How To Insert Comments In PDF File : 6 Popular Tools

Whether you are in a professional setting or educational environment, you often have to review PDF documents and provide your feedback in the form of comments.

However, you may face challenges if you don’t know about doing this correctly in any PDF editor.

Here, we’ll show you the quick steps on how to insert comment in PDF file so you can engage with the content without making any changes to the original document.

Part 1. What Options Do You Need to Insert Comment In PDF?

Whenever you want to insert comments in a PDF, you should choose a tool that allows you to do so with the following features:

  • Text: Add comments directly on the PDF by inserting text boxes, notes, or callouts on any page.
  • Highlighter: Emphasize important text and then add pop-up notes to it.
  • Underline, Strikethrough, and Tilde: Point out, cross incorrect content, or mark typos and attach comments to them.
  • Pen or Pencil: Use it to draw anything, sign pages, or add handwritten notes on the PDF.
  • Stamps: Approve, reject, authenticate, or draft your PDF file with stamps.
  • Stickers: Add 2D illustrations and shapes to your PDF files and link pop-up notes to them.
  • Shapes: Use arrow, circle, rectangle, line, and other shapes in your PDFs to make it clear where you’ve added comments.
  • Comment Reply: Collaborate with reviewers on the PDF file and give responses to their suggestions, questions, and feedback.

Part 2. How to Insert Comment In PDF File - Afirstsoft PDF

Afirstsoft PDF, with its straightforward interface, makes it simple for you to insert comments by highlighting, underlining, or through strikethrough texts.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to do so using Afirstsoft PDF on your Windows or Mac PC:

  1. Go to the Afirstsoft PDF webpage, click Products, and select the app version for your PC. Once the download is complete, open the Download folder, click the installation file, and follow the on-screen instructions to install the app.
  2. Right-click your PDF and choose Open With Afirstsoft PDF. Alternatively, open the app, sign in to your account, click Open or + in the top left corner of the screen, choose the PDF from the location where you’ve saved it on your PC, and click Open to import it. If the file is saved in the Afirstsoft Cloud, click Files and go to Cloud Storage to open the PDF.
importing pdf file to afirstsoft pdf
  1. Now, select Edit in the top menu ribbon, choose Add Text, click anywhere on the page to add a text box, and type in your comment.
adding text box to pdf file in afirstsoft pdf
  1. Next, go to the Comment tab, select the Highlight or Underline, and choose the text on the file to apply the annotation. Then, right-click the highlighted or underlined text, choose Open Pop-up Notes, enter your comment, and press Enter. You can also use the Strikethrough and Tilde options to markup the text, then click content once and choose the Pop-up note icon to insert your comment.
adding markups and popup notes in afirstsoft pdf
  1. If you want to add illustrations and shapes, click Stickers, scroll through the library to select the sticker, and add it to your PDF file. Then, double-click the sticker to open Pop-up notes and insert your feedback.
adding stickers to pdfs in afirstsoft pdf

Part 3. How to Insert Comments in PDF Adobe Reader

Acrobat Reader, available for Mac, Windows, and mobile devices, has everything you need to collaborate on a project by inserting comments on a PDF file with these steps:

  1. Open the Mac App Store or Microsoft Store, search for Adobe Acrobat Reader, and click Get to install the app. Alternatively, go to the official website of Adobe Acrobat Reader and click Download Acrobat Reader on the main screen. In the Download folder, click the installation file to install it.
  2. After that, right-click the file, choose Open With, and select Adobe Acrobat. Otherwise, open the app, choose Your Computer under Other File Storage, select the PDF file, and click Open. If the file is saved in the Adobe Cloud, click Your Files, Shared By You, or Shared By Others under Adobe Cloud Storage, and select the PDF.
  3. Click Add Comment in the Tool panel, click the Chat Bubble icon in the floating pane, and select Add a Comment, Add Text Comment, or Insert Text from the drop-down menu. Click anywhere on the file, and insert a comment on the PDF.
  4. Then, select Highlight, Underline, or Strikethrough to mark up content on the PDF, right-click it, and choose Open Pop-up Note. Type in your comment and click Post. You can also add pop-up notes to shape markups and freehand drawings.
adding comments to pdfs in abobe acrobat reader

If you use the Acrobat Reader mobile app, do these steps to insert comments on PDF:

  1. Install Acrobat Reader from the App Store or Play Store and open it.
  2. Tap +, select Open File, and choose your PDF from your device to import it.
  3. Select the Bubble or T icon in the bottom menu and enter your comment.
  4. Tap Highlight, Underline, or Strikethrough and select the text on the file to annotate it.
  5. Double-tap the text to insert your comment.

