Comment tab

Use the Comment tab to set preferences for annotations, markup, processing and attachments related to comments in your documents.

Tip To find tools in other tabs, see Ribbon, tabs and panels or use the Find a Tool function at the top right.

Note Comment Format tab is context-sensitive and displays only when at least one annotation or markup object is selected.

Annotate group

Note icon Note: Insert a note box on the page at a defined location and type a comment. A shortcut menu offers many controls. When the note is closed, the Note icon appears at the insertion point.

Note icon Details: When the cursor hovers over this default Note icon, the author and note text appear. Other icons are available to manage the appearance of the note icon.

Text Box and Callout icons Text Box or Callout: Add a text box or callout above other content on the PDF page. A callout is a text box that includes a line with an arrow that you can move to a specific position in the document:


Callout illustration

Check Spelling icon Check Spelling: Select and do one of the following:

  • Click Check Spelling and then Start to run a spell check on all text included in comments.

  • Click Edit Dictionary to add or remove words in all dictionaries or in a specific language dictionary.

You can select File > Options > Spell Check to set global preferences that apply to all spell check operations:

  • Select the check box to spell check as text is being typed.

  • Select a color for underlining items detected during the spell check process.

  • Select one or more language dictionaries to use for spell checking.

Markup group

Highlight icon Highlight: Select Highlight to apply a highlight to a text selection, with an associated note that contains the selected text; change the text or delete the note as desired. Select Highlight Area to apply a highlight to a page area, such as a diagram or portion of a table; and to add a note that contains all text detected within the defined area. Text placement works only with pages that include a text layer.

Cross-out and Underline icons Cross-out and Underline: Cross out or underline the selected text and include an associated note.

Draw Tools icon Draw Tools: Select a drawing tool from the list and use it to draw the desired object. Right-click with the Hand tool on an object to modify its properties.

Search and Markup icon Search and Markup: Calls the Search dialog box; when the search is completed, you receive a list of occurrences; click an entry to view its location on the page. Select which item to mark and which marking to use: Highlight, Cross-out or Underline. See Markup Tools.

Active Markup icon Active Markup: Enable a set of markup tools that mark text insertions and deletions, include notes for modified areas, or apply highlighting, cross-out or underlining to selected text.

Comment Processing group

Import / Export comments icon Import / Export Comments: Import comments from an XFDF / FDF, XML or TXT file into the current document, or export comments to such a file. XFDF is an Adobe file type for storing form data in a structured table, which can be used to store comments and their properties. A third option is to migrate comments from one PDF document to another.

Create Comment Summary icon Create Comment Summary: Create a summary of all comments included in the current document. Select to print or save just the summary, or print it together with the document pages with a choice of layouts, to display the comments with their context in the document. These options are also available when using the Kofax PDF printer.

Search Comments icon Search Comments: Open a search dialog box to search only the comments within a document. All occurrences are listed, and you can click any item to view the applicable comment.

Attachments group

Attach icons Attach a File: Attach a document or a sound file as a comment to a specific location in the current document.

Use the comments panel to view and process comments in the current document.

Stamps can function as comments. Use the Stamps panel to view and place stamps on document pages.