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Collect and manage PDF form data

You're on this page > Create a form from scratch Create a form from scratch Collect and manage PDF PDF forms | Frequently
Collect & manage form's in AcrobatCreate a form in AcrobatCreate and form dataSend PDF forms Asked Questions (FAQ)
data from scratch in Acrobat distribute PDF forms to recipients using email
or an internal server

This document explains how to collect and manage PDF form data. (For more information or question/answer on PDF
forms, click the appropriate link above.)
When you distribute a form, Acrobat automatically creates a PDF Portfolio for collecting the data submitted by users.
By default, this file is saved in the same folder as the original form and is named filename_responses.

Collect user data

1 After a user submits a form, open the returned form.
2 In the Add Completed Form To Responses File dialog box, select one of the following:
Add To An Existing Responses File Compiles the data in the response file that was created when you used the
Distribute form wizard to send out the form. (If necessary, click Browse and locate the response file.)
Create A New Responses File Creates a new response file, using the name and location you specify.

3 The response file opens after you click OK. Each returned form added to the response file appears as a component
file of a PDF Portfolio.

Add user data to an existing response file

1 Open the response file in Acrobat.
2 In the left navigation panel, click Add.
3 In the Add Returned Forms dialog box, click Add File, and then locate and select the returned forms, and click
Open.
4 Repeat the previous step to add any returned forms in other folders. When finished, click OK.
When you finish, each added PDF form appears as a component file of the PDF Portfolio.

Export user data from a response file

Use this process to save all the entries in a PDF Portfolio response file to a spreadsheet or XML file.
1 In Acrobat, open the response file and select the data to export.
2 In the left navigation panel, click Export, and then choose Export Selected.
3 In the Select Folder To Save File dialog box, specify a name, location, and file format (CSV or XML) for the form
data, and click Save.

Manage form data files

You can move the answers on a PDF form to and from other file formats that preserve all the data in much less space
than a full PDF.

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Import form data

In some workflow scenarios, individuals submit filled-in forms as data-only files rather than as complete PDF files.
These files are not PDFs, but use another file format, such as FDF or XML. You can view the data submitted by an
individual recipient in the context of the PDF by opening the original file and importing the information in the data file.
1 In Acrobat, open the PDF form into which you want to import data.
2 Choose Tools > Prepare Form. In the right hand pane, choose More > Clear Form.
Note:
When you import data from another file into a PDF form, the imported data replaces any information that appeared
previously in the individual form fields. However, if the imported data file contains one or more blank form fields,
importing will not clear the original data.
3 Choose More > Import Data.
4 In the Select File Containing Form Data dialog box, select a format in File Of Type corresponding to the data file
you want to import. Then locate and select that file, and click Open.
Note:
Some formats are available only for specific types of PDF forms, depending on the application used to create the form,
such as Acrobat or Designer ES2. Data you import from a text file (.txt) must be formatted in tab-delimited rows that
form columns.

Export file data

You can save the information in a completed PDF form as a data file in another file format. Later, you can reuse the data
to fill in the form again or another form with the same fields and field names.
1 In Acrobat, open the completed form file.
2 In the right hand pane, choose More > Export Data.
3 In the Export Form Data As dialog box, select the format in which you want to save the form data (FDF, XFDF, XML,
or TXT). Then select a location and filename, and click Save.
Note:
Some file formats are available only for specific types of PDF forms, depending on how the form was created.

Merge exported data files to a spreadsheet

If you want to compile data from forms that are not already in a data set, use the following process.
1 Do one of the following:
• On the Edit menu, choose Form Options > Merge Data Files Into Spreadsheet.
• Choose Tools > Prepare Form. In the right hand pane, choose More > Merge Data Files Into Spreadsheet.
2 In the Export Data From Multiple Forms dialog box, clickAdd Files.
3 In the Select file Containing Form Data dialog box, select a file format option in File Of Type option (Acrobat Form
Data Files or All Files). Then locate the form files that you want to merge into the spreadsheet, select them, and click
Open.
4 Repeat the previous step to add form data files that are in other locations, as needed.
5 Click Export. Then select a folder and filename for the spreadsheet, and click Save.

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6 In the Export Progress dialog box, click either View File Now to open the spreadsheet file or Close Dialog to return
to Acrobat.
Note:
When returned forms are in a response file, the most efficient way to export the information into a spreadsheet is to use the
Export Data button in the left navigation panel for the PDF Portfolio response file.

About Forms Tracker

Use Tracker to manage the forms that you have distributed or received. Tracker allows you to view and edit the location
of the response file, track which recipients have responded, add more recipients, email all recipients, and view the
responses for a form.
1 In Acrobat, choose Edit > Form Options > Track or View > Tracker.
2 In the left navigation panel, expand Forms.
3 Select a form and do one of the following:
• To view all responses for a form, click View Responses.
• To modify the location of the response file, in Responses File Location, click Edit File Location.
• To view the original form, click Open Original Form.
• To send the form to more recipients, click Add Recipients.

About forms tracker

Create a form from scratch Create a form from scratch Collect and manage PDF PDF forms | Frequently
in AcrobatCreate a form in AcrobatCreate and form dataSend PDF forms Asked Questions (FAQ)
from scratch in Acrobat distribute PDF forms to recipients using email
Collect and
or an internal server
manage PDF form data

This document explains how to track your sent form and view responses using Tracker. (For more information or
question/answer on PDF forms, click the appropriate link above.)

Track forms
Use Tracker to manage the forms that you have distributed or received. Tracker allows you to view and edit the location
of the response file, track which recipients have responded, add more recipients, email all recipients, and view the
responses for a form.
1 In Acrobat, choose Edit > Form Options > Track or View > Tracker.
2 In the left navigation panel, expand Forms.
3 Select a form and do one of the following:
• To view all responses for a form, click View Responses.
• To modify the location of the response file, in Responses File Location, click Edit File Location.

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• To view the original form, click Open Original Form.

• To send the form to more recipients, click Add Recipients.

PDF forms | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to create a PDF form in Acrobat

Create a blank PDF, add form fields, and save the form

• Can I create a fillable PDF form from scratch in Acrobat?Yes, you can simply create a blank PDF, add labels and
fields you need, and save it. Create a form from scratch in Acrobat.
• Can I create a fillable PDF form from an existing document in Acrobat?Yes, you can create a PDF form from a
printed paper or existing Word files. Acrobat recognizes and converts static fields to fillable ones with a form wizard.
See Create a form from an existing document.
• What are the form fields? Form fields are data fields available to let you collect data from the filled form. Acrobat
provides various field types to help you collect the right kind of data, in the right format. See PDF form field basics.
Join the discussion on Adobe Forums .

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How to use form fields, action buttons, calculations, data & time, and submit
button in a PDF form

• How do I use basic calculations in a PDF form? The calculations like sum, product, average, minimum and
maximum can be done using the predefined calculations. Learn more.
• How to add a tooltip to a form field? Double-click a selected form field to open the Properties window. In
the General tab, type a description into the tooltip box. Learn more.
• How to create a flowable text field? Double-click a selected text field to open the Properties window. In then
the Options tab, select Multi-Line and Scroll Long Text. Learn more.
• How to make a field required or not required? Double-click a selected form field to open the Properties window.
In the General tab, to make the field required, select Required. To make the field optional, deselect Required. Learn
more.

