What is the best pdf markup tool? What are the features of pdf markup software? What are the benefits of using a pdf markup software? Do you also need this best free pdf markup software loaded with advanced features but don’t know how to decide what exactly are the things you should be looking for in a pdf markup software. Look no more we have got the answer. Visit our detailed guide on best free pdf markup tools and learn how to reduce your effort in searching for one.
Finally, there is a way to add rich text and drawings to PDFs! The markup tools allow you to draw high quality lines, Arrow Points, Rectangles and Text with just a few clicks. Unlike other tools our markup tool are state of the art and will not slow down your system.We offer two products; Best Pdf Markup Tool for basic annotation and Best Pdf Markup Professional for advanced work.
The many tools that the PDF file format offers can allow users to create a large number of different documents. Although this format is considered to be one of the most commonly used formats, it is worth remembering that it doesn’t feature advanced font or image support nor does it allow for text or background editing like other similar markup formats do. If you want to markup PDFs instead of sending them to a professional printing company, then these best PDF markup software options will help you find everything you need.
The easiest way to mark up a pdf. Want to highlight? draw boxes? and add sticky notes? pdf markup tool is the way to go. This pdf annotation software will allow you to annotate and fill out pdf forms, as well as add digital signatures. The best part is, this software is completely free!
Why and When Are Annotations in a PDF File Useful?
If you’re here, you probably desperately need to know how to annotate your PDF file. And who can blame you? At first glance, it seems like a PDF file can really never be edited, which can be a frustrating thing to learn.
But before we get into all of that, let’s get a little bit of perspective. The PDF format was a blessing bestowed upon us by Adobe back in the early 1990s. Its original purpose was to replace large document files since they can be very problematic when document sharing. Back then, it was even more challenging than it can be today since the computing power was minimal at best.
So yes, PDF seemed like the perfect alternative to huge files that were not even portable. Moreover, PDFs were quite impactful since they were one of the first file formats to combine all the major graphic design elements in one document. That too, WHILE keeping the document size as small as possible. As a result, the people back then were completely blown away by this beautiful innovation.
Fast-forward to now – PDFs don’t seem that magical anymore. I mean, with all the new technological miracles we see every day, the fact that a file can do all that stuff is not very surprising.
Yet, PDF remains popular and is actually quite beloved for users. The reasons for this are vast and varied, but one of the most critical things PDF offers is portable. Regardless of what computer system you are using, you can use a PDF, keep it on your storage, and even share it around.
Here are a few common scenarios where digital PDF annotation tools are utilized to their fullest capacity:
Design and Artwork annotation
Adobe CC is the one-stop solution for all creative work for most designers. Opt to export their designs in PDF to share for review. PDF files ensure high image quality while making them easily accessible across most devices.
Catalog review and annotation
Digital catalogs often contain many images and text. All put across multiple pages in a PDF. Annotation tools are a must if you need to make any sense from feedback.
Magazine review and annotation
Magazines, both digital and print, undergo several critical review stages and often deal with 100s of PDF pages. Imagine having to print, annotate, scan and send every single time! Online annotation tools will be a lifesaver.
Website wireframe annotation
Online review and marking tools help the marketing people to polish their emails and cut through the noise to communicate the right message and approvals on any design or content-related changes from key decision-makers.
Digital Proposals proofing
A proposal not communicated well can make or break a business. Teams typically use these tools to take approvals from senior-level stakeholders while aligning their designs with the business vision.
Print file annotation
Don’t waste pages for draft printouts, seriously! PDF annotation tool helps to consolidate the feedback from different members and clients and drive the print towards its final form.
Digital Ad proofing
Digital proofing tools help ad makers and marketing professionals review and work on minute details of their print and digital ads until they are sure about their campaigns’ performance.
EaseUS PDF Editor
Compatibility: Windows
EaseUS PDF Editor is a great PDF markup software that is compatible with Windows. Thanks to its simple interface, anybody can quickly learn how to use its various features.
