PDFs have become a trusted way to share information, thanks to their reliability. But when working with text-heavy PDFs, it can be challenging to quickly spot the key details. That’s where highlighting comes in—helping you effortlessly pinpoint the most important parts of your document.
In fact, annotating PDFs is an excellent way to collaborate and keep everyone on the same page, especially when multiple files are shared on a project. Whether you’re reviewing a report or studying a document, highlighting ensures that essential information stands out.
Luckily, with a tool like Soda PDF, highlighting text is quick and easy. A great PDF text editor does more than just highlight text—it also allows you to add comments to your highlights, enhancing collaboration. Ready to learn how to do it yourself? Let’s dive in.
Highlighting text in PDFs
When you highlight text in a PDF, you’re adding an annotation layer to the document. If you only highlight certain words or phrases, each section will be treated as a separate highlight. To keep things simple, it’s best to highlight related content in a paragraph all at once.
1. Select the Highlight Tool
First things first—let’s find the Highlight tool:
- Click on the “COMMENT” tab.
- Select “Highlight” from the toolbar that appears underneath.
2. Choose Your Highlight Color
You can choose the color of your highlighter:
- Click on the color circle in the toolbar to pick a color.
- Want something custom? You can even create your own highlight color!
3. Select Your Text
Now, it’s time to start highlighting:
- Hold down your cursor and drag it over the text you want to highlight.
4. Finalize Your Highlight
- Release your mouse, and voilà—the text will be highlighted.
Editing existing highlights
Once you’ve highlighted your text, you can easily make changes to it. Here’s how:
1. Changing the Highlight Color Using Edit Mode
To modify the color of your highlighted text:
- Switch to “Edit Mode” by selecting “Edit” from the toolbar (VIEW / EDIT / SELECT TEXT).
- Click on the highlight you wish to adjust, then select a new color from the toolbar.
2. Adjusting Colors & More Through the Properties Menu
In Edit Mode, you can further customize your highlights using the Properties menu:
- Select the highlight, and a purple outline will appear around it.
- Right-click and choose “Properties” to bring up more options.
- In the “Appearance” tab, you can change the color, opacity, and blend mode of your highlight. You can even adjust how it interacts with the text or background.
- The “General” tab also provides details like the author of the highlight, its type (e.g., highlight), and any comments associated with it.
3. Moving Highlights
If your text moves, your highlights can move too! Simply:
- Click on the highlight to select it (you’ll see a purple outline).
- Drag and drop the highlight to its new location.
4. Deleting Highlights
Need to remove a highlight? No problem—it won’t affect the underlying text:
- Switch to “Edit Mode.”
- Right-click on the highlight and choose “Delete.”
5. Adding Comments to Your Highlights
Adding comments to your highlights is a great way to enhance collaboration. Here’s how to add them:
- Switch to “View Mode.”
- Click on the highlight, and a comment box will appear.
- Type your comment, and once you’re done, click the “X” in the top left corner to save it.
For more tips on using Soda PDF’s tools, check out our knowledge base. Ready to give it a try? Download Soda PDF Desktop or use Soda PDF Online directly in your web browser. Happy highlighting!