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• How to make a field read-only? Double-click a selected form field to open the Properties window. In
the General tab, select Read Only. Learn more.
• How do I add a barcode form field?In Acrobat, choose Tools > Prepare Form. Click the Barcode icon
( ) in the toolbar and place it on your form. Create, test, and edit barcode fields.
• How do I add a date and time field?While you are preparing the form in Acrobat DC, click the Date field icon in
the toolbar, and then click the location in the document where you want to place the field. Learn more.
• What are the different form fields I can use in a PDF form? You can use text boxes, drop-down lists, radio buttons,
check-boxes, list boxes, and more. Set the form field properties like text resizing, date fields, calculations, or trigger
custom scripts, to define fields' behavior. PDF form field properties.
• How do I add a clear form or reset form button to my form? A clear or reset form button clears any data a user
has already entered in the form. You can also set up the reset button so that it clears only specific fields. Add a Reset
Form button.
• How do I add a submit button to my form? When you distribute a form, Acrobat automatically checks the form.
If it doesn’t find a submit button, it adds a Submit Form button to the document message bar. Users can click the
Submit Form button to send completed forms back to you. Learn more.
• Can I add action buttons in a PDF form?Yes, you can add action buttons in a form to open a file, play a sound or
movie clip, submit data to a web server, and much more. Setting action buttons in PDF forms
• How do I change the size of the form fields?To resize the field manually, drag the border handle. You can also resize
the form field by one pixel or to a specific dimension. Resize form fields.
• How do I move fields in a PDF form?You can move form fields by simply dragging them. Move form fields.
• Why is the form's data getting copied when one field is filled? If you copy form fields and paste them into the same
form, the fields share the same name and properties of the copied cell. To resolve this, double-click the field to open
the Properties window. In the General tab, change the name of the field. Repeat this step for all the copied fields.
Select multiple form fields.
Join the discussion on Adobe Forums .

How to publish or distribute a form

• How do I send a PDF form for filling?You can send or distribute your PDF form right from within Acrobat. Open
the form and click Distribute. Choose how you want to collect the responses - in your email Inbox or on a server.
See Send PDF forms to recipients using email or an internal server.
• Can I publish a PDF form online? Yes, you can publish your PDF form and collect information over the
web. Publishing interactive PDF web forms Join the discussion on Adobe Forums .

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How to track distributed forms and collect data

• How do I track my sent form and view responses?When you open a submitted form in Acrobat, the Add
Completed Form To Responses File dialog box is displayed. Select Create A New Responses File. The response
file opens after you click OK. Collect and manage PDF form dataYou can also About forms tracker to manage your
sent or received forms. In Acrobat, choose Edit > FormOptions > Track or View > Tracker. Join the discussion on
Adobe Forums .

How to fill and sign a PDF form

• How do I fill a PDF form? Open the PDF form in Acrobat or Reader, choose Tools > Fill & Sign or choose Fill &
Sign from the right pane to fill a PDF form. Fill and sign PDF forms
• How do I save or print PDF forms?Open the PDF form in Acrobat or Reader, choose File > Save As and save the
file. To print the form, click the Print button or choose File > Print. Save forms
• Can I add multiple signatures in a PDF form?Yes. Using the Fill and Sign tool in Acrobat, you can add multiple
signatures to your PDF form. Send documents for signature.
Join the discussion onAdobe Forums .

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Send PDF forms to recipients using email or an internal

server
You're on this page > Create a form from scratch PDF forms | Frequently
Distribute form in AcrobatCreate and Asked Questions (FAQ)
distribute PDF forms
Create a form Collect and
from scratch in Acrobat manage PDF form data

This document explains how to distribute your PDF form. (For more information or question/answer on PDF forms,
click the appropriate link above.)

Distribute PDF or web forms using email or an internal server

After you create a form, you can choose a method for sending it to recipients.
1 Click Distribute in the lower-right corner of the right hand pane.
2 A series of messages might appear, depending on the conditions Acrobat detects in your form. Respond to the
onscreen instructions as needed, and save the form.
3 Choose a distribution and collection method:
Email Collect responses in your email inbox.

Internal Server Distribute and collect responses on an internal server such as SharePoint or Network Folder. For
more information, see Specify a server.
For more information, see Choosing a distribution option for reviews and forms.
4 Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions for distributing the form.
5 If you choose to collect responses in your email inbox, do one of the following:
• Enter the email addresses separated with a semi-colon, or click the To button to select email addresses from your
address book.
• Edit the default message.
• Select the option Collect Name & Email from Recipients To Provide Optimal Tracking. The system prompts
recipients to provide their name and email address when they submit the form. This guarantees that in Tracker,
you see exactly who has and hasn't replied, and when.
• Deselect the option if you want to receive anonymous submissions, or you don't care about that level of tracking.
Note:
If you don’t know the email addresses of your recipients, enter your own email address. The system sends you a link to
the form, which you can email to recipients as desired.
To track the status of the distributed form, click Track in the lower-right corner of the right hand pane. For more
information, see About forms tracker.

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Distribute Adobe Sign forms

After you create an Adobe Sign form, you can use Adobe Sign service for sending it to recipients for filling in and
signing.
1 Click Send For Signatures in the lower-right corner of the right hand pane.
2 Click Ready to Send. The document is uploaded to Adobe Document Cloud.
3 Type in the email addresses of people you want to sign your document. Add a message if desired.
4 Click Send.
You receive an email from Adobe Sign which states that the documents are sent to the first user for signature. The
first user also receives an email to sign the document. When the user adds his or her signature in the Signature field,
and then click the Click to sign button, the document is sent to the next user for signature and so on.
Everyone gets a copy of the signed document, and the file is stored securely in Adobe Document Cloud.

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Chapter 6: Combining files

Combine or merge files into single PDF

Combine two or more files into a single PDF in the office or on the go. Drag and drop thumbnails to arrange pages in
the right order from your computer or any web browser.

This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC and Acrobat 2017. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help.

Create merged PDFs

Use the Combine Files tool to merge Word, Excel, PowerPoint, audio, or video files, web pages, or existing PDFs.
Acrobat lets you preview and arrange the documents and pages before creating the file. You can delete unwanted pages
and move individual pages from a document anywhere among the pages being combined. Acrobat converts the pages
of the various files into sequential pages of a single PDF.
1 Choose Tools > Combine Files. The Combine Files interface is displayed with the toolbar at the top.

Combine Files toolbar

2 Drag files or emails directly into the Combine Files interface. Alternatively, choose an option from the Add Files
menu. You can add a folder of files, a web page, any currently open files, items in the clipboard, pages from a scanner,
an email, or a file you combined previously (Reuse Files).
Note:
If you add a folder that contains files other than PDFs, the non-PDF files are not added.
3 As needed, do any of the following:
Rearrange pages In the Thumbnail view, drag-and-drop the file or page into position. As you drag, a blue bar
moves between pages or documents to indicate the current position.
Expand pages or Collapse Document In the Thumbnail view, hover over the page or file and then click the Expand
pages thumbnail . In expanded view, you can easily move the individual pages among the other pages and
documents.
To collapse the pages, hover over the first page and then click the Collapse Document thumbnail .
Preview pages In the Thumbnail view, hover over the page, and then click the Zoom thumbnail .
Delete pages In the Thumbnail view, hover over the page and then click the Delete thumbnail .
Sort files In the List view, click the column name that you want to sort by. Click again to sort in reverse order. The
order of files in the list reflects the order of the files in the combined PDF. Sorting rearranges the pages of the
combined PDF.

