When it comes to storing sensitive information, PDFs are the way to go because they prevent unauthorized users from easily gaining access and modifying documents. But what if you need to annotate a PDF? Don’t stress. This article will give you step-by-step instructions on how to quickly draw on PDFs with a Mac for free. Enjoy your ride!
Why Draw on a PDF?
Let’s talk about why you would want to sketch for a minute before we get into the specifics of how to do it. PDFs have widespread compatibility since they use the Portable Document Format. PDFs offer the opportunity to:
Annotate: Embellish the text with a commentary or explanation.
Highlight: Feature key points more prominently.
Illustrate: Make some sketches or diagrams to illustrate the points you’re making.
Collaborate: Distribute your marked-up work for critique.
Advice on Drawing
You may make the process of drawing on PDFs as easy or difficult as you like. To help you make the most of your time spent drawing in PDF, here are some pointers:
- Stack It Up: Use layers to categorize your annotations if your tool permits it. In the future, this may facilitate the editing or removal of selected annotations.
- Modify Your Equipment: You may change the line’s color, thickness, and style in many drawing programs. Make use of these tools to provide structure and clarity to your annotations.
- Make Full Use of Shortcut Keys: The drawing tools in many programs may be accessed quickly with shortcut keys. The time spent drawing can be cut significantly by learning these.
- Save Regularly: Always make sure to save your progress. If your computer or program ever stops, you won’t have to worry about losing your notes.
- Practice: It takes practice to become proficient at sketching on PDFs. You’ll gain confidence and competence as you gain experience.
How to Draw on PDF
Save your document in an editable format, such as DOCX from Microsoft Word, if you need to make changes later. Use the Portable Document Format (PDF) if you need your document to be unchangeable and unmodifiable at all times. PDFs make it easy to share the final version of a document, but what if you need to change something in a PDF? Annotating or drawing directly on the file could be useful.
The good news is that you can actually draw on a PDF, and there are several methods for doing so. Here’s how to draw on a PDF so you can start doodling all over your work immediately:
How to Draw on PDF on Windows
PDFelement provides a wide variety of shape tools that can be added to a PDF page once the file has been opened by clicking the Comment tab.
#1. Open a PDF with PDFelement
Launch PDFelement and select the file you wish to annotate by clicking the “Open files” button in the Home window.
#2. Draw on a PDF
Select the “Comment” menu option. The “Comment” button brings up a toolbar with various sketching implements such as a pencil, eraser, connected lines, oval, rectangle, cloud, and so on. Choose the feature you’d like to embed, and then navigate to the page of your choosing. A sketch of the form will be displayed. To add lines to the page, select the “Pencil” tool and then move the mouse to the desired location. If an error occurs, simply use the Eraser to get rid of it. Go ahead and save your work after you’re happy with it.
You may also double-click the shapes you’ve drawn to add comments for them, which is helpful if you want to explain or remind yourself of the reasoning behind adding them. You can quickly and easily create professional-looking diagrams using PDF.
How to Draw on a PDF in Adobe Reader
To access and read Portable Document Format (PDF) files, download Adobe Reader. The Portable Document Format (PDF) was developed by Adobe in 1992, and Adobe Reader (in its various incarnations) has long been a reliable means of reading PDFs.
Newer versions of Adobe Reader allow you to add notes and highlight sections in PDFs. The capability to annotate PDFs is included. On both Windows and Mac, you can get Adobe Reader for free.
- Open the PDF you want to edit in Adobe Reader.
- Select the Comment button from the menu on the right.
- Pick out a sketching instrument.
- To select a new hue, use the Color button.
- Mark up your PDF with the click of your mouse.
- Select the File menu whenever you’re satisfied with your sketch.
- You can either choose to Save or Save As to save your revised PDF.
How to Draw on PDF in PDF Reader
The following are steps to follow to draw on PDF in a PDF Reader:
#1. Add PDF File
The PDF Reader app should be downloaded, installed, and opened on your device. After a successful launch, select “Open Files” to load the PDF.
#2. Use a PDF as a drawing medium
To access the sketching tools after an item has been added, select “Comment” from the main menu. The selection of drawing instruments is presented in the subsequent menu.
Once you’ve opened the relevant option, you can start adding shapes or using the pencil to freely draw wherever on the PDF. Once you’re finished, save the file.
