Add provenance notes to the digital file for [accession=2024-045] so colleagues see its history: open the PDF, attach …
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
Click the Comment button in the toolbar to display the commenting tools.
Select the annotation tool you want to use, such as Note, Highlight, Text Box, or Draw.
Click on the PDF page where you want to add your comment or annotation.
Type your comment or draw your annotation as needed.
Click away from the annotation or press Escape to save your comment or annotation.
You can use multiple annotation types in one session, such as highlighting text and adding sticky notes for detailed feedback.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
| Feature | Sticky Note | Text Box |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Small, movable note for quick comments. | Larger, fixed area for more detailed text. |
| Appearance | Icon on page, text appears in a pop-up. | Text box directly on the page, visible. |
| Use Case | Quick source reference, small detail. | Detailed historical facts, long descriptions. |
You should flatten or sanitize your PDF to protect sensitive information. Comments and annotations are separate layers. If you share a file without flattening, others can see, edit, or remove your notes. Sanitizing removes all hidden data, ensuring your provenance notes don't leak if they contain private details. This is important for final documents to prevent unintended disclosure of review information.
No, drawing markups are not permanent by default. Like other comments, they exist on a separate layer. If you want them to be a fixed part of the document, you must flatten the PDF. Otherwise, they can be removed or hidden by anyone viewing the document. Always flatten if you need the markups to be unchangeable and visible to all.
Callouts are a type of comment tool in Adobe Acrobat. They let you draw a line from a specific point in your document to a text box. This is helpful for provenance notes because you can point directly to an image, a date, or a name in the document and then add a detailed note explaining its origin or history in the attached text box.