Hi there! Do you deal with a ton of PDF documents that constantly need updating or filling out? As critical as portable document format files have become in business and education, they remain stubbornly difficult to edit after the fact.
Don’t worry – I’ve been there too! After years of wrestling with cumbersome PDF workflows, I’ve finally discovered the perfect combination of tools and techniques for smoothly annotating any PDF file.
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll share the easiest methods for expertly writing on PDFs using either built-in software or advanced third-party editors.
Why Edit PDFs in the First Place?
Let’s first talk about why you’d even need to write on PDF files. While creating and sharing PDFs is a cinch, making changes post-publication requires a bit more effort.
Some examples where PDF annotation comes in handy:
- Collaborating with teammates on reports, designs, presentations
- Filling out interactive forms and paperwork
- Signing legally binding documents and contracts
- Redacting confidential client data for security
- Adding feedback and corrections to existing files
According to 2022 statistics from Adobe, over 5 billion PDFs get created every day! And at least 20% of those undergo edits and annotations after the fact.
Clearly, the need is massive for software that can ably unlock PDFs for modification.
The good news? Plenty of capable PDF editors exist nowadays, as I recently discovered…
Top PDF Annotation Tools in 2023
Here is the definitive list of software for expertly writing on PDFs this year:
1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
As the OG creators of the PDF standard in 1993, Adobe offers the premiere set of tools for not just creating but also intensely editing PDF documents across devices.
With Acrobat DC, you get a robust suite of annotation capabilities:
Highlighting and commenting:
- Custom highlights with editable text boxes
- Inline comment threads
- Markup tools like arrow, shapes, stamps
Images, multimedia and file attachments
- Insert images, video or sound clips
- Embed attachments and links
- Support for over 180 file types!
Powerful text and object editing
- Add or manipulate text boxes
- Replace fonts
- Edit images and vectors
Form field creation and logic
- Build fillable forms
- Set calculations and data validation
- Create multi-page workflows
Secure redaction and sanitization
- Permanently remove visible text
- Search and redact metadata
- Auto-scrub with custom rules
Templates and automation
- Use pre-built templates
- Automate workflows with JavaScript
- APIs and server-side options too
Of course, with its sterling brand reputation comes the steepest price tag…
| Price | $15-$30/month subscriptions |
| Learning Curve | Moderate |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Cloud, Mobile |
Acrobat keeps its crown firmly in place as the most versatile PDF annotation software for demanding professionals. Deep mobile and cloud integrations complete an impressive end-to-end document solution.
2. Preview and Markup
The default document viewer tools on Mac and iOS also carry competent annotation abilities for free.
Preview on macOS enables:
- Arrow, shape, text box additions
- Highlight and underline passages
- Sticky note comments
- Signing tools
While Markup on iOS offers:
- Draw and write with touch/pencil
- Text boxes
- Image cropping
- Shape insertion
- Signatures
For quick access and basic PDF markups, Apple’s faithful first-party apps get the job done admirably.
| Price | Free with Mac/iOS |
| Learning | Minimal |
| Platforms | MacOS, iOS/iPadOS |
If you use an iPhone/iPad + Mac setup, having built-in syncing and consistency across Apple’s ecosystem is a huge boon for rapid mobile annotations.
3. Nitro Pro
For expansive business-centric PDF editing capabilities, Nitro Pro competes directly with Acrobat Pro while costing nearly 50% less.
It contains advanced features like:
- Batch form processing
- Template management
- Detailed permissions
- Document compare
- Native apps
- Secure cloud storage
I particularly appreciate how Nitro always keeps the end user experience clean and simple despite its dense enterprise capabilities under the hood.
| Price | $130-$160/yr subscriptions |
| Learning | Low-moderate |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Cloud, Mobile, Nitro Sign web |
If complex PDF workflows are critical across your international organization, you can’t go wrong with Nitro as a full-powered Acrobat alternative.
Bonus: PDFfiller
This ingenious cloud-based solution provides robust PDF editing and form capabilities for a shockingly low subscription cost.
Standout features:
- Fillable smart forms library
- Mobile apps
- Generate custom templates
- Built-in eSigning
- Excel import/export
- 100GB online storage
I love PDFfiller as an agile web-based option accessible from all devices. It encapsulates complete paperless document handling at a reasonable price.
| Price | $7-$20/month based on features |
| Learning Curve | Low |
| Platforms | Cloud, MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux |
PDFfiller durably proves that powerhouse PDF solutions need not cost an arm and a leg in 2023. The total value derived makes it my personal pick for savvy solopreneurs and cost-conscious teams.
Annotating PDFs on Desktop
Now that you know the best PDF annotation tools available, let’s walk through editing one on your Windows PC or Mac computer.
Acrobat DC Desktop Steps
Using my Acrobat Pro DC subscription on my MacBook Pro, I follow these steps:
- Open Acrobat DC app and the desired PDF
- Click ‘Edit PDF‘ in right pane
- Select ‘Add text‘ from menu
- Type inside added text box
- Customize font, size, color etc
- Repeat for other annotations
- Save edited PDF when done
Straightforward enough! I now have full rein to highlight paragraphs, insert callout comments, add links/attachments, sign documents and more.