In terms of marking up PDFs, you can add comments and annotations, or draw lines, arrows, and even insert shapes to your document. Apart from that, you will have a wide range of possibilities at your reach. For example, you can add annotations to text, highlight phrases, change font size and color, and so much more.
EaseUS PDF Markup Software
- Easy and simple user interface
- Highlight PDF in a simple way
- Edit text, images, hyperlinks, and forms in PDF easily
- Support converting to or from PDF files quickly
- Password protect PDF documents for authorized viewing
Microsoft OneNote
Compatibility: Windows and Mac
Microsoft OneNote is an awesome PDF markup tool, which has great digital note-taking features. For example, it allows you to organize your line of thought, and quickly take any notes that you want. This important information will always be available for later use. It’s available on a full range of mobile and desktop devices, and it even has a web version for online use.
Furthermore, this free PDF annotation software has incredible drawing and design tools which come in handy when editing PDF files. In fact, you can draw directly with a digital stylus or your finger on a touch-screen device!
Pros:
- It supports in-place editing of PDF
- Add annotations to words, sentences, and paragraphs
- Add notes to the text
Cons:
- It is a slow program
- You can´t change font size and color
Foxit Reader
Compatibility: Windows and Mac
Another great PDF drawing software is Foxit Reader, which is an alternative when you need to make fast and simple editing to your PDF files. A good advantage of Foxit is that it has plugins for Microsoft Office programs, which means that it makes it so much simpler to convert pretty much any file you open into PDF. Besides, you have at your reach a couple of necessary editing features like markup tools to add comments and annotations, strikethrough text, underline, among others.
Another excellent feature is Foxit Reader’s security toolbox. It comes with a JavaScript security option, which can prevent unauthorized scripts from transmitting data.
Pros:
- You can insert and edit text properties
- You can reorder, insert and delete pages
- It has plugins for web browsers and Microsoft Office
Cons:
- It has a complicated user interface
PDFelement Pro (Windows & Mac)
PDFelement Pro is a great PDF markup software with different markup tools such as highlighting, lines, circles, comment boxes and more. In addition, it is also a complete PDF solution with many features for editing, converting, sharing and protecting PDF files. PDFelement is a very easy-to-use PDF markup software because it has a very simple interface, and you can access all functions from the main interface without the need for navigating elsewhere. There is a thumbnail block for navigating between pages and an adjustment panel that you can use to change functions such as thickness, color, opacity, style, and so on.
Pros:
- It provides multiple PDF markup tools to annotate PDF files.
- It has high-security features to protect your PDF document.
- It comes with professional editing tools and an advanced OCR feature.
- It is very easy to use for creating a fillable PDF form.
Cons:
- You can try this PDF markup tool for free but files will be saved with watermark.
Microsoft OneNote (Windows & Mac)
Microsoft OneNote is available on Windows and Mac, mobile devices, and the web. It is a free PDF markup software and features a lot of storage space. You can pull up your content from wherever you are very easily, even if you are offline. It is very close to Evernote when it comes to functionality.
Pros:
- It’s good for taking basic notes and always be smooth and fast.
- It is very reliable
- All note content is treated as distinct pages
Cons:
- Somtimes you will meet syncing issue.
- Search in the web app is very poor
Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows & Mac)
With Adobe Acrobat Reader on your Mac or PC, you will be able to read, markup, navigate and enter information into PDF files very easily. The simplicity of its interface makes it very easy to use. Only essentials are shown on the interface, and it is faster and more reliable than most other free PDF markup tool.
Pros:
- It supports full-screen reading.
- It has very good accessibility options.
- It features improved security.
Cons:
- It takes up a lot of space on your PC or Mac.
- Sometimes, it is very slow to check boxes or write in text fields.
PDF Architect 8
If you want a PDF editor that looks and works similar to Adobe without the Adobe price tag, check out PDFForge’s PDF Architect 8 (Free, with paid options). With the app, you can open and read any PDF file, view two documents simultaneously for comparison, create PDFs from Microsoft documents or by scanning a document, and reorder, delete, or move pages within your PDF.