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Move files up or down file list In the List view, select the file or files you want to move. Then click the Move Up
or Move Down button.
4 Click Options, and select one of the file size options for the converted file:
Smaller File Size Reduces large images to screen resolution and compresses the images by using low-quality JPEG.
This option is suitable for onscreen display, email, and the Internet.
Note: If any of the source files are already PDFs, the Smaller File Size option applies the Reduce File Size feature to
those files. The Reduce File Size feature is not applied if either the Default File Size or Larger File Size option is
selected.
Default File Size Create PDFs suitable for reliable viewing and printing of business documents. The PDF files in the
list retain their original file size and quality.
Larger File Size Creates PDFs suitable for printing on desktop printers. Applies the High Quality Print conversion
preset and the PDF files in the list retain the original file size and quality.
Note:
This option may result in a larger file size for the final PDF.
5 In the Options dialog box, specify the conversion settings as needed, then click OK.
6 When you have finished arranging the pages, click Combine.
A status dialog box shows the progress of the file conversions. Some source applications start and close
automatically.

Insert one PDF into another

1 Open the PDF that serves as the basis of the combined file.
2 Choose Tools > Organize Pages. The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose Insert > From File.
Alternatively, you can right-click a page and select Insert Pages to get the insert options.

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4 Select the PDF you want to insert and click Open.

5 In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify where to insert the document (before or after the first or last page, or a
designated page). Click OK.
6 To leave the original PDF intact as a separate file, choose Save As, and type a new name for the merged PDF.

You can also add an existing file to an opened PDF. Drag the file icon directly into the Page Thumbnails panel in the
navigation pane.

Insert a clipboard selection into a PDF (Windows)

You can insert one or more pages of selected content copied from any application into an existing PDF.
1 Open the document containing the content that you want to add. Select the content, and then copy the selection (in
most applications, by choosing Edit > Copy File To Clipboard).
2 Open the PDF that serves as the basis of the combined file.
3 Choose Tools > Organize Pages. The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
4 In the secondary toolbar, choose Insert > From Clipboard.
Alternatively, you can also right-click a page and select Insert Pages to get the insert options.
5 In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify where to insert the selection (before or after the first or last page, or a
designated page). Click OK.
6 To leave the original PDF intact as a separate file, choose Save As, and type a new name for the merged PDF.

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Insert a web page or a blank page into a PDF

You can insert a web page into an existing PDF by choosing Tools > Organize Pages > Insert > From Web Page. In
the dialog box that appears, enter the URL of the page that you want to add.
You can also add a blank page to your PDF document by:
• Choosing Tools > Organize Pages > Insert > Blank Page.
In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify the location where you want to add the blank page.
• You can also use the context menu to add a blank page in between to pages. Choose Tools > Organize Pages to get
the page thumbnail view. In the page thumbnail view, right-click the page where you want to insert a blank page.
Select Insert Pages > A Blank Page.

Placing PDFs as linked files in other documents

You can incorporate PDFs into other types of files that support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), such as
InDesign® or Word files. These files are called OLE container documents. Later, if you edit the original PDF, the OLE
features in the container application updates the embedded file in the container document, to reflect your changes.
? Do one of the following:
• Choose the OLE container application’s Insert Object command or Insert Hyperlink command.
• (Windows) In Acrobat, choose Edit > Copy File To Clipboard, and then choose the Paste Special command in
the container application.

Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs

Headers, footers, and Bates numbering

Acrobat lets you add a header and footer throughout a PDF. Headers and footers can include a date, automatic page
numbering, Bates numbers for legal documents, or the title and author. You can add headers and footers to one or more
PDFs.
You can vary the headers and footers within a PDF. For example, you can add a header that displays the page number
on the right side of odd-numbered pages, and another header that displays the page number on the left side of even-
numbered pages. When adding Bates numbering, you can set the number of digits, the starting number, and the prefix
or suffix to be appended to each Bates number.
You can define and save your headers and footers to reuse them later, or you can simply apply a header and footer and
forget it. After applying a header and footer, you can edit, replace, or delete it in the PDF. You can also preview headers
and footers before applying them and adjust the header and footer margins so that they don’t overlap other page
content.

Add headers and footers, with an open document

1 Open the PDF file to which you want to add the header and footer.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.

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Note:
Formatting and other related options are displayed in the right-hand pane.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add.
4 As needed, specify the Font and Margin values.
The text properties apply to all header and footer entries that are part of this setting definition. You cannot apply
different settings to individual header or footer text boxes within the same session in the Add Header And Footer
dialog box.

To prevent overlapping, click the Appearance Options link and select Shrink Document To Avoid Overwriting The
Document’s Text And Graphics. To prevent resizing or repositioning when printing the PDF in large format, select
Keep Position And Size Of Header/Footer Text Constant When Printing On Different Page Sizes.
5 Type the text in any of the header and footer text boxes. To insert page numbers or the current date, click in a box
and then click the corresponding buttons. To select formatting for automatic entries, click Page Number And Date
Format.
Note:
You can combine text with dates and page numbers. You can also add several lines of text to an entry.
6 To specify the pages on which the header and footer appear, click Page Range Options. Then specify a page range
and choose a Subset option, as needed.
7 Examine the results in the Preview area, using the Preview Page option to see different pages of the PDF.
8 (Optional) To save these header and footer settings for future use, click Save Settings at the top of the dialog box.
9 (Optional) To apply the same settings to additional PDFs, click Apply To Multiple Files. Click Add Files, choose
Add Files or Add Open Files, and select the files. Then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and
filename preferences, and click OK.

Add headers and footers, with no document open (Windows only)

1 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
2 In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add.
3 In the dialog box, click Add Files, choose Add Files, then select the files.

You can also add files or folders by dragging them into the dialog box.
4 Follow steps 4 through 8 in the procedure for adding headers and footers with an open document. When you have
finished setting up your headers and footers, click OK.
5 In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences and click OK.

Update the headers and footers

Updating applies to the most recently added header and footer set.
1 Open the PDF file containing header and footer.

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2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.

3 In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Update.
4 Change the settings as needed.

Add another header and footer

1 Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add, and then click Add New in the message that appears.
The preview shows any existing headers and footers.
4 Type text in the header and footer text boxes to add more headers and footers. As you type, the preview updates the
appearance of the complete headers and footers on the page.
5 Select new formatting options, as preferred, again noticing the updating in the preview.

Replace all headers and footers

1 Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose Header & Footer > Add, and then click Replace Existing in the message that
appears.
4 Specify the settings, as needed.
Note:
This process applies only to headers and footers added in Acrobat 7.0 or later.

