You need to highlight certain parts of a document to send it to your friend. A seemingly simple operation, were it not for the fact that the document in question is a PDF file and you don’t have the slightest idea how to proceed. Fortunately for you, however, you are on the right guide, at the right time. Guess what’? With this tutorial of mine today I just wanted to show you how to highlight text in PDFs .
To succeed in the enterprise, I anticipate it immediately, you need some special programs, the ones I have indicated below. These are resources that work on both Windows and macOS and in most cases totally free. Contrary to what you may think, they are quite simple to use – even by those who, a bit like you, do not consider themselves exactly a great computer expert – as well as very intuitive. And if you do not want to download new software on your computer, I am happy to inform you that the same operation can also be performed online, through ad hoc Web services and even from smartphones and tablets, using dedicated apps.
So? What are you doing still standing there? Position yourself comfortably in front of your trusty PC and immediately start focusing on reading this post. I am sure that in the end you will be able to tell yourself very happy and satisfied and that, even, in case of need you will be ready to provide useful advice in this regard to all your acquaintances. What do you say, we bet?
Index
- How to highlight PDF text: PC and Mac
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows / macOS)
- Microsoft Edge (Windows / macOS)
- Preview (macOS)
- How to highlight PDF text online
- PDFzorro
- Other solutions to highlight PDF text online
- How to Highlight PDF Text: Android and iPhone
- Foxit PDF Editor (Android / iOS / iPadOS)
- Other solutions to highlight PDF text on Android and iPhone
How to highlight PDF text: PC and Mac
If what you want to do is go to highlight PDF text by acting from a PC or Mac , the resources you need to rely on and the relative instructions for use are those listed below. Find the solution that you think will do the most for you and start using it right away.
Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows / macOS)
The first of the useful tools to perform the operation covered by this tutorial that I want to suggest you use is Adobe Acrobat Reader . In the strange case that I had never heard of it, I would like to inform you that it is the “official” software to open and edit PDFs, made available directly by the software house that invented PDFs. It works on both Windows and macOS and is free, but some features, such as the ability to convert files, are only available upon payment of a special subscription (costs 18.29 euros / month, but you can try it free for 7 days) .
To be able to highlight Adobe PDF text , the first step you need to take is to visit the program’s website and click on the Download Acrobat Reader button .
At the end of the download, if you are using Windows , open the EXE file obtained and, in the window that appears on the desktop, click on the Yes button . Wait for the installation process to start and, once completed, click the Finish button .
If, you are using macOS , instead, open the DMG package obtained and start the PKG file inside it. In the window that is then shown to you on the desktop, click on the Continue button (twice in a row) and on the Install button . Next, enter the password of your user account on macOS, press the Install software button and complete the setup by clicking on the Close and Move buttons .
Now that, regardless of the operating system used, you see the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC window on the screen, click on the File menu at the top left, select the Open item and open the PDF you are interested in acting on.
When viewing the document, click on the Comment button located on the right, press the icon with the highlighter located on the toolbar at the top and select the reference text portion, by left clicking with the mouse at the starting point and continuing to hold down until the final one, then release the “grip”.
If you want to change the color of the highlighter, click on the colored dot at the top right of the toolbar and make your choice from the menu that is shown to you.
When you have finished, to save the changes click on the floppy disk icon in the upper left part of the Adobe Acrobat Reader window and specify the location and name where you want to save the output file
Microsoft Edge (Windows / macOS)
Another great tool you can turn to if you want to highlight PDF text is Microsoft Edge , the default browser of Windows 10 and later but can also be used on Apple-branded computers (and other operating systems, as it is based on Chromium). Not everyone is aware of it, but this browser integrates a PDF file reader that not only allows you to open these types of documents, but also to make various changes, including the ability to highlight texts.
If you are using Windows you find the browser pre-installed, so to use it start it by clicking on the Start button (the one with the Microsoft flag ) on the taskbar and selecting the relative link from the menu that opens.
If you are using macOS , however, you must first install the program, reaching its website , clicking on the Download button , indicating whether you are using a Mac with Intel or Apple Silicon chips (eg M2) and pressing the Accept and download button . When the download is complete, open the PKG file obtained and click on the Continue and Install buttons , then type the password of your user account on macOS, press the Enter key on the keyboard and press the Close button . Afterwards, launch the program, accessing the Go menuat the top left, selecting the Applications item in it and double clicking on the Edge icon .
Now that you see the main browser window on the screen, drag the PDF file you are interested in to act on it, then click on the highlighter icon that you find in the toolbar at the top.
Now, move the mouse pointer to the starting point of the portion of text you want to highlight, left click and, while continuing to click, draw the highlight. Then release the “grip” when you are done highlighting.
If you deem it necessary, you can also change the color to be used for highlighting, the thickness of the stroke and you can decide whether to act only on the text or not, by clicking on the down arrow symbol that you find next to the tool icon and selecting the options from the proposed menu.
To save the changes made to the current file, click the floppy disk icon at the top right. To create a new modified document without editing the original one, instead, press the icon with the floppy disk and the pencil , indicate the name you want to assign to the new file and the location in which you want to archive it.
Preview (macOS)
Do you own a Mac? Well, I am happy to inform you that if you are not looking for particularly advanced features, you can rely on Preview without any kind of problem , the application included “standard” in macOS for viewing images and PDFs. In fact, it also includes some useful tools for editing documents in the format in question including, obviously, the highlighter.
You ask me how to make use of it? I’ll point it out to you right away. First, double-click the icon of the PDF file you want to highlight in order to view it in Preview. If you have set up a different program for viewing PDFs, you can still succeed in your intent by right-clicking with the mouse on the reference file, selecting Open with from the menu that appears and then choosing the word Preview .
