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Understanding how to highlight in PDF is a practical way to emphasize important information and improve the review process. You can highlight in most PDFs by selecting the text and using built-in highlight tools available in common PDF readers, such as Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Edge, or Preview on Mac.
Many solutions also allow you to adjust the highlight color or add notes to highlighted sections. Simple, free options are widely accessible, from default tools on your device to browser-based PDF readers and extensions.
These features enable anyone to quickly and efficiently mark up documents without the need for complex or expensive software.
If you’re wondering how to highlight text in PDF, this guide provides step-by-step instructions and tips for maximizing the use of PDF highlight tools across various platforms.
How to Highlight in PDF Documents: 5 Easiest Methods Explained Step by Step
Learning how to highlight on a PDF has never been simpler by following this step-by-step guide using the five easiest methods.
1. Using a Built-In PDF Viewer (e.g., Adobe Reader)
Step 1: Open the PDF document using a compatible PDF viewer.
Step 2: Click the Highlight Text tool in the toolbar or under the “Comment” section.
Step 3: Drag the cursor over the specific text to highlight it.
Step 4: Save the document to retain the highlights.
2. Using Online PDF Editors (e.g., PDF Guru, PDFgear)
Step 1: Navigate to the online PDF editor’s website.
Step 2: Upload or drag and drop the PDF file.
Step 3: Select the Highlight tool, then click and drag over the desired text.
Step 4: Download the edited PDF to your device.
3. On Mobile Devices (iOS and Android PDF apps)
Step 1: Open the PDF in a supported mobile app (Adobe Acrobat, etc.).
Step 2: Tap the screen to display editing tools, then select the Highlight icon.
Step 3: Tap and drag over text to highlight.
Step 4: Save or export the highlighted PDF.
4. Using Browser Extensions or Built-In Browsers
Step 1: Open the PDF in a browser like Chrome or Edge.
Step 2: Use the built-in annotation or highlight tool from the PDF viewer’s interface.
Step 3: Apply highlights by selecting text and clicking the appropriate tool.
5. Changing Highlight Color in Dedicated PDF Editors (e.g., PDFelement)
Step 1: Open the PDF in the PDF editing program.
Step 2: Right-click on an existing highlight and select Properties.
Step 3: Choose a new color or appearance for your highlight.
Step 4: Save the PDF with updated highlight styles.
FAQs
How to print highlighted text in a PDF?
When printing a PDF with highlighted text, the highlights usually appear by default, as they’re part of the document’s annotations. If highlights aren’t visible, you should check the PDF viewer’s print settings.
In Adobe Acrobat and most other viewers, selecting "Document and Markups" or a similar option ensures all annotations, including highlights, get printed. You should preview the printout before printing to confirm that highlights are visible.
If the PDF viewer doesn’t support printing highlights, an alternative is to use a different viewer or take screenshots of the highlighted sections. Compatibility with print settings may vary between software.
How to view all the highlights in a PDF?
Most PDF software allows users to view all highlights in one place using an annotation or comments panel. In Adobe Acrobat, clicking "Comments" opens a sidebar showing every highlight made in the document.
From the comments pane, users can quickly navigate between highlighted passages. Some PDF readers let users filter annotations, search by highlight color, or sort by page.
Certain mobile apps and web-based tools offer similar navigation features, letting users jump directly to each highlight. Not all basic PDF readers have this function.
How to remove highlights from a PDF?
Can you highlight a PDF and then remove the highlights? Yes, you can.
To remove a highlight, you typically use the “Select” or “Hand” tool to click directly on the highlighted area. Once selected, pressing the "Delete" key or right-clicking and choosing "Delete" or "Remove Highlight" removes the annotation.
Some software allows multiple highlights to be removed at once by selecting several annotations in the comment panel and deleting them. If a highlight can’t be removed, it may be locked, or the document may be protected.
Editing permissions for the PDF document can affect the ability to delete highlights. If the document is read-only or secured, highlight removal options may be unavailable.
How to change the highlight color in a PDF?
Knowing how to highlight PDFs also involves knowing how to change the highlight color. This process generally requires selecting the highlight, then accessing its properties. In Adobe Acrobat, after clicking on the highlight, you can right-click and select “Properties” to pick a new color.
Many PDF readers allow highlighting with multiple colors, which can be chosen before or after applying the highlight. Using different colors can help organize notes by topic or importance.
Not all free PDF viewers allow color changes after a highlight is added. In those cases, the user will need to remove the existing highlight and reapply it using the desired color.
Which feature can you use to highlight all instances of a word in a document?
Some PDF tools offer a “Find and Highlight All” feature that automatically highlights every occurrence of a specific word.
For example, using browsers like Firefox, users can open the PDF, initiate the "Find" function, enter a word, and press "Highlight all" to visually mark each instance.
Adobe Acrobat doesn’t have a native function to highlight all found words at once.
Several third-party editors and browser-based tools do provide this capability.
This feature is especially useful for quickly spotting keywords across lengthy documents.
Using "Find" alone without highlighting can also help users navigate without marking up the file.