Remove all headers and footers

? Do one of the following:
• Open the PDF file containing header and footer. Then choose Tools > Edit PDF > Header & Footer > Remove.
• To remove headers and footers from multiple PDFs, close any open documents and choose Tools> Edit PDF>
Header & Footer > Remove. In the dialog box, click Add Files, choose Add Files, and select the files. Click OK,
and then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.
Note:
This process applies only to headers and footers added in Acrobat 7.0 or later.

Add a Bates numbering header or footer (Acrobat Pro)

Bates numbering is a method of indexing legal documents for easy identification and retrieval. Each page of each
document is assigned a unique Bates number that also indicates its relationship to other Bates-numbered documents.
Bates numbers appear as headers or footers on the pages of each PDF in the batch.
The Bates identifier is referred to as a number, but it can include an alphanumeric prefix and suffix. The prefix and
suffix can make it easier to recognize the central subject matter of the files.
Note:
Bates numbering is unavailable for protected or encrypted files and some forms.

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Add Bates numbering

When designating documents for Bates numbering, you can add PDFs, and any non-PDF files that can be converted
to PDF. The process converts non-PDF file types to PDF, and then adds Bates numbers to the resulting PDF.
1 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2 In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Bates Numbering > Add.
3 In the Bates Numbering dialog box, click Add Files, and choose Add Files, Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Then
select the files or folder.
Note:
If you add a folder that contains files other than PDFs, the non-PDF files are not added.
If any files are password-protected, one or more messages appear, in which you must enter the correct password.
4 As needed, do any of the following in the list of files:
• To change the order in which Bates numbers are assigned, select a file, then drag it or click Move Up or Move
Down.
• To sort the list, click a column name. Click again to sort in reverse order.
5 To specify a target folder for output files and filename preferences, click Output Options. Specify the options as
needed, and then click OK.
6 Once you have added and arranged the files as needed, click OK. Then, in the Add Header And Footer dialog box,
click to place the insertion point in the appropriate box.
7 Click Insert Bates Number. Then enter the following:
• In Number Of Digits, specify how many digits make up the Bates number, entering any number from 3 through
15. The default number is 6, which produces Bates numbers such as 000001, 000002, and so on.
• In Start Number, enter the number to assign to the first PDF on the list. The default is 1.
• In Prefix, type any text to appear before the Bates number.
• In Suffix, type any text to appear after the Bates number.
Note:
For court cases involving large numbers of pages, enter a higher value in Number Of Digits. Do not use the # character
in the Prefix or Suffix text.
8 Click OK and then make any other changes to the settings, as you would for any other header and footer.

Add more documents to a Bates numbering series

Before you begin, be sure that you know the last applied Bates number in the series.
1 Follow the procedure described in the previous topic to start the Bates numbering process, selecting the files to add
to the series.
2 After you click Insert Bates Number, enter the next number in the series in Start Number. Enter the Suffix and
Prefix text that matches the rest of the series.
3 Finish changing the settings, and then click OK.

Search for Bates-numbered PDFs

1 Choose Edit > Advanced Search.

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2 In the search word or phrase text field, enter all or part of the Bates number.
For example, to find a specific document when you know its Bates number, type in the complete number as the
search text. To find any documents in a Bates number series, type in a distinctive portion of the Bates series, such
as the prefix or suffix.
3 Under Where Would You Like To Search, select All PDF Documents In.
4 Click Browse For Location and specify the location.
5 Click Search.
Note:
To search for Bates-numbered PDFs in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and enter all or part of the Bates number
in the Search box on the PDF Portfolio toolbar.

Remove Bates numbering

1 Open the PDF file containing bate numbers.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Bates Numbering > Remove.

Crop PDF pages

You can adjust the visible page area using the Crop Pages tool and the Set Page Boxes dialog box. Cropping pages can
help you create consistency within a PDF composed of pages of different sizes.

This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC and Acrobat 2017. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help.

Crop a page with the Crop tool

Note:
Cropping does not reduce file size because information is merely hidden, not discarded.
1 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
2 In the secondary toolbar, click Crop Pages.
3 Drag a rectangle on the page you want to crop. If necessary, drag the corner handles of the cropping rectangle until
the page is the size you want.
4 Double-click inside the cropping rectangle.
The Set Page Boxes dialog box opens, indicating the margin measurements of the cropping rectangle and the page
to be cropped. You can override the crop area you defined, making new selections in the dialog box before clicking
OK.
5 To apply these settings to additional pages, set the page range or click All under Page Range.
6 Click OK to crop the page or pages.

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Margin Control options in the Set Page Boxes dialog box

The Set Page Boxes dialog box contains options for cropping pages. The Margin Control options are as follows:
Show All Boxes (Acrobat Pro) Shows the black, red, green, and blue rectangles indicating the CropBox, ArtBox,
TrimBox, and BleedBox on the preview. When two (or more) margins coincide, only a colored line appears.
CropBox Defines the boundary for the contents of a page when it’s displayed or printed.

ArtBox (Acrobat Pro) Defines the meaningful content of the page, including white space.

TrimBox (Acrobat Pro) Defines the finished dimensions of the page after trimming.

BleedBox (Acrobat Pro) Defines the clipping path when the page is printed professionally to allow for paper trimming
and folding. Printing marks may fall outside the bleed area.
Constrain Proportions Locks the proportions of the crop so that all margins are at the same distance.

Remove White Margins Crops the page to the artwork boundary. This option is useful for trimming the edges of
presentation slides saved as PDFs.
Set To Zero Restores the crop margins to zero.

Revert To Selection Reverts to the crop margin selected with the Crop Page tool.

Remove white margins

1 Choose Tools > Print Production.
The Print Production toolset is displayed in the right hand pane.
2 Click Set Page Boxes.
The Set Page Boxes dialog box is displayed.
3 Under Margin Controls, select Remove White Margins.
4 To remove white margins from additional pages, set the page range or click All under Page Range.

Undo cropping
Cropping a PDF does not reduce file size because information is merely hidden, not discarded. By resetting the page
size, you can restore the page and its content to its original condition.
1 Open the Set Page Boxes dialog box by choosingCrop Pages from the options menu in the Page
Thumbnails panel of the navigation pane.
2 Click the Set To Zero button to reset the margins to the original page dimensions.

Add watermarks to PDFs

A watermark is text or an image that appears either in front of or behind existing document content, like a stamp. For
example, you could apply a “Confidential” watermark to pages with sensitive information. You can add multiple
watermarks to one or more PDFs, but you must add each watermark separately. You can specify the page or range of
pages on which each watermark appears.
Note:

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Unlike a stamp, a watermark is integrated into PDF pages as a fixed element. A stamp is a type of PDF comment, which
others reading the PDF can open to display a text annotation, move, change, or delete.

Before and after adding a watermark

Add or replace a watermark, with an open document

1 Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark > Add.
2 (Optional) To apply the watermark selectively to individual pages, click Page Range Options. Then specify a page
range and choose a Subset option, as needed.
3 Specify the watermark:
• To reuse a watermark and watermark options that you saved in an earlier session, select it from the Saved
Settings menu.
• To create a text watermark, select Text, and type the text in the box. Adjust the text formatting options as needed.
• To use an image as a watermark, select File. Then click Browse and select the image file. If the file has multiple
pages with images, specify the Page Number you want.
Note:
Only PDF, JPEG, and BMP images can be used as watermarks.
4 To change the size of an image watermark, do one of the following:
• To resize the watermark in relation to the original image file size, enter a percentage in the Absolute Scale option
(in the Source area of the dialog box).

