Highlight a PDF
Drag across the text: the mark snaps to the lines instead of floating above them. Underline, strike through, suggest an insertion — it is all in the style bar.
Free · 100% local — nothing is uploaded- 1Open your PDF.
- 2Choose Highlight, then drag across the passage.
- 3Download: the mark travels with the file.
How to highlight a PDF
Open the document, choose Highlight, then drag across the passage. The mark snaps to the lines of text instead of floating above them: it hugs the height of the letters, stops at the last word, and follows the columns. The same bar lets you underline, strike a passage through or suggest an insertion, and the color changes before or after you draw. The mark is saved as a standard annotation of the format: the recipient sees it in Acrobat, in Preview, in Chrome or on an e-reader, with nothing to install. The document stays on your device from start to finish, which counts for a contract or an annotated medical file. Marking a passage does not force you to make a copy of the document: it is the same file, with one annotation more. The color changes afterwards, without having to draw the passage again.
Removing a highlight, yours or somebody else’s
A highlight laid down by somebody else selects and deletes just like yours, and the review panel gathers them all, page by page, so you can go round them without missing any. If on the contrary you want nobody to be able to remove or move them, flattening brings them into the page: they become part of the document.
Frequently asked questions
Is the highlight visible in other readers?
Yes. It is a genuine PDF annotation, not a painted rectangle: Acrobat, Preview or Firefox display it, and still let you edit or remove it.
Can I underline or strike through instead of highlighting?
Yes: underline, strike through and two proofreading marks — suggest an insertion, suggest a replacement — share the same tool.
Does the mark follow the text if I rewrite the line?
No. The mark is laid where the letters are, not on the letters themselves: if the rewritten line changes length, the mark stays where it was. Correct first, mark afterwards.
Can I change the highlight color?
Yes, in the style bar, before or after drawing. Yellow is the default because that is what one expects of a highlighter, but nothing ties you to it.
How do I remove a highlight someone else left?
Click it: it is an annotation like any other, it selects and deletes, even when it comes from different software.