The answer to “How do I draw on PDFs?” is simple: you can use PDF.net for that. The tool offers a virtual marker or a pen, as well as options to customize the strokes and colors to add visual cues to your documents easily. Other methods include using Mac’s Preview, Microsoft Edge’s PDF editor, or mobile apps.
In this guide, we will walk you through the specific steps for each method and provide tips to help you keep your PDFs professional. We will also address the common concern about quality loss after drawing and answer other frequently asked questions.
Key Takeaways
- You can draw on a PDF easily with PDF.net; it offers an intuitive interface, a full suite of tools for customizability, and quick export options.
- Mac’s Preview app, Microsoft Edge’s built-in PDF editor, iOS’s Files app on mobile, and Android apps like Xodo also offer PDF drawing tools.
- To ensure your PDF remains professional, you should use three to four consistent colors and add pages for the drawings to avoid overcrowding.
- You should also combine your drawings with highlights and comments to provide context, and make it a habit to work on copies to protect the original document.
- Generally, you won’t lose quality when drawing on PDFs, but just in case, avoid converting your document to other formats or exporting it by the print workaround.
How Do I Draw On a PDF?
To draw on a PDF, you can use our browser-based editor and follow these steps:
- Open PDF.net and upload your document. It will open in a new tab with a full suite of tools after several seconds.
- Alternatively, open PDF.net, select Annotate at the top of the page, and then upload your PDF to use our online PDF annotation tool.
- Find Draw in the toolbar at the top of the page.
- Choose between a marker or a highlighter in the panel that appears to add drawings to your PDF file.
- Adjust the stroke’s thickness to suit your needs and draw directly on the page. You can also change the colors.
- Select the Eraser to undo any strokes you made by mistake.
- Click Download in the top right corner, give your file a name, and select Download PDF to save it to your device.
You can use our freehand PDF editor to draw, write, or sketch on your PDF files easily.
When Would You Need to Draw on a PDF File?
You would need to draw on a PDF file when you want to mark up a PDF online without having to recreate the entire file or to visually explain something.
Here are a few common situations:
- Highlighting key points while studying
- Sketching diagrams or arrows to clarify ideas
- Adding comments while reviewing contracts or design drafts
- Adding annotations to assignments
- Including signatures or initials
- Filling out non-editable forms
As such, knowing how to draw on PDF files is useful for students, teachers, freelancers, professionals, and everyday users. It makes your documents more interactive and helps you communicate clearly.
Additionally, while studying, note-taking, or working, annotating PDFs and drawing on them can improve your performance and productivity.
- At school, it can help you understand, retain, and recall information better. One study found that annotating improved reading comprehension in an eighth-grade social studies class. Annotations from educators can also help drive students’ iterative improvement.
- At work, it makes collaboration more efficient. Instead of sending back-and-forth emails or arranging Zoom calls, you can draw on your documents and share them. It is also possible to embed PDFs on websites or post them to Facebook, Instagram, etc.
3 Other Ways to Draw on a PDF File
You can also draw on a PDF file using Mac’s Preview app, Microsoft Edge’s PDF editor, or mobile apps. Let’s take a closer look at these other methods:
#1. Using Mac’s Preview App
If you want to draw on PDFs using a Mac device, you can do so with the pre-installed Preview app. Open the PDF in Preview and click the Pen icon to enable the Markup toolbar. From there, you can:
- Draw freehand with the Sketch or Draw tool; this is good for circling text, underlining points, or adding arrows
- Highlight text in different colors to draw attention to certain details
- Add Shapes to emphasize important sections. The blue handles let you resize, while the green handles let you reshape their forms. With these, you can also use the Highlight or Zoom tools to make it easier to locate key areas when reviewing your PDF
- Insert Notes and Textboxes for comments
This is a great alternative to drawing on PDFs online for free. You can use it when you are short on time or don’t have an Internet connection.
#2. Using Microsoft Edge’s Built-in PDF Editor
Microsoft Edge’s built-in PDF editor lets you write on a PDF and add drawings. Open your PDF in it, find the toolbar at the top of your screen, and click Add text to type new text in directly.
You can also start marking up your document with the Pen tool and Highlight tool. Alternatively, you can select the line of text you want to annotate, and then right-click and choose Highlight or Add comment from the drop-down menu that appears.
#3. Using Mobile Apps
On iOS devices, you can use the Files app to draw on your PDFs. Simply open your document, tap the Pen icon to enable annotation mode, and use the tools that appear at the bottom of the screen.
There is a marker, a pen, a highlighter, and a pencil, and for each, you can adjust the stroke’s thickness, color, and opacity. If you make mistakes, the Eraser can help you undo them; once you are done, you can share your PDF through email, Airdrop, or cloud storage.
On Android devices, many free PDF editors, such as Xodo, Adobe Acrobat, or Foxit PDF, have similar features. However, you need to download them first, and some may include ads or rather limited functionality that can slow you down.