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• To resize the watermark in relation to the PDF page dimensions, enter a percentage in the Scale Relative To
Target Page (in the Appearance area of the dialog box).
5 Adjust the appearance and position of the watermark, as needed.
6 (Optional) Click Appearance Options and specify the following options:
• To specify when the watermark appears, select or deselect Show When Printing and Show When Displaying
On Screen.
• To control variations in a PDF with pages of varying sizes, select or deselect Keep Position And Size Of
Watermark Text Constant When Printing On Different Page Sizes.
7 (Optional) To apply the same settings to additional PDFs, click Apply To Multiple Files. Click Add Files, choose
Add Files or Add Open Files, and then select the files. Then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder
and filename preferences, and click OK.

Add or replace a watermark, with no document open (Windows only)

1 Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark > Add.
2 In the dialog box, click Add Files, choose Add Files, and then select the files.

You can also add files or folders by dragging them into the dialog box.
3 Click OK to close the Add Watermark dialog box.
4 Follow steps 2 through 6 in the procedure for adding or replacing a watermark with a document open. When you
have finished setting up your watermark, click OK.
5 In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences and click OK.

Add or replace a watermark in component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio

1 Select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.
2 Follow the steps in the procedure for adding or replacing a watermark with a document open.

Update a watermark
1 Open a single PDF.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark > Update.
3 Make changes to the watermark, and then click OK.
Note:
If you have multiple watermarks in a PDF, this procedure will update only the first watermark you added and will discard
all other watermarks. If you change your mind about updating the watermarks after you have completed this process,
immediately choose Edit > Undo Watermark.

Remove watermarks
? Do one of the following:
• Open a single PDF, or select one or more component PDFs in a PDF Portfolio. Then choose Tools > Edit PDF
> Watermark > Remove.

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• To remove watermarks from multiple PDFs, close any open PDFs and choose Tools > Edit PDF > Watermark
> Remove. In the dialog box that appears, click Add Files, choose Add Files, and then select the files. Click OK,
and then in the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.

Add backgrounds to PDFs

A background appears behind text or images on the page. The background can be as simple as a solid color, or you can
use an image. You can selectively apply a background to only specific pages or page ranges in one or more PDFs. A PDF
supports only one background per page, but the backgrounds can vary from page to page.

Before and after adding a background

Add, replace, or edit a background

1 Open the PDF file to which you want to add the background.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and other related options are displayed in the right hand
pane.
Note:
If a message appears, telling you that the current document already has a background, click Replace Background. If
you apply the new background to a limited range of pages, the old background remains unchanged on pages outside that
range.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Background > Add.

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4 (Optional) To apply the background selectively to individual pages, click Page Range Options. Then specify a page
range and choose a Subset option, as needed.
5 Specify the background:
• To reuse a background and background options that you saved in an earlier session, select it from the Saved
Settings menu.
• To apply a solid color background, select From Color. Then select a color swatch or custom color from the color
picker .
• To use an image, select File, then select the image file. To select a specific image in a multipage file, enter it in
Page Number.
Note:
Only PDF, JPEG, and BMP files can be used as background images.
6 Adjust the appearance and position of the background, as needed.
7 (Optional) To apply the same background to additional PDFs:
a Click Apply To MultipleFiles.
b Click Add Files, choose Add Files or Add Open Files, and then select the files.
c Click OK.
d In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences, and then click OK.

Update a recently edited background image

If the original image file that you are using as a background change, you can update the PDF to show the new version
of the image rather than removing the old version and readding the new one.
1 Open the PDF file to that contains the background you want to update.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Background > Update.
4 Click OK, or make other changes to the background options and then click OK.
Note:
This process applies only to backgrounds added in Acrobat 7.0 or later.

Remove a background from selected pages

1 Open the PDF containing the background.
2 Choose Tools > Edit PDF.
The Edit PDF toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3 In the secondary toolbar, choose More > Background > Remove.
4 Click Yes to confirm the background removal.

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Working with component files in a PDF Portfolio

You can sort and preview component files in a PDF Portfolio, as well as open, edit, and save component files in their
native application. Some file types require that you install the native application on your computer.

View files in a list

In an opened PDF Portfolio, click View > Portfolio > Details. The list of component files in the PDF Portfolio is
displayed below the secondary toolbar. To sort file details by ascending and descending order, click a column name.
Click it a second time to reverse the order.

Edit file details in a list (Acrobat Pro)

1 In an opened PDF Portfolio, click View > Portfolio > Details.
The list of component files in the PDF Portfolio are displayed below the secondary toolbar.
2 Do any of the following in the files list pane:
• To show or hide a column in the list, right-click and choose View and select the column name.
• To sort required columns by ascending and descending order, click a column heading. Click a second time to
reverse the order
• To add or change information of a file, right-click the filename and select Edit Value and then choose the type
of information you want to update. For example, to add descriptive information about the file, right-click on the
filename, choose Edit Value > Description. In the Edit Description dialog, enter the file description.
• To add a column, right-click and choose Portfolio Properties. In the Portfolio Properties dialog box, click Add
and type the name of the column you want to add and click OK.
• To delete optional columns, open the Portfolio Properties dialog box, select the column name that you want to
delete, and then click Delete. You cannot delete required columns, such as Name, Modified, Size, and Created.
• To change the order of a column, open the Portfolio Properties dialog box, select the column name, and click
the Up or Down button. You can also drag a column in the file list pane.
• To change the order of files, see Sort, filter, and change the order of files or folders (Acrobat Pro).

Add files and folders to a PDF Portfolio

You can add files and folders to an existing PDF Portfolio in either Layout (Preview) or Details (files list view) mode.
? In the secondary toolbar, click Add Files and choose Add Files or Add Folder.
Alternatively, you can also add files or folders by performing any of the following methods:
• In the Layout view, right click in the left pane and choose Create Folder. Else, if you are in the Details view, then
right click in the files list pane and choose Create Folder.
• To add files from your computer, drag any files or folders into the left pane (Layout view), or files list pane
(Details view). You can also drag file or folder onto a folder to add it to your portfolio.

For best performance, keep the total number of component files at 15 or less, and the total size of all component files under
50 MB.

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Remove files and folders from a PDF Portfolio

If you delete a folder, all of the files within it are deleted from the PDF Portfolio.
? Select one or more files or folders in the PDF Portfolio and press Delete. Or click the Delete File icon in the
secondary toolbar.

Rearrange files and folders in a PDF Portfolio

In the left navigation pane, you can drag and drop files to do the following:
• Rearrange files within a folder of the PDF portfolio.
• Drop files to folders, or folder to another folder provided both are at a same level or folder.

