A consultant left a coffee‑stained hand sketch at my desk that contains a spec reference we need to quote in the progr…
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.
Comments and Annotations are tools in Adobe Acrobat that let you add notes, highlights, and drawings to a PDF. They are useful for reviewing documents, giving feedback, or just adding personal reminders to any file, including scanned images.
No, when you add a quote using Comment tools, it is added as a separate layer on top of the original image. This means the original scanned sketch remains unchanged. You can always remove or change the comments later. To make the comments permanent and part of the main file, you would need to 'flatten' the PDF, but this is not a standard feature mentioned for comments.
It is important to sanitize your PDF to protect your privacy and prevent information leaks. Comments and markups are often review notes that you might not want others to see in a 'final' document. Sanitizing removes these hidden review notes, ensuring only the intended content is shared.
| Feature | Sticky Note | Text Box |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Short, quick notes, often hidden until clicked. | Visible text directly on the document. |
| Appearance | A small icon on the page; text appears in a pop-up. | A visible box with text, can be resized and moved. |
| Use Case | Adding a quick thought or reminder. | Displaying a quote or longer piece of text directly on the sketch. |