How to Draw on PDF Online
While finding an online solution may sound like a lot of work, it actually offers one of the most user-friendly interfaces out there. Many PDF solutions are available online, however, only a select number are renowned for their extensive feature sets. Read on for a comprehensive breakdown of the procedure. The following are the steps to follow to draw on PDF Online:
#1. Put Your PDF There
Just open the browser and click the “Access Cloud” button to enter the online editor. PDF files can be uploaded by selecting “Upload Files.”
After import, use the “Add Comment” window to the right to get a variety of editing options. The drawing tool is accessible from the screen’s primary menu.
#3. Draw and Save
After making any necessary changes to the PDF by drawing on it, you may save it by clicking the “Download” button.
How to Draw on a PDF with Microsoft Edge
Opening a PDF in Microsoft Edge allows you to draw on a PDF even if you don’t have Acrobat Reader installed. Annotation tools are included in the Windows default browser, so you can open a PDF, make edits, and then save the revised file.
Using Microsoft Edge, you can draw on a PDF by:
- To open a PDF file, select Open With from the context menu in Windows Explorer.
- You should use Microsoft Edge.
- Select Microsoft Edge.
- You can modify the line’s color and thickness by using the Down Arrow.
- Use a PDF drawing tool.
- If you make a mistake, you can erase your work and start over.
- After making any necessary changes, select Save or Save As to store your revised PDF.
Also Read: HOW TO ANNOTATE A PDF: Quick & Simple Steps
How to Draw on PDF on a Mac for Free
If you’re using a Mac and you’re having trouble deciding which tool to use to draw on PDF documents, read on. Here is how to draw on a PDF with a Mac for free:
Draw on a PDF Document with PDFelement for Mac
When looking for tools to annotate PDFs, PDFelement for Mac is among the best. Read on for a detailed description of each stage of the procedure.
Step 1: Launch PDF Reader and Insert File
You’ll need to get a copy of PDFelement for Mac and install it on your computer. After that, select “Open” to bring in the PDF file for further editing.
Step 2: Draw on PDF Mac
To get to the drawing tools, you have to tap the “Markup” button at the very top of the menu. When you activate the Markup toolbar, a variety of drawing instruments become available. Freehand drawing and the use of shapes are both supported in PDFelement for Mac. When you’re finished, save your work and close the file.
How to Draw on a PDF with Adobe PDF Online
Using Adobe’s PDF Online service, you can annotate a PDF as well. You can use this feature to upload a PDF for editing on their site. You can annotate PDFs with this feature. The revised PDF can then be saved on the site and used offline.
Here is how to go about it:
- Open your web browser and go to the Adobe PDF Online site.
- Sign up with your email or create an account with Google, Facebook, or Apple for free.
- The next step is to select the option to upload a file.
- Click Open and navigate to the PDF you wish to annotate.
- After the file has been uploaded, select its name by clicking on it.
- Choose the Draw Freehand option.
- To select a new hue, simply use the corresponding tool (Color).
- Draw on the PDF.
- If you make a mistake, you may simply delete it by using the Delete button.
- When you’re ready, pick Download This File from the menu that appears after clicking the ellipsis.
How to Draw on a PDF in Word
PDFs can be created from Microsoft Word documents. Word may also be used to open and edit PDFs, allowing you to take advantage of Word’s built-in drawing tools. After making changes, you can save the document as a PDF.
- Choose Open With from the file’s context menu and click it.
- Just open up Microsoft Word.
- Your PDF file can be easily edited after being converted by Word.
- Choose Draw from the main menu.
- Pick out some sort of drawing implement. To change the tool’s color or thickness, click the tiny arrow to its right.
- Draw on your PDF.
- If you make a mistake while drawing, just use the eraser to get rid of it.
- To save your work, select File > Save As.
- Make use of the Save As option.
- Select PDF by clicking the down arrow next to the active file format.
- Save your revised PDF by giving it a new name and clicking the Save button.
How to Draw on a PDF on a Mac Using Preview
You may use the Preview program to annotate a PDF in a flash on a Mac. As a built-in part of macOS, this is a great choice for any Mac user.
How to draw on a PDF in Preview on a Mac:
- Use the Finder to get to the document you wish to modify as a PDF.
- Select Open With > Preview.mac from the file’s context menu.
- Select the Markup button in Preview.
- Make use of the Sketch option.
- To change the color of the border, click on it.
- Draw on your PDF.
- Preview will try to modify your sketch into a more conventional form.
- Choose whether to preserve the standard shape or utilize your original freehand drawing by clicking the Sketch icon.