Sort, filter, and change the order of files or folders (Acrobat Pro)
By default, component files are arranged and sorted alphabetically by filename. Files appear and print in this order.
You can change or customize the order in which files appear. However, files always print alphabetically.
Note:
Sorting files in Layout (Preview) mode changes the order only for the current session. The next time you open the PDF
Portfolio, it appears in the sort order specified in the Portfolio Properties dialog box.
1 Open the Portfolio Properties dialog box.
Note:
If you are in the Layout view, then right-click in the left pane and choose Portfolio Properties. Else, if you are in the files
list view, then right-click in the files list pane and choose Portfolio Properties.
2 In the Portfolio Properties dialog box, do any of the following:
• To change the order of the columns in the files list pane, select a column name and use the Up or Down button
to rearrange.
• To specify the order in which files appear when the PDF Portfolio is initially opened, select a column name in
the Sort By menu, then specify the Sort Order. For example, to display files according to the date they were
modified, make sure Modified is selected in the Sort By menu and then specify the Sort Order as Ascending or
Descending.
• To specify the way PDF Portfolio is displayed, select the display option from the Initial View menu.
3 Save the PDF Portfolio.

Open, edit, and save component files

You can open, edit, and save a component file in its native application, as long as the application is installed on your
computer. Any changes that you make to component files do not affect the original files outside your PDF Portfolio.
1 Do one of the following:
• In Layout (Preview) mode, right-click/Control-click the file, and choose Open File In Native Application (for
non-PDFs) or Open File (for PDFs).
• In the upper-right corner of the Acrobat window, click the Open Document link.
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The component file opens in a separate window. If you’re viewing the PDF Portfolio in a browser, the file opens in the
stand-alone Acrobat product, outside the browser.
2 If a confirmation dialog box appears, select Open This File or Always Allow Opening Files Of This Type—if you
trust the format—and click OK.
3 Edit the file as needed, and then save the file.

Edit component filenames and descriptions in a PDF Portfolio

? Open the files list pane by choosing View > Portfolio > Details.
In the files list pane, do any of the following:
• To edit the displayed name of a component file, right-click the filename and choose Edit Value > Name. Enter
the new name for the component file and click OK. The updated name is displayed under in the Name column
of the files list pane.
• To edit the description of a component file, right-click the filename and choose Edit Value > Description. Enter
the description text and click OK. The updated description is displayed under the Description column of the
files list pane.

Extract component files in a PDF Portfolio

You can extract or drag files out of the PDF Portfolio window onto your computer. Extracting does not delete the file
from the PDF Portfolio.
? Do either of the following:
• In Layout or Details mode, right-click the component filename and select Extract From Portfolio.
• Select one or more files, and then drag them to your Desktop.

Publish and share PDF Portfolios

Publish PDF Portfolios to a website (Acrobat Pro)

Acrobat can convert a PDF Portfolio to an SWF file for others to view on a website. All file navigation and video
controls are available to users with access to the website. To preview how the PDF Portfolio appears on a website, you
publish the content to the site. You can’t preview by opening the published PDF Portfolio on your local computer.
Note:
You can view and extract files from a published PDF Portfolio. To edit The PDF Portfolio, open it in Acrobat.
1 In an open PDF Portfolio, choose File > Save PDF Portfolio As Web Site.
2 Select a folder, or create a new one, for the saved web files. Click OK.

A new folder makes it easier to find the saved files.

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The data folder contains the structure of the website and a web player.

3 (Optional) Edit the index.html file. For example, you can match the look of an existing website, or embed the PDF
Portfolio within an existing web page.
4 Copy the entire data folder and the index.html file to a web server. To transfer the data, you can use FTP, mount the
server as a local disk, or use some other method.
5 Note the web address (URL) of the saved HTML file.
6 In a web browser, enter the URL of the HTML page, starting with http:// or https://.
Tips for successful playback
• Install Flash Player 10.1 or later. Early versions of Flash Player cannot play back a published PDF Portfolio.
• Use Acrobat PDF Portfolios. You cannot publish Acrobat 9 PDF Portfolios to a website.
• Use only system fonts in the PDF Portfolio, not styled text, embedded fonts, or other installed fonts.
• View the index.html file from a web server (http:// or https://), not from your local computer.
• Avoid adding SWF file attachments or videos to your PDF Portfolio. Video playback and SWF file attachments are
not supported in a published PDF Portfolio.

Share PDF Portfolios

Share a PDF Portfolio with others by sending the file in an e-mail or by uploading it on the Adobe Document Cloud.
(See Share and track PDFs online.)

Overview of PDF Portfolios

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About PDF Portfolios

A PDF Portfolio contains multiple files assembled into an integrated PDF unit. The files in a PDF Portfolio can be in
a wide range of file types created in different applications. For example, a PDF Portfolio can include text documents,
e-mail messages, spreadsheets, CAD drawings, and PowerPoint presentations. The original files retain their individual
identities but are assembled into one PDF Portfolio file. You can open, read, edit, and format each component file
independently of the other component files in the PDF Portfolio.
Depending on the circumstances, PDF Portfolios offer several advantages over merging multiple files into a single
PDF:
Adding and deleting Add or remove files easily, without having to find and select all the pages that originated in that
file.
Drag and drop Drag files to rearrange, and drop files to folders, or folder to another folder at the same level in the
navigation pane of the PDF Portfolio.
Previewing Quickly preview component files without having to open them in their native applications.

Editing Change individual files within the PDF Portfolio without affecting the other files. For example, you can
renumber pages in one document without renumbering other documents in the PDF Portfolio. You can also edit non-
PDF files in their native applications from within a PDF Portfolio. Any changes you make are saved to the file within
the PDF Portfolio.
Distribution Share a PDF Portfolio with others and be sure that they are getting all the component parts. Publish a
PDF Portfolio on a website for others to view.
Sorting Sort component files by categories that you can add to, delete, hide, and customize. Simply click a column
name to sort the list.
Printing Print all the PDFs in a PDF Portfolio, or selected component PDFs.

Searching Search one or all files in a PDF Portfolio. You can even search non-PDF component files.

Incorporating other formats Add non-PDF files to an existing PDF Portfolio without converting them to PDF.

Independence from source files The source files of a PDF Portfolio—even existing files you add to the PDF
Portfolio—are not changed when you create a PDF Portfolio. Changes you make to the component files within a PDF
Portfolio do not change the original files from which you created the PDF Portfolio. You can move a PDF Portfolio
anywhere on your computer or network without any risk of losing or disconnecting its components.
Reuse Include the same file in multiple PDF Portfolios.

PDF Portfolio window overview

In Acrobat, you create and edit PDF Portfolios, and work with component files using various elements, such as panes,
toolbars, and windows.

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PDF Portfolio in Acrobat

A PDF Portfolio toolbar B Component files and folders in the left navigation pane C Previous and Next (arrow) buttons to scroll through
component files D Link to open the component file

• The PDF Portfolio toolbar is located immediately below the main toolbar. You can perform common tasks such as,
adding files or folders, creating a new folder, extracting component file, or deleting a component file.
• The left navigation pane lists the files and folders included in the PDF Portfolio. By default, the files and folders are
displayed alphabetically. You can change the order by configuring the sort order in the Portfolio Properties dialog
box.
Alternately, to rearrange files in the left navigation pane, drag files , or drop files to folders, and folders to folders
provided both are at the same level in the Portfolio.
• The Previous and Next buttons allow you to scroll through the files and folders included in the PDF Portfolio. A
preview of the selected file is displayed by default. However, if the component file is a non-PDF file, then a Preview
button is displayed in the document area. Clicking the Preview button allows you to view the file’s contents in the
PDF Portfolio itself.
• The Open Document link opens the selected component file for editing. If it is a PDF file, then the file is opened in
the document area where you can work on it like any other PDF document. Else, if the file is non-PDF, then it is
opened in its native application. Once you make changes in the component file and save it, the newer content is
made available in the PDF Portfolio.
• Layout (Preview mode) shows the preview of the component file in the PDF Portfolio depending on the type of file.
For information about each type of preview, see Portfolio view modes
• Details or Files mode shows the file details in a list. You can click a column name to sort by ascending and
descending order.

