How to highlight and annotate a PDF
To highlight a PDF, open the Highlight PDF tool, add your file, and drag over the text you want to mark — PDFER draws a translucent layer on top so the text stays selectable, then downloads the result. For notes and shapes, use Edit PDF. Everything runs in your browser.
Highlights that don't destroy the text
The highlight is a semi-transparent overlay, not a flattened image, so the underlying text remains selectable, searchable, and copyable.
Adding notes and shapes
To add text notes, arrows, or freehand marks alongside highlights, use Edit PDF. To permanently black out sensitive text instead, use Redact.
Tools mentioned in this guide
Frequently asked
- Does highlighting make the text an image?
- No. The highlight is a translucent layer over the page, so the text underneath stays selectable and searchable.
- Can I highlight across several pages?
- Yes. Page through the document and add highlights on any page; they're applied together on download.