4 Handy Tips for Drawing and Annotating PDFs Professionally
Keep the following tips in mind when drawing and annotating to ensure your documents remain polished and professional:
#1. Use Consistent Colors for Clarity
Drawing or writing on PDFs in too many different colors can make your content look confusing or distracting.
If you don’t choose the right combinations and contrasts, you can also affect your PDF’s accessibility and readability. For example, using red on green may be difficult for color‑blind readers to distinguish, and using gray on white can strain the eyes.
In contrast, using colors intentionally can be helpful in many ways:
- You can establish a visual structure. This improves the flow of reading and helps you draw attention to specific sections as needed.
- You can create a color coding system. This allows you to organize your ideas, improve retention and recall with color cues, and find important points or patterns while skimming and scanning more easily.
- You can brand your documents. Consistent use of certain colors can reinforce your personal or professional brand so that your work is instantly recognizable. This is essential if you are drawing on PDFs and then sharing or distributing them.
It is best to stick to just three to four colors, use them consistently, and verify them with an online contrast checker before finalizing your PDF.
#2. Avoid Overcrowding Pages With Markings
If your PDF is already text-heavy, marking it up further can cause clutter; your content will then be difficult to read and can create cognitive overload. This counteracts all the benefits of adding annotations and drawings to your document in the first place.
Therefore, it is always important to be selective and strategic. You can insert new pages to your PDF to create more room or edit the text directly to avoid taking up too much space. Also, don’t forget to review your PDFs on mobile devices before sharing them; a page might appear crowded on a phone while looking fine on a laptop.
#3. Combine Drawings With Highlights or Comments for Context
Using drawings along with highlights and comments can make your annotations clearer. For example, you can draw an arrow to point to a specific sentence and add a comment explaining why it is important.
This way, when you refer back to your PDF later on, you won’t have to rack your brain trying to remember what each mark means. It also helps anyone else reading the document understand your notes.
#4. Always Annotate a Duplicate to Protect the Original
You should never draw directly on your original PDF, as you might need to duplicate it or edit it in the future. Instead, duplicate the document and make all your annotations, highlights, or drawings on that version.
To avoid accidentally working on your source document or prevent others from doing so, you can apply a password. PDF.net has a Protect PDF tool that allows you to do this easily; simply follow these steps:
- Open Protect PDF on PDF.net and upload your document.
- Enter a strong password into the input field.
- Press Set password and let the tool password-protect your document.
Do You Lose Quality When Drawing on a PDF?
You generally don’t lose quality when drawing on a PDF. PDFs are vector-based, so annotations like highlights or shapes can be added without compromising the original content.
However, if you export the PDF to formats like JPEG, PNG, or DOCX, the document may be compressed, which reduces clarity. If you “print” a PDF to create a new document, some printers or drivers may also rasterize or compress the content, which affects the quality.
To minimize the chances of this happening, you should limit conversions between PDF and other formats. Before sharing or printing, be sure to preview by zooming in on all the drawings and ensuring that they are crisp.
Ready To Start Drawing?
Our tool is entirely browser-based, so you won’t have to wait for anything to install; in just a few clicks, you can choose a marker or a pen to draw freehand over the pages.
Additionally, we have AI tools that can help with the process. For example, you can use our PDF Summarizer to identify the key points, and then draw stars next to them or circle them so that they are easy to find at a glance. You can also ask questions about your content via our Chat PDF feature to extract action items and flag them with symbols.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to draw on a PDF, you can mark up your documents and use them to improve your performance and productivity at school or work. Whether you are sharing your PDFs with others or keeping them for personal use, strategically added annotations can make your documents more interactive and informative!
How do I Draw on PDF FAQs
#1. How to edit a PDF with a pencil?
To edit a PDF with a pencil, you can use the Files app on iOS mobile devices. If you are not on a phone or a tablet, you can use PDF.net’s marker and reduce the stroke’s thickness to mimic that of a pencil.
#2. How can I remove drawings from a PDF file?
To remove drawings from a PDF on PDF.net, use the eraser tool. This option is also available if you are working on the Mac’s Preview app and iOS Files app. For Microsoft Edge, you can Ctrl+Z to undo what you have just inserted.
#3. Can I draw on a password-protected PDF?
You cannot draw on a password-protected PDF without unlocking it first. If you applied a password to your document using PDF.net, you can easily remove it with our Unlock PDF tool. However, if you forgot your PDF password, you will have to recreate your document or request the credentials from the creator.
#4. Does drawing on a PDF work on mobile devices?
Drawing on a PDF works on mobile devices; you can use PDF.net on a phone or a tablet as long as you have a reliable Internet connection. It is browser-based, so you won’t have to download anything. Alternatively, you can use the Files app if you are on an iOS device or Xodo, Adobe Acrobat, or Foxit PDF if you are on an Android device.
#5. Why can’t I draw on a PDF?
You can’t draw on a PDF if it is locked by a password, or you are using a viewer that doesn’t support annotation tools. You will need to reset your PDF’s restrictions to allow for editing, highlighting, or adding new elements, and use a PDF editor like PDF.net instead of a basic one for scrolling and zooming only.