I collected redline markups at the site walk; the structural engineer needs them before Monday's coordination meeting.…
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 | Purpose | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight Text | To draw attention to specific words or sentences. | Directly colors the text, always visible. |
| Sticky Note | To add a detailed comment or question about a section. | Appears as a small icon; click to open and read the note. |
It's crucial to flatten or sanitize comments because they exist as a separate layer on your PDF. If you don't, others can easily see, change, or remove your review notes, which might not be what you want for a final version. Sanitizing makes these notes a permanent part of the document, preventing accidental leaks of review data or unauthorized changes to your redlines. This ensures your 'final' document looks exactly as intended without hidden layers.
Comments & Annotations are a set of tools in Adobe Acrobat that let you add notes, highlights, and drawings directly onto a PDF document without changing the original text. They are very useful for document review because they allow multiple people to give feedback, suggest changes, or ask questions in one shared file. This makes it easier to track all revisions and discuss specific points, streamlining the review process and ensuring everyone's input is captured clearly.