Part 4. How to Insert Comments in PDF - PDFgear

PDFgear is another great option for Windows and Mac computers that lets you quickly add comments or remarks to your PDF files. Here’s how:

  1. Visit the PDFgear web page, click Products, and download the app. Click the installation file in the Download folder to install it.
  2. Right-click the PDF file on your computer, choose Open With from the menu, and select PDFgear. Otherwise, open the app, click Open File, select your PDF, and click Open to import it.
  3. Then, go to the Comment tab, select Text Box, Add Text, or Note, click anywhere on the PDF file, and enter your feedback. You can also experiment with the color and size of the text to your liking.
adding comments to pdfs in pdfgear

Part 5. How to Insert Comment in PDF - PDFelement

Known for its simple UI and easy navigation menus, PDFelement allows you to quickly add sticky notes, text boxes, and callouts to your PDF files.

Let’s explore the easy-to-follow instructions to use the PDF element desktop app for inserting comments:

  1. Download the PDFelement software on your Windows/Mac PC.  
  2. Then, open the app, click Open PDF, select your file from the new window, and click Open. Alternatively, right-click the PDF, select Open With, and choose PDFelement. If the file is saved in the cloud storage, choose PDFelement Cloud and open the PDF from there.
  3. Go to the Comment tab from the top ribbon, choose Highlight, Pencil, Underline, or Highlight Area, and select the text on the file. Right-click the annotated content, choose Add Comment, and enter your suggestion.
  4. You can also select Type Writer, Callout, Note, or Text Box, click anywhere on the file, and add your feedback.
adding comments to pdfs in pdfelement

Part 6. How to Insert Comment in PDF Document - Preview  

Preview is a built-in PDF editor on Mac that offers multiple options to add review notes to your files. These are the quick steps:

  • Open Preview on your Mac, click File, choose Import, and select your PDF.
  • Click Tools (top menu bar), choose Annotate, and select Text or Speech Bubble.
  • Now, click anywhere on the file to add the text box or speech bubble and enter your remarks, reviews, or notes.
adding comments to pdfs in preview
  • Drag the transform handles to resize the text box or speech bubble, and click the A  in the top bar to choose the font color you want. You can also select your desired font style, apply bold or italic, set the intent, and change text size according to your preferences.
  • To change the position of the comment, simply select it and drag it to move to another page. You can also use the Pencil tool to add handwritten comments to the PDF file.
changing comment color in preview

Part 7. How to Insert Comments in PDF Document - Able2Extract Pro

With Able2Extract Pro, you can easily insert sticky notes to highlight, underlines, and squiggly markups. Below are the step-by-step instructions to use the app on your computer for this purpose:

  • Go to the official Able2Extract Pro website and click Try Free Now to download the .exe file. Next, click the downloaded file in the Download folder to install the app.
  • Open Able2Extract Pro, choose Open (top left corner of the ribbon menu), and import your PDF file from your computer.
  • Go to the Review tab, select Add Sticky Note, click anywhere on the PDF, and enter your comment in the given box.
  • After that, click Highlight, Underline, Squiggly, or Strike Out, select text on the file to annotate, and add your remarks under Comments in the Properties panel.
  • Next, choose the color and opacity of the markup from the properties panel.
  • Besides that, Able2Extract Pro also allows you to add separate comment files to the PDF.
adding comments to pdfs in able2extract pro

Part 8. FAQs Related to Inserting Comments to PDF Files

How do I insert comments into a PDF?

Open Afirstsoft PDF on your computer, click Open or + to import your PDF file, go to the Edit tab, and select Add Text. Click where you want to insert the comment on the PDF file and type in your reviews.

How do I add notes to a PDF?

Import your PDF to Afirstsoft PDF on your PC and click Comment on the top menu bar. Click Highlight, Underline, Strikethrough, or Tilde, and select the text on the file to mark up. Right-click or double-click the text, choose Open Pop-up Note from the menu, type in your notes, and press Enter on the keyboard. To change the color of the annotations, simply select any shade below the pop-up note or from the drop-down menu under the selected annotation option.

How do I add annotations to a PDF?

Right-click your PDF and choose Open With Afirstsoft PDF. Then, go to the Comment tab, select the text on the PDF file, and choose Underline, Highlight, Strikethrough, or Tilde from the menu. Now, double-click the annotated text, choose the Pop-up Note icon, type in your comment, and press Enter. You can also go to the Stickers library, select a sticker, place it anywhere on the file, and then add a pop-up note from the right-click menu.

How do I enable comments toolbar in PDF?

Open Afirstsoft PDF, click Open or + on the main screen, select your PDF file, and click Open again to import it. Now, simply go to the Comment tab to enable its toolbar. However, if your file has read-only restrictions, you may have to ask the owner to remove them first so you can add comments to it.

Part 9. Conclusion

At the end, you’ve explored easy-to-follow instructions on how to insert comment in PDF file using 6 amazing PDF Editors.

Among these, we’ve thoroughly tested Afirstsoft PDF and know for sure it has a comprehensive tool with all the necessary features to add comments to your files. So, install Afirstsoft PDF now and keep your PDFs updated with your latest reviews for the best collaboration efforts.

John Smith

Editor-in-Chief

With 10 years of experience in the office industry, John Smith is a tech enthusiast and seasoned copywriter. He likes sharing insightful product reviews, comparisons, and etc.

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