- To delete a sketch, select it with the mouse and delete it with the Backspace key.
- If you’re using a PDF, your sketches will be stored immediately.
- Select File > Revert To > Browse All Versions to undo your recent drawing changes.
- Now you may easily go back to an older version of the PDF if necessary.
How to Draw on a PDF on a PC
Here is how to go about it:
- Access the PDFs with the Comments Editing Page using any online browser.
- The PDF can be dropped into the drop zone by clicking “Select a file” or dragging it there.
- If you have an Adobe, Google, or Apple account, you’ll be prompted to sign in after your work has been uploaded.
- Select the Pencil from the menu bar to begin doodling on your PDF. Pick your preferred marking color from a wide range of options. You can also use a slider to choose the thickness of your pencil lines.
How to Draw on PDF in Google Drive
If you’re using Google Drive, you can also make changes to your PDF there instead of using one of the previous options. Here is how to go about it:
- To access your Google Drive account, open Google Drive. Then select New > File Upload.
- Choose the PDF you want to upload, then click the Open button. Select Open with > Google Docs from the PDF’s context menu once you’re finished.
- Then click on Insert > Drawing > New to open the drawing panel.
- You can use the Line, Shape, and Text box tools to draw directly on PDF documents in the resulting pop-up window.
- When finished, select Save and Exit.
Advanced Techniques for Drawing
Drawing on a PDF is a simple operation, but there are more sophisticated methods you may employ to improve your PDFs. Let’s check over a few of these methods:
#1. Postage Stamps
Adobe Acrobat and Annotator are only two examples of programs that provide a feature called “stamps.” Stamps allow you to rapidly add pre-made graphics or text. If you routinely add the same annotations, they are a wonderful time saver. Use a stamp to indicate which parts of documents have been reviewed and approved, for instance.
#2. Integrating Hyperlinks
Including hyperlinks is another cutting-edge method. You can use this to connect to an external website, another document, or even another section of the same document. You can create a hyperlink by selecting the “Link” or “Hyperlink” tool and then highlighting the text or image you want to link to. The target address or path of a linked file can be specified at this point.
#4. Using Recognizable Text
The “text recognition” or “OCR” (Optical Character Recognition) function is available in some PDF programs. It is possible to pick, copy, and search text within a scanned or image-based PDF with this capability. When working with scanned papers or when annotating a picture with text, this feature can be really helpful.
#5. Collaborating in Real-Time
A real-time collaboration tool is something to think about if you’re working on a team. Sharing a PDF with others and viewing their comments in real time is now possible with the help of programs like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. It’s a convenient way to work together on a project without constantly exchanging new and revised drafts via email.
#6. Troubleshooting Common Issues
You may have trouble sketching PDFs even if you have the correct tools and methods. Some typical problems and their solutions are listed below.
Unable to Choose a Drawing Tool: It’s possible that you’re stuck in the wrong mode, preventing you from choosing a drawing tool. Different viewing and editing modes are available in the majority of programs. Verify that you’re using the proper setting.
Not Saving Annotations: An incorrect saving procedure could be the blame if your annotations aren’t being preserved. Remember to use “Save” or “Save As” after writing any notes. Make sure you have a reliable connection if you plan on doing any kind of real-time collaboration.
Fail to Open: Your PDF may be corrupted or your program may not be able to read it. If you’re having trouble opening the, you could want to switch tools or devices. A replacement officer may be necessary if that fails.
Can You Write on a PDF Without Adobe?
Adobe Acrobat isn’t the only program that can edit PDFs; there are many more. PDFs can be edited with online applications, including Google Docs, Google Drive, and others.
Is There a Pen Tool in PDF?
Yes, there is. Follow the following steps: Activate a file. Select Annotate from the menu. Choose a pen or a marker.
How Do I Make a PDF Editable?
Here is how to go about it:
- If you want to edit a PDF, you can use pdfFiller’s uploader to do it.
- pdfFiller is a web-based PDF editor that can quickly and easily transform any PDF file into a format that can be edited.
- Select the ‘Text’ tab and begin inputting text.
- You can sign your document or add an image by selecting the corresponding button (‘Signature’ or ‘Picture’).
Final Thoughts
To make changes to a file format that is notoriously difficult to edit, you need to learn how to draw on a PDF. PDFs are perfect for doodling if you need to annotate something or just want to show off your artistic abilities. I do hope this article was helpful. Let me hear from you in the comment section below!
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