Whether you’re proofreading an article, studying for an exam, reviewing an important contract, or just trying to keep your thoughts organized, marking up a PDF is a convenient way to work with your documents without changing the original. In this text, we’ll show you the simplest and safest way to do it.
Why Mark Up a PDF
It’s the easiest option to work with a PDF document without changing its original structure and content. You can highlight different parts of a document, add annotations, draw attention to key points with the help of various symbols, and more. And all that without printing out any files or creating digital copies again once you’re done.
In general, markup could be of help when you’re:
Proofreading, or editing;
Reviewing documents;
Studying and taking notes;
Completing forms;
Preparing presentations in PDF;
Brainstorming;
And even reading e-books.
How to Mark Up a PDF
If you type “pdf markup tool” into a search engine, you’ll get almost 40 million results. So, the only thing you need to do is scroll through several pages and find the most suitable solution. However, some online tools come with their own traps and pitfalls. The problem is, you never know who you’re sharing your data with while uploading a file. If it’s a page from a digital book or a presentation for your child’s classmates, that might be OK. But if you’re working with sensitive information, like marking up a contract or a financial report, it could potentially be an issue.
That’s why it’s always best to stick to trusted tools. Let’s take iScanner, for instance. It’s been on the market for a decade and complies with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and California Consumer Privacy Act. Neither the developer nor any third party has access to what’s inside the user’s documents. Files are safely stored on AWS, which is the world’s top cloud provider, trusted by major banks, the military, and most Fortune 500 companies. However, if you prefer to keep things local, you can choose to store files only on your phone.
“The app is fast and reliable, and the built-in security features help protect sensitive documents.”
Another advantage is that iScanner is a blend of a PDF editor and a mobile scanner, which makes it possible to adjust your documents in any way you need, from e-signing them, translating into more than 100 languages, improving quality, adding pictures, editing, and much more.
2. Tap Plus to scan your document or import it from Photos, Files, your computer, or the cloud.
3. Find the Markup button at the bottom of the screen and tap it. Now you can set the color of your highlight, its thickness, and opacity. Hold your finger on the screen and highlight the desired part of the doc.
4. If you need to add annotations, select the Text button in the bottom of the screen and tap where you want to place it. You can customize the font, style, size, color, and alignment.
5. If you want to emphasize part of the document with a special symbol (like an arrow or a check mark), tap the Shapes button at the bottom of the screen and choose the one you’d like.
6. That’s it. All the changes are saved automatically. You can share your updated document via email, messengers, or by generating a link to your file (you can also set an expiration date for privacy reasons).