If you need more functionality than that, however, you’ll need to upgrade to one of Architect’s paid plans, which start at $69/year. In addition to the features of the free plan, paid plans give you additional functionality, like splitting PDFs into multiple documents, editing and moving text, changing font style and size, inserting page numbers and headers, inserting and editing media, adding watermarks, and converting your PDF to a variety of other formats. The biggest potential downside is that PDF Architect is only available in your browser and doesn’t have companion mobile apps.
Xodo
Xodo (Free) is a great option for those who need to edit a PDF but don’t have the budget (or the desire to shell out) for a premium PDF editor. Despite being free, Xodo still packs a punch with its robust features and beautiful, modern interface (which is available online, and as iOS and Android apps). Xodo focuses on giving you a simple, clean functionality, instead of burying your document in a complicated and cluttered interface as many other editors do.
Xodo is a great option for signing documents, as it lets you create a signature with a stylus or your finger, and you can save it to use on additional future documents. Filling in forms is also a piece of cake—all you have to do is tap the field and type in your information. Want to annotate a PDF? Xodo’s ample tools let you highlight and strike out passages, add sticky notes, underline for emphasis, and make freehand drawings. It even creates a summary list of annotations, which you can jump to simply by tapping on one.
If you need to have a real-time, collaborative workspace, it supports that as well, letting anyone with access jump into work and even chat. Once you’ve created your document, you can sync it with Dropbox or Google Drive, ensuring you’re always working with the latest version. Easy and beautiful.
iSkySoft PDF Editor
iSkySoft PDF Editor (starts at $69/year) is a solid PDF editor for individuals and it offers support for businesses as well. It has competitive pricing options for small businesses, starting at $109 per user per year, which it backs with team management. iSkySoft’s enterprise tier offers custom pricing for groups over 20, and it comes with dedicated tech support, user licensing management, on-demand development, and flexible deployment.
The PDF editor is available to both Windows and macOS users (but not as a mobile app), and it works in nine languages. Its rich interface gives you a Microsoft Word-like experience for easy annotating and editing. It lets you convert PDFs from or to other formats; create forms; edit the layout and text of your PDF; add, remove, and manipulate images; insert, remove, or flip pages within it, and lock them down with passwords, redaction tools, and permissions.
Should you want to annotate a PDF, you can enjoy doing so with drawing features, sticky notes, stamps, and comments at your fingertips, plus iSkySoft supports multi-user collaboration. One of iSkySoft’s most impressive features is its optical character recognition technology, which identifies scanned text from another document and then turns it into an editable and searchable image-based PDF.
How to Annotate a PDF: Important Features of PDF Annotation Software
But, how to pick the best software solution for PDF annotations?
The one thing that you must understand is that PDFs are fixed documents. What this essentially means is that they cannot be edited entirely. If you’re planning to edit the WHOLE content of your PDF document, let me tell you straight up that it’s not possible.
What you can do instead is make annotations to your document. The annotations will make sure that your point of view, along with the original content, is visible to whoever has access to your PDF. In short, annotation is a cheat code that lets you make edits without making edits.
When choosing software, these are the things that you need to ensure that your annotation tool has:
- A highlight section.
- Strikethrough function.
- Copy text function.
- Ability to add hand drawings and shapes.
While there are some advanced tools out there that will offer you way more than this, these four features are absolute essentials when it comes to annotation software. If your software has these, rest assured that your annotation experience will be seamless, and you can actually make alterations to your PDF whenever and however you like.
Conclusion
Fast and easy to use, this is a must have software for every architect. It facilitated manual marking up of pdf files online or offline with high accuracy. The software can also automatically mark up pdf file, convert pdf markups to word document, ppt, exel. With the help of spell checking, Tags edition and other options the application is the fastest way to get your markups done.
Mark up Pdf files with ease and without restrictions. The markup tool is a small but useful tool that will help you and your business to markup paper documents, as well as digital documents such as e-books. Are you a designer? This software has a number of unique features that will help you out in creating professional canvases for your customers. If you work in the medical field or any other, where it is important to annotate all made notes and comments directly on the document to deliver clear reports, this tool will be practical for you.