Once the document is displayed, click on the highlighter button at the top. Now, drag the cursor over the parts of the text you want to highlight by left clicking with the mouse and continuing to hold it down, then release the “grip” at the point you think is most appropriate.
By default the color used for the highlighter is yellow, but if you want you can change it by clicking on the arrow next to the highlighter button and selecting the color you prefer from the menu that appears.
When highlighted, simply close the Preview window and the changes will be automatically saved to the document. It was easy, wasn’t it?
How to highlight PDF text online
You don’t want or can’t install new programs on your computer and, therefore, would you like to understand if there is a way to highlight PDF text by acting online ? The answer is yes! You can do this by contacting some specific Web services, accessible from any browser and operating system. Find the best in class listed below.
PDFzorro
A great online service that you can take advantage of to highlight PDF text is PDFzorro . It is a free and easy-to-use resource, which in addition to fulfilling the purpose in question allows you to modify the text in the documents, add signatures, notes and much more. It has no particular limits and there is no obligation to register. In short, it is a great solution to highlight PDF text for free .
To use it, connected to the PDFzorro home page of PDFzorro, press the Upload button and select the PDF on your computer that you want to highlight. Alternatively, drag the file directly into the browser window, corresponding to the box in the center of the screen. If your PDF is on Google Drive , you can also upload it directly from there by clicking on the link click here, to open PDF directly from Google Drive present just below.
Once uploaded, press the start PDF editor button , select the page of the PDF to edit and click on the Mark button on the left. Then highlight the text of your interest by left clicking with the mouse in a point of the document and, continuing to hold down, drag the pointer. At the end of the changes, click on the Save button on the left.
To conclude, click on the Finish / Download button located on the left and choose, after clicking on the buttons on the left, whether to download the highlighted PDF on your computer, save it on Google Drive or send it by e-mail.
Other solutions to highlight PDF text online
None of the resources to highlight PDF text that I have already reported to you has particularly convinced you and would you therefore like to know if there are other solutions? The answer is yes. You can find them in the list below. I sincerely hope they are able to satisfy you.
- PDFescape– This is an excellent free web service that allows you to edit – and therefore also highlight – PDF files and save them without using external software. It does not require registration, it is free and works from any browser. The only thing you need to take into account is that you can upload files with a maximum size of 10 MB consisting of a maximum number of 100 pages.
- PDF Buddy– is another free online service that allows you to make various changes to PDFs, including the ability to highlight parts of text, but also to insert annotations, symbols and much more. The only flaw, if we want to define it that way, is that you have to register and it allows you to edit a maximum of 3 PDFs per month. To get around this limit, you need to switch to the paid variant of the service (costs $ 7.99 / month or you can purchase credit with prices starting at $ 5.99).
- PDF2GO– this is an Internet site that allows you to edit PDFs quickly and easily, even underlining them. It is very easy to use and has no cost, but it offers a paid subscription (at a cost of 5.50 euros / month) to unlock all the available functions.
How to Highlight PDF Text: Android and iPhone
You don’t have a computer at hand and would like to know what tools are available for Android and iPhone (as well as iPad , it makes no difference) to highlight PDF text? Well, then I advise you to immediately take a look at the apps useful for this purpose that you find below.
Foxit PDF Editor (Android / iOS / iPadOS)
The first of the apps useful for highlighting text in PDF documents that I invite you to consider is Foxit PDF Editor . It is free, available for both Android and iOS / iPadOS, and allows you to view and make various types of changes to files in the format object of this tutorial. It should be noted that on iPhone and iPad it offers in-app purchases (at a cost of 11.49 euros / year) to unlock additional functions.
To download and install the app on your device, proceed as follows: if you are using Android , visit the relevant section of the Play Store and press the Install button (if your device does not have Google services, you can go to alternative stores ); if you are using iOS / iPadOS , instead, access the relevant section of the App Store , press the Get button , then the Install button and authorize the download via Face ID , Touch ID or Apple ID password . Afterwards, launch the app by selecting the icon that has been added to the home screen.
At this point, go to the position where the PDF to be highlighted is located, select the icon for sharing and then the Foxit PDF Editor icon to import. Subsequently, press with your finger for a few moments on the initial part of the portion of text to be highlighted and, continuing to hold down, select all the part relating to which you intend to act. Next, choose the Highlight option from the menu that appears.
To save the changes made, tap on the button (…) located at the top right and choose the Save item from the proposed menu or, if you do not want to make changes to the original document and create a new file, the Save as one .
Other solutions to highlight PDF text on Android and iPhone
If you are looking for other solutions to be able to highlight PDF text from smartphones and tablets, you can consider using the resources attached to the list below. They are all very valid.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader( Android / iOS / iPadOS ) – is the mobile device counterpart of the program I told you about in the step at the beginning of the guide . Even in this case, it is a tool through which you can view and edit PDFs, taking up all the main features offered by the variant for Windows and macOS. Note that basic is free, but offers in-app purchases (starting at 9.99 euros) to unlock extra features.
- Xodo PDF( Android / iOS / iPadOS ) – excellent PDF file reader including several features that allow you to highlight the text but also to underline it, draw freehand on it and so on. The synchronization of documents with the main cloud storage services is also supported and its interface is very well built. It’s free, but in-app purchases must be made to unlock all the functions (with prices starting from 13.99 euros / month).
- File( iOS / iPadOS ) – is the app developed directly by Apple for its devices thanks to which it is possible to manage and organize files saved locally and on the cloud. I point it out because among the various functions offered it also allows you to view and edit PDFs.