Instructions for Commenting in Acrobat

Detailed instructions on making edits in a PDF file.

Hello,
The first step is to open the PDF file. If you do not have a licensed (paid-for) version of Acrobat
Professional, then you can download Acrobat Reader for free from Adobes Web site.
The PDF that you receive should already be enabled for commenting, so that when you open
the document, the Commenting and Markup toolbar will be available to you. If the toolbar does
not automatically pop up, then you may need to activate it by doing one of the following:

Choose View > Toolbars > Comment & Markup

Choose Tools > Comment & Markup > Show Comment & Markup Toolbar

or

You can use commenting and markup tools to add comments to the page, in which you write out
the change you want to make. Electronic markup saves paper and ink, and makes it possible for
the Project Manager to click one button and import comments from multiple sources (i.e., you, the
proofreader, and A-W) onto one version for review and cleanup.
The most common type of comment is the sticky note. A sticky note has a note icon that appears
on the page and a pop-up note for you to type a message. You should place the sticky note on
the page over the area where the change is being made.
You can also use text edit comments in a PDF to indicate where text should be edited in the
source file and what it should be changed to. These comments indicate which text should be
deleted, inserted, or replaced. You can choose the Select tool or the Text Edits tool from the
Comment & Markup Toolbar to implement most types of text edits:

To replace text with new text, use your mouse to select the text you want to replace and
begin typing the change on the keyboard. This will cross out the existing text and indicate
the change in a pop-up note.
To cross out text, use your mouse to select the text you want to delete, then hit the
backspace or delete key.

The next two pages of this document have more details on the tools available. Also, the following
link has helpful information about Acrobat Reader, including pictures to illustrate the options:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Reader/8.0/help.html?content=WS58a04a822e3e50102bd
615109794195ff-7e7f.html
IMPORTANT: When making edits in the PDF, please be as explicit as possible. Assume that the
person who implements your edits has no knowledge of the content or background of the project.
Please avoid commentary, suggestions, etc.be clear and concise.
If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

How to: Use Adobe Acrobat Commenting and Markup Tools

Acrobat provides tools for marking areas of a document for review and editing. These drawing markup
tools provide several ways to communicate with others when collaborating on a shared document. You
can also include detailed text comments with each of your markups to provide further communication.
NOTE:

You must have either Adobe Acrobat Professional version 7.0 (or higher) or the free version,
Adobe Reader version 7.0 (or higher), to use the commenting and markup tools.
For Reader, the owner of the PDF must use Acrobat Pro 7.0 or higher to enable the PDF for
commenting; otherwise, you will not have access to the Comment & Markup toolbar. If PDF is
properly enabled, then the toolbar will automatically pop up when the document is opened.

To use these tools, select them from the Comment & Markup toolbar, which will look something like this:

Pop-up notes associated with the tools show the date and time of the edit and provide room for your
comments. They can be minimized to avoid unnecessary clutter. You can see your edits and notes by
hovering your cursor over the editing symbol within the marked-up text or by double-clicking the editing
symbol to reveal the corresponding pop-up note.
Some tips:
To change outline color

Right-click1 on the border and select "Properties" On the Appearance tab, click the Color square
and choose the desired color.

To change the text size and color

Select the text to be changed. To open a Properties box where you can change the color and/or the
font size, do the following:
o For Windows, press Ctrl+E.
o For Mac, hold down the command key and press E. (On Apple keyboards, this key also
has an Apple logo, so you would hold down the
key and then press E.)

Tool
Sticky
Note

Icon in Comment &

Markup Toolbar

Details
To add a sticky note comment, click Sticky Note. Then, either
click where you want to place the note or drag to create a
custom-sized note. Then type text in the pop-up note. You can
reposition the sticky note icon by dragging it to a new location.

To right-click on a Mac, hold the CTRL button and click the mouse.

Adapted from:
http://www.adobe.com/education/resources/hed/instructional/connect/collaborative_teaching/pdfs/Acrobat
_comment_markup.pdf

How to: Use Adobe Acrobat Commenting and Markup Tools

Text Edits

Replace Selected Text

Indicate where text should be
replaced and provide new text in a note.
Highlight Selected Text

(see Highlight Tool below)

Add Note To Selected Text

Include a specific comment
linked to highlighted text by a pop-up note.
Insert Text At Cursor
Mark a spot where text needs to be
inserted and provide that inserted text with the Insert Text At
Cursor tool.
Underline Selected Text
a specific piece of text.
Cross Out Text for Deletion

Underline to denote emphasis on

Add a strikethrough.

To Replace Selected Text:

1. Click the Text Edits button on the Comment & Markup toolbar.
If a message opens explaining each of the tools, click OK to
close it.
2. Select the text you wish to replace.
3. Open the Text Edits pop-up menu, and choose Replace
Selected Text. The text you selected is crossed out and a
pop-up note is created. If the pop-up is not visible, double
click the crossed-out text.
4. Type the replacement text in the pop-up note.
The steps for using the other Text Edit tools are similar.
Highlight

1. Click the Highlight Text button.

2. Select the text you wish to highlight. By default, the selected
text is highlighted in yellow. (To change the color, see the
note below.)
3. Double-click the highlighted text to reveal the pop-up note
associated with the text. Type your comment into the note.
To change the color and opacity:
Right-click1 on the highlighted text and select "Properties" On
the Appearance tab, click the color button and choose the
desired color for highlighting the selected text. You may also
change the opacity.
(Note that you can check the Make Properties Default box so
you only need to change this once per PDF.)

Callout

Create an arrow pointing to a specific location and a linking box

into which you can type text.

Text Box

Add a box on top of the document into which you can insert text.

Cloud

Click to draw a cloud around an object or text.

Line and
Shape

Draw an arrow, line, rectangle, or oval to highlight specific

elements in a document.

Pencil

Draw freeform on a document.

To right-click on a Mac, hold the CTRL button and click the mouse.

Adapted from:
http://www.adobe.com/education/resources/hed/instructional/connect/collaborative_teaching/pdfs/Acrobat
_comment_markup.pdf