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A PDF Portfolio is accessible when it opens in Details or Files mode. This mode provides a better reading experience
for people with disabilities—such as mobility impairments, blindness, and low vision. To open all PDF Portfolios
in Files mode, open the Preferences dialog box by choosing Edit > Preferences (Windows). In Acrobat only, choose
Acrobat > Preferences (Mac OS). Under Categories, select Accessibility, and then select Show Portfolios In Files
Mode.

Portfolio view modes

You can view the component files in two different ways – Layout (or Preview) mode and Details (or Files mode). In
Layout mode, the component files list is presented in the left navigation pane, as shown in the preceding figure. In
Details mode, the component files list is presented immediately below the secondary toolbar, as shown in the following
screenshot:

Viewing a PDF Portfolio in Details or File modes

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In both the views, you can preview images and pages, play video and SWF files. However, in the Details view you can
also view information about a file. You can extract (move) a file to your computer. You can also open a file in its native
application (if installed on your computer). You can switch between the Layout and Details view by choosing the
desired option from the View > Portfolio menu.
The Platform preview mode is also available where a full-size preview within the document window is shown. By
default, the PDF, SWF, and HTML files are displayed in the document window. To open other file types in Platform
preview, such as e-mail portfolios, form response files, and secured PDFs, choose View > Portfolio > Preview File. To
close Platform preview, click the Close Preview (X) icon after the filename in the secondary toolbar.

Click the X button to close the Platform Preview mode.

Switch between Layout, Details, and Platform Preview modes

You can switch between the Layout and Details view modes by choosing the desired option from View > Portfolio
menu.
You can also switch to the Platform Preview mode by choosing View > Portfolio > Preview File.

Other functions enabled in PDF Portfolios

These commands are available for component files in PDF Portfolios:
Reduce File Size Reduces the file size of component PDFs. For more information, see Reduce file size by saving.

Secure Portfolio With Password Adds document security to a PDF Portfolio or to component PDFs within a PDF
Portfolio. To add security to component PDFs, choose File > Portfolio Properties and select the Security tab. For more
information, see Securing documents with passwords. To add security to the entire PDF Portfolio, use the Cover Sheet
(View > Portfolio > Cover Sheet). For example, you can use the Cover Sheet to sign the PDF Portfolio parent file, or
add a password to open the PDF Portfolio. Functionality you specify in the Cover Sheet pertains to the entire
collection of component files in the PDF Portfolio.
Note:
Other security features, including certificate security, are also available for PDF Portfolios and component files. For more
information, see Choosing a security method for PDFs.
Print Prints component documents. For more information, see Print PDFs in a PDF Portfolio.

Create and customize PDF Portfolios

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Create PDF Portfolios (Acrobat Pro)

The PDF Portfolio creation process has been simplified in the current release of Acrobat Pro. You no longer need the
Flash Player installed on your system to create or view portfolios. You can easily create folders within your PDF
Portfolio, delete component files and folders, edit component filenames, and add and edit descriptions of component
files.
Create a basic PDF Portfolio in a few quick steps.
1 Start Acrobat and choose File > Create > PDF Portfolio.
2 Drag files into the Create PDF Portfolio dialog box.
Alternatively, choose an option from the Add Files menu. You can add a file, folder of files, pages from a scanner,
web page, or items in the clipboard.
3 Click Create to add the files to the PDF Portfolio.
The selected files are added to your portfolio and a toolbar along with the thumbnails of the files is displayed in the
left pane.

a - PDF Portfolio’s secondary toolbar, b - The left pane with files' thumbnails

Note:
In Windows, the Acrobat PDFMaker in Outlook and Lotus Notes can create PDF Portfolios when you convert e-mail
messages.

Add files and folders to a PDFPortfolio

Note:
As you cannot change the order of files in the PDF Portfolio, it is recommended to add the files in a sequential order. Also,
if you add a folder, the files in the folder are added in the alphabetical order.

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You can add content to an existing PDF Portfolio.

? From an open PDF Portfolio, do any of the following:
• In the left pane, click Add Files and select Add Files, Add Folder, or Add Web Content.
• To create a folder, click the Create Folder icon in the secondary toolbar.
• To add files from your computer, drag any files or folders into the PDF Portfolio workspace or onto a folder,
which is available in the left pane.

For best performance, keep the total number of component files at 15 or less, and the total size of all component files
under 50 MB.

Rearrange files in a PDF Portfolio

In the navigation pane of a PDF Portfolio, do the following:
• Drag to rearrange files within a folder of the PDF portfolio.
• Drop files to folders, or folder to another folder provided both are at a same level or folder.

Add web content to a PDF Portfolio

You can link to websites or embed video tags. Linking to web content is useful when you want to reduce the file size of
the PDF Portfolio.
1 In the left pane, click Add Files and select Add Web Content.
2 Enter a filename and description for the web content that gets added to your PDF Portfolio. This web file links to
the web content you specify.
3 Do one of the following:
• To link to a website, select Add A Web Link, and then add the URL.
• To embed a video tag, select Add An Embed Tag, and then paste the video’s embed code. Video-sharing websites
usually include a way to copy a video’s embed code. For example, a website could include an Embed box that
shows the code and other embedding options.

Convert multimedia files in a PDF Portfolio (Acrobat Pro)

You can convert the following component multimedia files to PDF within a PDF Portfolio: SWF files and mp3. You
can also convert these files to PDF if they are encoded in H.264 (with AAC audio): MOV, M4V, MP4, 3GP, and 3G2.
(H.264 and AAC are encoding and compression options for movies.)
1 From an open PDF Portfolio, right-click/Control-click one or more multimedia files in the PDF Portfolio and select
Convert To PDF.
2 If a dialog box appears, specify the options as needed and click OK.

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Remove or extract files and folders from a PDF Portfolio

If you delete a folder, all of the files within it are deleted from the PDF Portfolio. You can also extract one or more
components from the PDF Portfolio and save them separately.
• From an open PDF Portfolio, select one or more files or folders in the PDF Portfolio and press Delete or click
the Delete File icon to remove the selected item from the portfolio.
• If you want to extract (or save) an item from your portfolio, click the Extract From Portfolio icon , select a
location where you want to save the selected item, and click Save.
• From an open PDF Portfolio, select one or more files or folders in the PDF Portfolio and press Delete or click
the Delete File icon to remove the selected item from the portfolio.
• If you want to extract (or save) an item from your portfolio, click the Extract From Portfolio icon , select a
location where you want to save the selected item, and click Save.

