Preview (El Capitan): Annotate a PDF

Annotate a PDF
Annotate 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.

The Markup toolbar for marking up a PDF

Highlight, underline, or strike though text

Add a highlight, an underline, or a strikethrough: Click the down arrow next to the Highlight button , choose a highlight color, underline, or strikethrough, then select the text where you want to apply it. You can also Control-click text, then choose an option from the shortcut menu.

Remove a highlight, an underline, or a strikethrough: Control-click the text, then choose the Remove Highlight tool from the shortcut menu.

Add text

There are several ways to annotate a PDF with text. You can use text to add general ideas and notes. Or add specific edits and captions using shapes, lines, and arrows with text (explained in the next section).

If the Markup toolbar isn’t showing, click the Show Markup Toolbar button , then do any of the following:

Add text: Click the Text button , then type. To edit or add more text later, click the text, click to position the insertion point, then type.

Change text color or font: Select the text, click the Text Style button , then style the text using the tools.

Add a line or color fill around text: Click the text, then click the Border Color button to add a colored border, or click the Fill Color button to add color to the rectangular area around the text.

Remove text: Select the text so resize handles appear, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

You can also add a speech bubble by choosing Tools > Annotate > Speech Bubble.

Add shapes and lines with text

If the Markup toolbar isn’t showing, click the Show Markup Toolbar button , then do any of the following:

Add a shape or line: Click the Shapes button , then select a shape, line, or arrow. To enter text with the shape or line, type while it’s selected.

To add more text when the shape is no longer selected, click it, position the insertion point where you want to add text, and then type.

To change the font or font style, click the Text Style button .

Draw a shape: Click the Sketch button or the Draw button and draw a shape, line, or arrow using a single stroke. With the Draw button, you can press your finger more firmly on the trackpad to draw with a heavier, darker line. (This is available only on Mac computers with a Force Touch trackpad.)

If you use the Sketch button, Preview may recognize the shape you’re trying to draw and replace your drawing with that shape. To use your original drawing instead, choose it from the palette that’s shown.

Resize a shape: Select the shape, then drag one of the blue handles.

Rotate a shape: Select the shape and place the pointer over it, place your thumb and a finger on the trackpad, then pivot them around each other as if you’re turning a jar lid. You can even Shift-click to select multiple shapes and rotate them together.

Change a shape’s sides and angles: For some shapes (stars and hexagons, for example), you can change the number of sides and angles. Select the shape, then drag one of the green handles.

Change a shape’s color: Select the shape, click the Border Color button , then choose a color.

Change a shape’s style: Select the shape, click the Shape Style button , then choose a style.

Fill a shape with color: Select the shape, click the Color Fill button , then choose a color.

Delete a shape: Select it so resize handles appear, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Highlight an area: Click the Shapes button , choose the Mask tool , then drag the highlight where you want. To resize it, use the blue handles. To undo the highlight, choose Edit > Undo Add Mask.

Add a signature: Click the Sign button to add a signature. See Create and use signatures for more information.

Zoom an area

If the Markup toolbar isn’t showing, click the Show Markup Toolbar button , click the Shapes button , then choose the Loupe tool . Drag the lens where you want.

To increase or decrease the zoom, drag the green handle; drag the blue handle to change the lens size.

Add notes

If the Markup toolbar isn’t showing, click the Show Markup Toolbar button , then do any of the following:

Add a note: Click the Note button , then type text. To change the note color, Control-click the note, then choose a color.

You can drag the note to a different location.

Edit a note: Double-click a note to view it, then type new text.

Remove a note: Select the note, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Change or remove the author’s name: Your OS X login name is used by default. To change the author name, choose Preview > Preferences, click PDF, then type a different name in the Name field. To remove the author name, deselect the “Add name to annotations” checkbox.

View or print highlights and notes

View note text: Choose View > Highlights and Notes (so the Highlights and Notes menu item has a checkmark next to it). Each note and its text is displayed in the sidebar.

To view the text in one note, double-click it.

Print notes: Choose File > Print, then select Show Notes. If your notes are visible in the PDF’s window, they are printed.

Last Modified: Sep 30, 2015
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