Overview
Comment Tools Overview
Foxit Reader provides a full set of feature rich tools to help you comment on PDF files easily. Comment tools include the Text Markup tools, Typewriter, Note tool, Drawing tools, stamp tools, and measure tools. While adding comments with Text Markup tools, Typewriter tools, Pin tools, Drawing tools, or stamp tools, you can also click the pin icon in the Comments toolbar to keep the tool selected, so you can use the tools continuously without having to select the specific tool after each use.
Text Markup Tools: Add text markups to the PDF file.
Typewriter Tools: Add lines of text to the PDF file.
Pin tools: Add note comments or file attachments to the PDF file.
Drawing Markup Tools: Add drawing markups to the PDF file.
Stamp Tool: Add stamps to the PDF file.
(macOS Only) Measure Tools: Measure the distance, perimeter, and area of objects in the PDF file.
Comment Format Settings: Change the appearance of the comments.
Customize Comment Tools
You can follow the steps below to customize the Comments toolbar to ensure that the comment tools that are mostly used are close at hand.
- Right-click the Comments toolbar;
- Select Customize Comment Tools;
- In the Customize Toolbar dialog box, uncheck the comment tool to hide it from the toolbar, or check the one to display it in the toolbar;
- Click OK.
Tip: You can click Reset in the Customize Toolbar dialog box to reset the Comments toolbar to the default mode.
Add Comments in the PDF File
Add a Text Markup
- Clickin the Common Tools toolbar;
- Choose one of the following comment tools:
- Highlight: Highlight the selected text.
- Squiggly: Draw a squiggly line under the selected text.
- Underline: Mark the selected text with an underline.
- Strikeout: Mark the selected text with a strikeout.
- Replace: Draw a line to cross out the selected text and provide a substitute for it.
- Insert: Insert text in the place desired.
- To highlight, squiggly mark, underline or strike out the text, do the following:
- Select the text;
- If needed, double-click the selected text to open the pop-up window, and input the text.
- To replace the text, do the following:
- Select the text;
- Input the text in the pop-up window to provide a substitute for it.
- To insert text, do the following:
- Click the place where you want to insert the text;
- Input the text in the pop-up window.
Add a Note Comment
- Clickin the Common Tools toolbar;
- Choose a note style from the drop-down list ;
- Click the place where you want to add the note comment.
- Input the comment in the pop-up window.
Add a File Attachment as a Comment
- Clickin the Common Tools toolbar;
- Select the File buttonin the Comment toolbar;
- Click the place where you want to add the file attachment;
- In the pop-up dialog, select the file you want to attach, and click Open.
Add a Drawing Markup
Add a Rectangle, Line, Arrow, Circle, Polyline, Polygon, or Cloud
- Click in the Common Tools toolbar;
- Click , and choose a drawing markup tool as desired;
- To add a regular shape (like rectangle, line, arrow, or circle), do the following:
- Drag the cursor across the area in the document where you want to add the markup to.
- To add an irregular shape (like a polyline, polygon, or cloud), do the following:
- Click on the document to create the start point;
- Move the pointer, and then click on the document to create each segment;
- Do one of the following to complete drawing:
- Double-click the segment;
- Right-click the segment and choose Complete Drawing Markup.
Draw a Free-form Shape
- Clickin the Common Tools toolbar;
- Choose the Pencil tool;
- Draw on the PDF file as desired;
- If you need to erase the pencil markup, click the Eraser tool, and drag to select the pencil markup you want to erase.
Highlight an Area
- Click in the Common Tools toolbar;
- Select the Area Highlight tool ;
- Click and drag the mouse over the area in the document you want highlighted.
Add a Text Comment
- Click in the Common Tools toolbar;
- Choose one of the tools as desired:
- Typewriter: Add a text comment without any text box.
- Textbox: Add a text comment in a text box.
- Callout: Add a text comment in a callout text box.
- Click on the document where you want to add the comment, and type the text as desired;
Add a Stamp
- Click in the Common Tools toolbar;
- Select the Stamp tool ;
- Select a stamp from the preset list;
- Click on the document where you want to add the stamp.
Measure an Object (macOS Only)
The Measures Tools enable you to measure distance, perimeter, and area of objects in PDF documents.
Set Measuring Preferences
Before measuring an object, you can go to Foxit Reader > Preferences > Measuring to specify the unit, label, and leader for measurements.
Measure the Distance, Perimeter, and Area
- Click in the Common Tools toolbar;
- Click the drop-down arrow beside the measure tool icon to select the measure tool:
- To measure the distance between two points, select the Distance tool . Click the first point, move the pointer to the second point, and click again. If you choose to use the default leader, move your mouse to determine the leader length, and then click on the document again to finish measuring.
- To measure a set of distances between multiple points, select the Perimeter tool . Click the first point to start, and then click each point you want to measure. Double-click the last point to finish measuring.
- To measure the area within the line segments that you draw, select the Area tool . Click the first point to start, and then click each point you want to measure. After you have clicked at least two points, click the first point or double-click the last point to complete the area measurement.
Tip: You can also choose to complete or cancel measurement by right-clicking the measurement and choosing options from the context menu.
Change the Measurement Formats
After you select the measuring tool, you will find the measurement format panel on the right of the document pane, which allows you to set the scale ratio, snap measurement, etc.
