How to Markup a PDF Like a Pro

Part 1. What does Markup PDF mean?

Simply put, Marking up PDFs means reviewing someone else’s document to provide feedback or make corrections. It’s a way to add comments or changes directly to the file.

You might see some people use these tools for personal use while others rely on them to communicate important details.

Either way, markup tools are incredibly useful for simplifying the review process. They let you share documents with colleagues in a way that ensures nothing gets lost, unlike sending verbal or written comments across different platforms.

Part 2. How do I Markup a PDF on Windows and Mac?

Afirstsoft PDF is designed to be easy to use, with all the key features you need to mark up your documents. Here’s how to markup PDF documents on your Windows and Mac computer with step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Install Airsoft PDF and Import Document

The first step is to install Afirstsoft PDF on your computer. After that, import your PDF in three ways: Either click open, click the (+) icon, or simply drag & drop your document into the software.

Once you’ve imported your file, click the Comment section to find multiple tools for marking up your PDFs.

Step 2: Use Markup Tools

Next, click Highlight at the top toolbar, select any text in the file, and it will automatically highlight. You can also do this by selecting the text first and clicking Highlight. To add comments, right-click on the highlighted section again and click Open Pop-up Note.

A small box will appear on the right side of your screen. Type your comment in the box and hit enter.

There’s another way to markup your PDFs in Afirstsoft PDF. Choose any part of the text, and click Underline. Now, you’ll see the lines under your selected part. To add reviews here too, single click underlined text, and select the Pop-up Note option.

You can also cross out the irrelevant content in your PDF. To do this, simply select the text and click Strikethrough at the top toolbar.

If you want to add the reason for the rejected part, you can mark it up by adding a sticky note to it. Again, right-click the crossed-out text and choose the Open Pop-up Note to add your notes or comments.

First, select the text you want to mark, then click the Tilde Tool at the top of the UI. To add a sticky note or comment regarding these grammatical and numerical issues, right-click the text, choose 'Open Pop-up Note,' and type your comment.

To do more expressive markups, click the Sticker tool in the top toolbar, choose one from different categories, and place it where you want notify others.

Step 3: Export or Share PDF

After marking up the PDF, click Save in the top left corner of the dashboard, select the location, and click Save again.

Alternatively, go to File > Export and select PDF/A from the drop-down menu. Next, select Custom Directory Under Output Folder, browse to a location, and click Convert.

Part 3. Top 8 PDF Markup Software for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Below, you’ll find the best 8 PDF markup software you can use on your computer for faster workflow.

1. Afirstsoft PDF

Features:

• 100+ stickers from over 10 categories to annotate content.
• Commenting with customized fonts.
• Different colors to highlight, underline, and cross out PDFs.
• Handwritten-like squiggly-lined annotations, perfect for adding personalized notes.

Who doesn’t appreciate a simple user interface? Afirstsoft PDF is one such markup tool for Windows and Mac, especially if you don’t have prior experience in knowing how to markup a PDF digitally.

The icons are clear and unobtrusive, so they don’t overwhelm you. The markup tools in the toolbar don’t overlap each other and are accessible from the top menu under the Comment section.

Afirstsoft PDF is free to use for a limited time period and then costs $7.99 per month, $44.99 per year, or $55.99 for a 3-year plan.

2. Acrobat Reader 

Features:

• Pen tool to markup PDFwith handwritten notes.
• Highlight, underline, or cross out text in various colors.
• Add comments or text boxes to your PDF files.
• Draw lines, circles, clouds, polygons, or other shapes and add pop-up notes to them.
• Attach another file with PDFs.
• Add legally binding e-signature to PDFs.

Adobe Acrobat is the go-to tool for effortlessly marking up your PDF files on Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android devices. Besides the basic free version, this software offers the Acrobat Standard plan for US$12.99 per month or the Acrobat Pro version for US$19.99/month.

3. Smallpdf  

Features:

• Draw freehand on PDFs using a stylus, mouse, or trackpad.
• Add text, images, or shapes to your files.
• Underline, highlight, strikethrough, or squiggle text in PDF documents.
• eSign your PDFs.

