Share a clean set of design sketches with [contact=Jason Lee] at the homeowner's office so he can review proposed layo…
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.
Highlighting is used to make specific text stand out, like using a yellow marker on a paper. It is best for emphasizing words or sentences. Drawing markup, however, lets you add shapes like circles, arrows, or freehand lines. This is useful for pointing to images, specific areas, or making more complex visual notes on your document. Both help with review, but highlighting is text-focused, while drawing markup is more visual and flexible.
You should flatten your PDF to make sure your comments become a permanent part of the document. If you don't flatten it, comments remain as a separate layer. This means someone could accidentally or intentionally remove them. Flattening ensures that everyone who views the document sees your feedback exactly as you intended, and it also helps prevent sensitive review notes from being easily removed or changed when sharing a 'final' version of a file.
Reaction emojis are small graphical icons, like a thumbs-up or a smiley face, that you can add to comments in a shared review. They work like quick, visual responses to other people's feedback. Instead of typing a full reply, you can use an emoji to show if you agree, disagree, or have another simple reaction. This makes group reviews faster and more interactive, allowing for quick feedback without adding more text.
For a long explanation linked to a specific image, you should use a 'Callout' or a 'Text Box' tool. A Callout is good because it creates a text box with an arrow pointing to the exact part of the image you are discussing. A Text Box also works well, as it gives you plenty of space to type your detailed explanation directly on the page, near the image. Both allow for more text than a simple sticky note.