Got a tip for us?

How to annotate a PDF or image in Preview on iPad

You can copy, highlight, underline, or strike through text in a PDF file. You can also annotate a PDF or image with stickers, signatures, shapes, or text.

You can draw with an Apple Pencil on a compatible iPad, or with your finger. Any change can be undone, too, and text you copy can be pasted into another document or app.

Here’s how to annotate a PDF or image in Preview on iPad.

Select and copy text

  1. Start the Preview app on your iPad.
  2. Open a PDF.
  3. To select text, touch and hold the first word and then move the grab points.
  4. To copy the selection, tap Copy.

    You can then paste the text into another document or app. See Select, cut, copy, and paste text.

Highlight, underline, or strike through text

A PDF in the Preview app showing highlighted text, available highlight colors, and the underline and strike through tools.

  1. Start the Preview app on your iPad.
  2. Open a PDF.
  3. Drag to select text and then tap Highlight.
  4. Choose a highlight color, or tap the underline or strike through button.

Add an annotation

An image open in the Preview app. A menu shows options that can be added to it, such as stickers and text. The Markup, Info, Share, and More buttons appear at the top of the screen, and annotation tools appear at the bottom of the screen.

  1. Start the Preview app on your iPad.
  2. Open a PDF or image.
  3. Tap the Markup button at the top of the screen and tap the Add button at the bottom of the screen. Choose an option, such as a sticker, signature, shape, or text. For images, you can also add an image description or a loupe.

    Tip: You can use an Apple Pencil (with a compatible iPad) or draw with your finger. See Apple Pencil compatibility with iPad models.

To undo a change, tap the Undo button to the left of the annotation tools.

See also

Tag: Preview