With Smallpdf, you not only get an online platform for a quick, hassle-free PDF markup job but also the convenience of accessing your PDFs from anywhere.

It has a free version, a Pro plan at $12/month, a Team at $10/month, and a business version that has custom pricing.

4. Sumatra PDF 

Features:

• Add caret, text, or free text boxes to markup your PDF file.
• Set your PDFs as draft, approved, final, confidential, or experimental with stamps.
• Highlight content in your file with different colors.
• Underline, squiggly underline, or cross out text in documents and add pop-up notes.
• Save annotation to existing or new PDFs.

Sumatra PDF is a free markup tool for Windows Only users with a simple, easy-to-use interface. You can zoom in and out and choose between single page, facing page, or book views options while annotating PDFs.

5. Filestage 

Features:

• Markup PDFwith strikethrough or highlight using different colors.
• Write handwritten notes on file with the Freehand drawing tool.
• Add an arrow or line to your PDF files.
• Attach a pop-up note or comment to the PDF documents.
• Add emojis to annotated text.

Filestage is your central hub for reviewing, sharing, and approving all your files in one collaborative space on Windows, Mac, or Linux. It has a free version and three paid plans, starting with the Basic at $49/month.

6. Preview

Features:

• Highlight, underline, or strikethrough text in PDF files.
• Add rectangle, oval, line, polygon, line, arrow, or star shape to your documents.
• Insert comments, reviews, or feedback into PDFs with text boxes or speech bubbles.
• Attach notes or e-sign your PDF files.
• Write handwritten notes to files.

Calling Preview a gem for Mac users won’t be an exaggeration. It comes with all the tools you need to markup PDFs, rearrange and combine documents, and sign forms, all for free.

7. Okular

Features:

• Add inline or pop-up notes to attach your suggestions or explanations to PDFs.
• Underline or highlight content to point out important text.
• Embed and verify digital signatures in PDFs.
• Approve, disapprove, finalize, or confidentialize PDF documents using stamps.
• Use the freehand tool to add handwritten text to PDF files.

Unless you’re a Linux user, you may not have heard about Okular before as an amazing free program for PDF markups. After all, it wasn’t available on Windows and Macs until a few years ago, but now competing with other annotators quite well.

8. SwifDoo PDF

Features:

• Draw a rectangular area or select text to highlight content in PDFs.
• Add freehand lines, straight lines, shapes, or arrows to the PDF document.
• Change the line thickness, opacity, or color of hand-drawn lines.
• Create notes to add your comments or important points in PDF file.
• Insert stamps or notes to your files.

Swifdoo PDF might not be as well-known as some other markup tools in this list, but when compared, it can hold its own against many of them. This Windows-only app provides all the tools you need to handle and markup PDF files without much hassle.

With Swifdoo PDF, you can choose from three plans: the quarterly plan at $14/month, the 2-year plan at $2.50/month, or a perpetual license for one PC at $79.99.

Part 4. FAQs Related to PDF Markups

How do I make markups permanent in PDF?

Open the PDF file on Afirstsoft software, and click Comment > Highlight. Now select the text, right-click on it, select 'Open Pop-up Note,' and type your comment. Finally, click File in the top left corner of your screen, and then click 'Save' to permanently mark up your PDF.

How to annotate a PDF without Adobe?

Afirstsoft PDF is a lightweight and affordable alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Under the Comment tab, it has all the essential annotation tools to mark up your documents, like

Highlight, Underline, Strikethrough, and advanced features, such as Tilde, Shapes, Stickers, color and font customization, and many more.

How to convert PDF to editable PDF?

Afirstsoft PDF has a dedicated EDIT feature that can easily convert your file to an editable PDF and then allows you to rewrite something on it, change the size, color, and style of the text, crop pages, and do markups.

Part 5. Conclusion

There you have it– our complete guide on how to markup a PDF and our list of top 8 markup tools, each with basic and advanced annotation features.

Among these choices, Afirstoft PDF remains the top choice for many Windows and Mac users which only requires a few clicks to markup large PDF files within minutes.

So, we recommend downloading this software today and witnessing how much it can help with your reviewing tasks.