), choose File > Print, then select Save as PDF.
Tool
Description
Text Selection
Select text to copy or delete. See Select and copy text in a PDF.
Rectangular Selection
Select a rectangular area in an image to copy or delete.
Redaction Selection
Select text to permanently remove it from view. You can change the redaction as you edit but once you close the document, the redaction becomes permanent.
Sketch
Sketch a shape using a single stroke.
If your drawing is recognised as a standard shape, it’s replaced by that shape; to use your drawing instead, choose it from the palette that’s shown.
Draw
Draw a shape using a single stroke. Press your finger more firmly on the trackpad to draw with a heavier, darker line.
This tool appears only on computers with a Force Touch trackpad.
Shapes
Click a shape, then drag it where you want. To resize the shape, use the blue handles. If it has green handles, use them to alter the shape.
You can add a highlight shape or zoom lens using these tools:
Highlight
: Drag the highlight where you want. To resize it, use the blue handles.Zoom
Text
Type your text, then drag the text box where you want.
Highlight Selection
Highlight selected text.
Sign
If signatures are listed, click one, then drag it where you want. To resize it, use the blue handles.
To create a new signature, see Fill out and sign PDF forms in Preview on Mac.
Note
Type your text. To change the note colour, Control-click the note, then choose a colour. To move the note, drag it to a different location.
Shape Style
Change the thickness and type of lines used in a shape, or add a shadow.
Border Colour
Change the colour of the lines used in a shape.
Fill Colour
Change the colour that’s used inside a shape.
Text Style
Change the font or the font style and colour.
Rotate Left
or Rotate Right 
Click
to rotate an item to the left. Continue clicking to keep rotating.To rotate an item to the right, press and hold the Option key, then click
until you’re done rotating the item.Crop
Hide part of a PDF. Click and drag over the PDF so that a frame appears. Drag the corner handles until just the area you want to keep is shown within the frame’s border. You can also drag the frame to reposition it. When you’re ready, click
.Form Fill
Type your text in the fields of a PDF form.