Nitro Pro Process
The workflow in Nitro looks quite similar:
- Launch Nitro Pro app and open PDF
- Switch to ‘Edit‘ mode in toolbar
- Choose pencil, text or shape tools
- Insert and style annotations over PDF
- Optionally add form fields, redactions etc
- Save updated PDF file securely
Nitro makes it simple to thoroughly modify any static PDF out there. I‘m able to achieve in minutes what would‘ve taken hours before!
Annotating on Mobile Devices
Thanks to stellar companion iOS/Android apps, I don‘t need to be stuck at my workstation for reliable PDF modifications.
Apple Devices
On my iPhone, I much prefer using the ‘€ ̃Markup‘ tool native to iOS/iPadOS for quick annotations with touch/pencil input.
The simple flow goes like:
- Open PDF file in Books/Files app
- Select markup icon (nib like shape)
- Choose highlighter, pen drawing or text insertion
- Scribble notes and shapes as needed atop PDF
- Hit ‘€ ̃Done‘€TM to finalize annotated copy
Thanks to Apple Pencil and iCloud sync, iPad tablets take the mobile PDF markup experience even further.
Android & Windows Phones
Alternatively, Android users have good annotation options via:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Wondershare PDFelement
- Xodo Docs
- Foxit MobilePDF
The interfaces work reliably across Samsung, Google Pixel and various other Android phones and tablets. Just install the app, open the PDF file, then draw/type annotations using the touchscreen and stylus.
Microsoft also bundles basic PDF markup tools now within its mobile Edge browser. And tablet optimized apps like Drawboard PDF provide a fluid inking interface on Surface devices.
So whether you prefer iOS or Android phones, or Windows tablets and 2-in-1 laptops, freely annotating PDFs on the go has never been more painless.
Advanced Features
Beyond basic text and shape annotations, powerful PDF editors like Acrobat and Nitro enable next-level document modifications.
Let‘s explore just some of the advanced capabilities accessible under the hood.
Automated Form Filling
Say you need to populate and process thousands of digital form or survey submissions every week.
Tools like Acrobat DC and PDFfiller make creating smart templates, setting up precise form logic, and auto-populating repetitive responses an absolute breeze. Batch data imports from CSV/Excel also help accelerate document workflows.
Secure Redaction
I frequently have clients sending me private files that then require sanitizing for public release. Being able to reliably redact confidential personal or financial details in PDF legal briefs and reports is thus crucial.
Nitro Pro in particular offers robust GDPR-compliant redaction with transparent audit tracking. This ensures my team can permanently delete text, images or object metadata without worry before publishing sensitive docs online.
Contract E-Signatures
Another area I continually deal with is managing official agreements with partners and vendors. Routing paper contracts used be extremely tedious until I finally started adopting PDF tools with integrated e-Signature workflows.
Now I can instantly send accessible, trackable digital documents to any recipient worldwide and receive securely signed copies within minutes! Talk about turning formerly time-intensive processes into quick wins.
Both Adobe Sign and third parties like PDFfiller tightly incorporate reliable tools to legally e-sign binding PDF contracts without paperwork or scanning woes.
Whiteboard-Style Collaboration
Suppose you‘re collaboratively brainstorming campaign ideas with a creative agency partner. Wouldn‘t it be awesome to have a shared digital whiteboard where both parties can sketch ideas in real-time atop content?
Well, the latest updates in Acrobat DC and Nitro Cloud now enable just that! These tools incorporate virtual whiteboards and infinite digital canvases for synchronous or asynchronous visual collaboration.
Add the ability to embed multimedia like GIFs and Youtube videos directly within interactive PDF layers, and next-gen content creation looks mighty promising!
As you can see, modern PDF annotation capabilities extend far beyond basic text edits. Entire businesses nowadays leverage smart document editors to utterly transform formerly static workflows.
The sky‘s the limit once stubborn print-era conventions get updated to Cloud-first devisors.
Closing Advice
I hope peeking into my digital annotation methods has sparked some ideas on upgrading your own PDF processes using the latest and greatest software options in 2023!
Here are my parting words of wisdom:
- Acrobat DC remains the perfect Swiss Army Knife for intensive PDF manipulation needs
- Preview and Markup still own simplicity on Apple devices
- Consider Nitro Pro to save budget over Acrobat without big feature losses
- Lean web apps like PDFfiller provide pleasing bang-for-buck
- Mix and match mobile, desktop and cloud platforms for ultimate flexibility
- Look into advanced tools like automated forms, redactions, eSigning
- Collaborative workflows shine brighter by the month
Wishing you legendary success and efficiency with handling mission-critical documents going forward! Consider me your friendly PDF nerd ready to answer any lingering questions.
Until next time…happy annotating!
