Guide to PDF Annotation

Version 06.05.15

Annotating PDFs is easy, and can be done using Adobe

Reader, Version XI. Adobe Reader is a free program that can be
downloaded from the Adobe website: http://get.adobe.com/
reader/. The Reader is available for a variety of operating systems,
including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android. PDFs can be
annotated in Adobe Professional as well, but we recommend not
using any other third-party software.
Once you have downloaded Reader, you can open any PDF file.
The annotation and drawing tools referred to below are located
in the upper-right corner of the screen, and can be accessed by
clicking on the Comment tab.
There are many tools available in Reader, and you want to
choose the tool that most efficiently communicates what you
want to correct in the PDF proof. See below for some common
annotations.

Desired Action

Appropriate Tool

Replace Text*

To mark text for deletion and to replace it with something else using a single annotation,
select the text you want to replace. Click on the Replace Text tool. A comment box
opens. Type the replacement text in the box. Close the comment box; the text for deletion
will have a line through it and the replacement text will appear when the cursor hovers
over the line.
*If you need to insert or replace text in more than one place within a line of text, it is more efficient to replace the
entire line of text rather than annotating each correction separately.

Guide to PDF Annotation

Allen Press, Inc. 2015 1

Desired Action

Appropriate Tool

Remove Text

Select the text you want to remove. Click on the Delete Text tool. A red line will appear
through the text that was selected. Double-click on the red line and a comment box
opens. Type Delete in the comment box along with a description of what is being
deleted. Your text will appear when the cursor hovers over the red line.
Highlight Text for
Formatting Changes

The Highlight tool is useful for indicating that you only want to modify the formatting
of text. Select the text you want to modify. Click on the Highlight tool, and the selected
text will be highlighted. To enter instructions regarding the highlighted text, double-click
on the highlight and a comment box will open. Type your comment into the box. This is
useful for indicating you want text in italic or bold. You can also highlight text by clicking
on the Highlight tool and then dragging your cursor over the text you want to highlight.
Insert Text*

Place the cursor where you want to insert text. Then click on the Insert Text tool.
A comment box opens and a wedge icon appears in the text where you have indicated an
insertion is needed. Begin typing and your text will appear in the open comment box. You
can also copy and paste text into the open comment box from another source, such as a
Word document, an e-mail, or another comment box.
*If you need to insert or replace text in more than one place within a line of text, it is more efficient to replace the
entire line of text rather than annotating each correction separately.

Guide to PDF Annotation

Allen Press, Inc. 2015 2

Desired Action

Appropriate Tool

Insert Text Between

Paragraphs (please
choose only one)

or

or
Click on the Sticky Note tool. Click again where you want the new text to appear. A
comment box will open. Type or copy text into the comment box, being sure to describe
exactly where the new text should be inserted. To move the sticky note to a new location,
hold the left button on the mouse down and the sticky note will move until you let go of
the button. Place the sticky note where you want it on the page, making sure that the icon
does not obscure any text that needs to be corrected.
OR

Click the Line tool. Click in the page where you want to start the line. Drag the cursor
to create the line, and click again to finish the line. Double-clicking on the line will open
a comment box. Type or copy text into the comment box, being sure to describe exactly
where the new text should be inserted.
OR

You can also use the text box tool to insert text or give directions. Click on the Text Box
tool. Click again where you want the text box to appear. Begin typing. This box does not
close. You can adjust the size and shape by double-clicking on the frame. Double-clicking
will also open a comment box. Be sure that the text box does not cover any text that
needs a correction.

Guide to PDF Annotation

Allen Press, Inc. 2015 3

Desired Action

Appropriate Tool

Insert an Attachment

Indicate the insertion of text or a graphic in any position on the page by attaching a file to
the PDF. Click the Attach File tool, and the cursor becomes a pushpin icon. Click on the
PDF at the place where you want the text or graphic to be inserted. A window pops up
that allows you to navigate to and select the file to be attached. Then a window appears,
giving you a choice of icons to use (paperclip, tag, pushpin, or graph). Click on any one
of the icons, and then click Okay. This icon now appears on the PDF page. When you
double-click on the icon, the file you attached opens.
Transpose or Move
Text and/or Figures

The Polygon tool works well for indicating changes to the order, alignment, or indenting
of some part of the text, or movement of figures to elsewhere on the page. Click on the
Polygon tool. Click on the page where you want to start the line, and click once to
change direction. You can do this as many times as you need to. Click twice to end the
polygon. With this tool you can indicate you want text transposed by drawing a
or
indented by drawing or . To enter instructions regarding the line you have drawn,
double-click the line and a comment box will open. Type your comment into the box.
Annotate in
Tight Spaces

The Rectangle tool works well for indicating that you want to move text without
covering it up with another type of annotation tool. To use this tool, click on the
Rectangle tool and drag the box over the text you want to modify. You can use this
tool to mark small or large pieces of text to be changed by putting a box around them.
To enter instructions about what should be changed, double-click on the square and a
comment box will open. Type your instructions into the box.

Guide to PDF Annotation

Allen Press, Inc. 2015 4

Desired Action

Appropriate Tool

Leave a Note of
Instruction (please
choose only one)

or

Click on the Sticky Note tool, and then click in the text where you want the sticky note to
appear. A comment box will open. Type your comments into the box. Make sure that the
icon does not obscure any text that needs to be corrected.
OR

Click the Text Box tool, and then click in the text where you want the text box to appear.
Type your comments into the box. Make sure that the icon does not obscure any text that
needs to be corrected.
Delete or Undo
an Annotation

Undo any annotation (Insert Text, Delete Line, Highlight, Attachment, Rectangle, etc.) by
right-clicking on the annotations icon. Then click on Delete. Or, you can reopen the
comment box, right-click on the header of the comment box, and click Delete.

Guide to PDF Annotation

Allen Press, Inc. 2015 5

Desired Action

Appropriate Tool

Reply to an
Annotation

If someone has entered an annotation in the PDF that requires a reply, right-click the
annotation and then click Reply. Enter the reply into the box that pops up.

Things to Avoid When Annotating a PDF

Do not use the Pencil Tool

to make hand written annotations. Comments made with this tool can be difficult
to read and affect clarity of intention when the corrections are made.

Do not use the Typewriter Tool

editing text.

Do not use the Sticky Note

tool to mark all edits. The Sticky Note tool is best used for short notes. Placing
the sticky note over desired areas of alteration within the text obscures the text and can affect clarity of intention
when corrections are made.

Do not use multiple tools to mark one edit. Using the most precise tool will help minimize the need to use multiple
tools for clarity.

Do not leave comment boxes on annotations blank. A blank comment box increases the likelihood that a correction
will be made inaccurately, or not at all, due to uncertainty of desired intent. However, superfluous explanation is also
not necessary. Comments should be precise and to the point.

Do not change or directly alter the PDF article text. Doing so is problematic because the reader cannot easily discern
what corrections have been made.

Guide to PDF Annotation

to replace or insert text. The Text Edit tool provides more precise means of

Allen Press, Inc. 2015 6