- To change the scaling ratio on the drawing areas, specify the appropriate number and unit in the Scale Ratio group.
- Foxit Reader will display the measurement results, measurement markups, and rulers by default. To hide these information, please uncheck the relevant option(s) under the Setting group.
- When you choose to show measurement markups, you can add a label to measurement markups either by using the one specified in measuring preferences or inputting a new one in the Add Label box.
- To get more accurate measurement result, choose the Snap option to snap the masurement to the particular point of lines.
Manage Comments
View All Comments
The Comments panel displays all comments in the PDF for you to view, find, mark, or reply comments easily.
View All Comments in Comments Panel
- Clickin the Common Tools toolbar to open the Navigation panel if it is hidden.
- Click the Comments buttonon the Navigation panel to open the Comments panel.
- In the Comments panel, do the following:
- Type a key word in the Search Comments box to search and find comments.
- Click the Sort Comments buttonto sort comments by page, author, date, type, status, or checkmark.
- Click the Expand or Collapse buttonto choose how to display the comments in the Comments panel.
Show or Hide All Comments or Popup Notes
You can show or hide all comments or popup notes in the PDF document with the following steps:
- Click Comments menu.
- Choose Show All Comments or Hide All Comments to show or hide comments in the PDF document correspondingly.
- Choose Open All Popup or Close All Popup to open or close all the comment popup notes in the PDF document.
Tip: If you choose to hide all comments in a PDF document, comments will not be displayed in the Comments panel as well.
Change the Appearances of Comments
You can change the appearances of comments by one of the following two ways:
1. Change the appearances of comments in the Properties dialog box
- Open the Properties dialog box by one of the following steps:
A) Right-click the comment, and choose Properties from the context menu.
B) Click Options in the comment pop-up window, and choose Properties.
- Change the thickness, color, opacity, and other settings in the Properties dialog box.
Tip: In the Properties dialog box, you can: 1) check Locked option to lock the current settings and prevent others from changing the properties; 2) check Set Current Properties as Default option to set the current properties as the default.
2. Change the appearances of comments from the Comments toolbar (available for text markups, drawing markups, and pin comments)
- Select the comment that you want to change the appearance of;
- Click in the Common Tools toolbar;
- Select the option as desired:
Line Width: Set the line thickness of the comment. This option is available for comments with border lines (drawing markups and text comments).
Line Color: Set the color and opacity of the comment.
Font: Set the font, font color, font style, font size, and text alignment. This option is available for text comments added by Typewriter, Callout, or Textbox tool. You should select the text first if you want to change the appearance of text added by those text comment tools.
Tip: Stamps are preset in Foxit Reader. You cannot change the appearance of stamps.
Move the Comments
- Select Tools > Default Mode;
- Click the comment that you want to move, and then drag and move it to the desired place.
Note: You cannot move the text markups.
Delete the Comments
Please do one of the following to delete a comment:
- Right-click the comment, and choose Delete from the context menu;
- Select the comment, and press the Delete key;
- Select Options from the comment pop-up window, and choose Delete.
- Right-click the comment that you want to delete in the Comments panel, and choose Delete.
Reply to Comments
Reply to the Original Comments
To reply to an original comment in the pop-up note, do the following:
- Open the pop-up note of the comment that you want to reply to with one of the following methods:
- Double-click the comment that you want to reply to;
- Right-click the comment that you want to reply to, and select Open Popup Note from the context menu.
- In the pop-up note, click Options, and select Reply from the context menu;
- Input the text as desired.
To reply to an original comment in the Comments panel, do the following:
- Clickin the Common Tools toolbar to open the Navigation panel if it is hidden;
- Click the Comments buttonon the Navigation panel to open the Comments panel;
- Do one of the following:
- Right-click the comment that you want to reply to, select Reply from the context menu, and input the text in the comment pop-up note in the document pane.
- Click the comment that you want to reply to, and input the text in the Reply filed in the Comments panel.
Respond to Comment Replies
Right-click the title of a reply in the comment pop-up note, and do the following:
- To reply to the selected reply, choose Reply, and input the text.
- To delete the reply, choose Delete this Reply.
- To set a status or checkmark, choose Set Status or Mark with Checkmark.
Set a Status
The status of a comment indicates the review process or action of the review participants.
You can do one of the following to add a review status to indicate which comment you have accepted, rejected, canceled, or completed:
- Right-click the comment > select Set Status > choose a status from the context menu;
- Click to open the Navigation panel (if it is hidden) > click to open the Comments panel > right-click the comment that you want to set a status > select Set Status > choose a status from the context menu.
Tip: To remove the review status, follow the steps above and choose None from the context menu.
You can do one of the following to add a checkmark status to indicate which comment you have read or require further action:
- Right click the comment > select Mark with Checkmark;
- Click to open the Navigation panel (if it is hidden) > click to open the Comments panel > select the comment that you want to set the status > check the status box .
Tip: To remove the checkmark status, follow the steps above and choose Remove Checkmark, or uncheck the status box .
Sort Comments
You can sort comments by page, author, creation date, type, status, or checkmark.
- Click to open the Navigation panel if it is hidden;
- Click to open the Comments panel;
- Click and choose an option as desired from the context menu.