How To Annotate a PDF File Using Apple Pencil
The Apple Pencil is undoubtedly the best tablet stylus you can buy today. It is a great tool for marking up documents, especially PDFs. Unfortunately, it’s not always clear how to use the Apple Pencil to annotate PDFs.
In this article, we’ll show you how to turn your Apple Pencil into a PDF markup tool, leaving your colleagues and friends in awe of your quality note-taking skills.
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Important things to know about the Apple Pencil
If you’re still buying an Apple Pencil, keep in mind that there are two versions of the Pencil. In addition, they are not compatible with the same iPad models. The first generation Apple Pencil works with current iPad models that still use the Lightning connector, as well as all iPad Pro models that use the Lightning connector.
The second generation Apple Pencil works with iPad Pro devices with a USB-C port. These newer models charge wirelessly after magnetically attached to the side of the tablet.
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Need an Apple Pencil to annotate a PDF?
No! You don’t need an Apple Pencil to annotate a PDF. Depending on the application, any stylus will work, such as an inexpensive “dumb” stylus.
There are other pressure-sensitive products that work in some applications, and simple styluses that are not pressure-sensitive but provide better handwriting or drawing than using fingers.
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The Apple Pencil will undoubtedly provide more precise and more comfortable work in every case, but often a simple “blunt” stylus is enough to get the job done.
If the Apple Pencil is not to your liking, read our article on Apple Pencil alternatives. There are four great options that might better suit your needs and budget, which shows that Apple’s own product isn’t the only game in town.
Advantages of Apple Pencil explained
For apps that natively support Apple Pencil, you can take advantage of its pressure sensitivity, tilt function, and all the other technologies Apple has put into it for realistic and detailed writing.
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How important this is to you will vary from one person to the next. In addition, individual application developers can choose which pencil features are important to them.
The apps that make use of the Apple Pencil
While many apps have a mode where you can just write to a PDF using any stylus, some apps have special support for unique features that make the Apple Pencil look great. The following three apps aren’t just apps that work well with the Apple Pencil, they are also apps that we think are great tools for annotating a PDF document.
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat
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Adobe Acrobat is by far the most obvious choice for working with PDFs After all, Adobe is the company that invented PDF in the first place!
The app is free and includes many different ways to annotate PDF files. For example, you can add notes or highlight text. While Adobe does not say what features of the Apple Pencil they rely on, they claim that handwritten annotations have “exceptional comment accuracy.” This means it is the best and most paper-like option for creating PDF annotations in this application.
PDF Expert
PDF expert
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PDF Expert is another very popular PDF reader and annotation tool on iOS. It makes sense, as it does both things well. PDF Expert supports pressure sensitivity with the Apple Pencil, depending on which annotation pen you choose. This means you can make highly detailed and accurate annotations that look like the natural strokes of a pen.
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Notability
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Unlike the other two options we’ve highlighted here, Notability is not a PDF reader. Instead, it is a specialized note taking application that can also act as a PDF annotation tool. Thus, the depth and quality of real notes and annotations is one step higher than that of the competition.
It supports and makes the most of the Apple Pencil Not only is its ink engine tuned for realistic use of the Apple Pencil, but you can also use it to perform functions like erasing or switching tools simply by using the pencil itself.
How to add captions to a PDF using Apple Pencil and Adobe Acrobat
The most popular PDF reader on any platform is undoubtedly Adobe Acrobat It’s free, unless you want the ability to edit PDF documents. Annotations is not a paid feature, so let’s take a look at how you can annotate your PDF with Apple Pencil
With a PDF document open and a pencil connected, click on the blue pencil icon in the lower right corner of the screen. Select Comment from the pop-up menu.
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You will notice that this toolbar appears at the top of the page.
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Select the tool on the left to activate the marker. Now use a pencil to highlight any selected text.
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If you want to turn off the annotation tool, just tap it again. Another essential tool for Pencil users is the pencil. Click on it and then take any written note or drawing you want.
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You can turn pages or flip through a document with your finger. When you’re done taking notes with a pencil, simply click Done and Acrobat will return to normal reading view.
The pen is stronger
Steve Jobs said a tablet that needs a stylus is a failure. Well, your iPad doesn’t need a stylus at all. Without it, this is a great tablet computer. Instead, the Apple Pencil offers an improvement to an already excellent touch experience.
For students, writers, editors, and anyone else who does a lot of PDF editing, Pencil is a game changer when it comes to comfort, speed and accuracy. So go ahead and put your red marks on every PDF you come across. You now have the ability to annotate the PDF!
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