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Chapter 7: Sharing, reviews, and

commenting

Share and track PDFs online

You can quickly share a link to a PDF document with others for viewing or commenting. The document shared as a
link opens in any browser, on any device. The document is stored securely in Adobe Document Cloud. Recipients get
an email with a link, and they can click the link to view and comment on the document in a browser; no sign-in
required.
Note:
Adobe is testing a new PDF sharing experience in Acrobat DC. If the steps listed in this document don't match your
version of Acrobat, see Share and track PDFs online | New experience.

Share PDFs
1 Click the Share button in the upper-right corner when a PDF document is open in Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader
DC. Alternatively, choose Tools > Share, and then browse and select the PDF. The share dialog box is displayed.
The sharing options are displayed in the right pane.
2 In the Invite People section, enter, or choose the email address of whoever you’d like to receive the file. You can also
use the Address Book link to choose email addresses.

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3 Share the file using any one of the following methods:

• Send personalized invitations using Adobe Document Cloud share option
The detailed tracking information is available for files shared using a personalized link to individuals.
1 Choose View File.
2 The Name and Message fields are just like the ones you use for sending an email and appear to your recipients in
the same way. Enter desired information, and then click Send.
Your recipients get an email notifying them that the file is shared with them.
• Share an anonymous or public link
An anonymous or public link makes the files accessible to anyone who clicks the link. Also, the detailed tracking
information is not available for files shared using public links.
1 Click Get Link. The View File option is selected by default.
2 Click Create Link. The selected files are uploaded to the Adobe Document Cloud and a public link is created.
3 Click Copy Link, and close the Share pane.
4 Share the link with the recipients.
• Share the document as an email attachment
The detailed tracking information is not available for files shared as attachments.
1 Click Send As Attachment.
2 In the Send As Attachment section, do one of the following:
• Choose Default Email Application, and click Continue.
• Choose Webmail. In the Select Option drop-down list, choose one of the following:
• Add Gmail: Enter your email address, and click Continue. Enter the password, and grant permissions when
prompted.
• Add other: Enter your email address, password, and IMAP/SMTP mail server settings. Click Add.

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3 An email draft is displayed with the file attached. Enter the email addresses of the recipients, add an appropriate
message in the subject and body of the email, and then send the email.
• Share the document to get signatures from others
Do the following to request signatures from others.
1 Choose Fill & Sign File.

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2 The Name and Message fields are just like the ones you use for sending an email and appear to your recipients in
the same way. Enter the desired information and do one of the following:
• (Optional) To explore advanced options including signer authentication, reminders,and more, click More
Options.
• To add form fields and specify where to sign, click Continue.
The Adobe Sign window is displayed. Enter the information as prompted. For more information, see Get
documents signed by others.
3 Click Send. The document is sent for signature to the recipients and a confirmation notice is displayed.

Recipients experience
Recipients get an email notifying them that the file is shared with them. The email contains the Open button and a link
to the shared document. Clicking the link or the button opens the document in a browser. Recipients can also download
the document if necessary.
See the example screenshot below showing the email notification received by a recipient.

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The email notification with a link to the shared document

Track shared files

The files that you have recently shared are listed in Home> Recent. When the recipient views the file, you get a
notification in Acrobat and an email. To view and track all the files shared for viewing, do the following:
1 Click Home. In the Shared section, do one of the following:
• To view the files shared by you for view or review, click Shared By You.
• To view the files received for view or review, click Shared By Others.
All the files shared for viewing are displayed along with the following information:
• Name: Name of the file shared for view.
• Status: Shows the number of people who have viewed the file.
• Last Activity: The timestamp of the file sent or received for viewing.

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2 To view the details of a file, select the file. A thumbnail of the file is displayed in the right pane. The action board in
the right pane displays the actions you can perform on the file. The displayed actions vary based on whether you
have shared the file, or received the file for viewing as shown below:
Actions on files shared
• View the activity and timestamp on the shared file. Expand Activity to view the details like Created By, Sent To,
Viewed By and Downloaded By the recipients.
• Unshare File if you would like to prevent anyone else from viewing or downloading the file.
• Copy Shared Link and share with other recipients for viewing.
• Delete Shared File to remove the file permanently from the Adobe Document Cloud.
• Download the file to your device.

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Actions on files shared for viewing

Actions on files received

• View the timestamp of the file received.
• Copy Shared Link to either share it with other recipients or open the file on browser.
• Download the file to your device.
• Remove Link From Document Cloud to remove the file permanently.
• Report Abuse for any inappropriate content received.

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Actions for files received for viewing

Mark up text with edits

Note:
In Reader, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use text edit comments in a PDF to indicate where text should be edited in the source file. Text edit comments
do not change the actual text in the PDF. Instead, they indicate which text should be deleted, inserted, or replaced in
the source file from which the PDF was created.
Acrobat offers two basic methods to add text edit annotations: pre-select and post-select.
Pre-select or Text Correction Markup tool
Use the Select tool , or the Text Correction Markup tool and then right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS)
on the selected text to open a menu of text editing options. After marking the text, you can also click on a text edit tool.
Post-select
Click the text edit tool and then select the text.
In Acrobat for Windows, you can export text edits directly to the Microsoft Word document that the PDF is based on
to revise the source document. To use this feature, you must use PDFMaker in Word to create the PDF. Before you
export your text edits, make sure that insertion comments use the exact text, including spaces and paragraph returns,
that you want to add. If you add extra instructional words (such as “Add the following:”), these words will have to be
deleted manually from the Word document.
In Acrobat Pro on Windows, you can export text edit comments directly to an Autodesk AutoCAD document that the
PDF is based on to incorporate your edits. To use this feature, you must use PDFMaker in AutoCAD to create the PDF.

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Replace Text option: Selected text is struck out and new text is added to a linked pop-up note.

Replace text
1 From the Tools Comment toolbar, select Add Note to Replace Text .
2 Select the text. Any selected text is crossed out and a pop-up note opens.
3 Do one of the following:
• Type the text to be inserted or added. The insertion caret appears.
• To indicate that a new paragraph should be added, press Enter, and then close the pop-up note without adding
text. The paragraph insertion caret appears.

Add a note to a text edit

1 Using the Select tool, right-click a text edit.
2 Select Open Pop-Up Note from the menu.
3 Type your note in the pop-up note.

Insert text
1 From the Tools Comment toolbar, select the Insert Text at Cursor tool .
2 Click between the words or characters where you want to insert text.
3 Do any of the following:
• Type the text you want to insert.
• To indicate that a new paragraph should be added, press Enter, and then close the pop-up note without adding
text. The paragraph insertion caret appears.
• To indicate that a space should be added, press the spacebar, and then close the pop-up note without adding text.
The space insertion caret appears.

You can also indicate text edits by using the Select tool to select text, right-click the selected text, and then choose a text
edit annotation.

Delete text
1 From Tools > Comment toolbar, choose the Strikethrough tool .

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2 Select the text to mark for deletion.

Delete text markups

If markup comments are stacked, delete the comments in the Comments list: Choose Comment > Comments List, select the
comment, and press Delete.
? Select the markup and press Delete.

Highlight, strikethrough, or underline text

Note:
In Reader only Sticky Note and Highlight tools are available. Other commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have
commenting enabled. PDFs in a review workflow typically include commenting rights.
Choose Tools > Comment to view the menu bar.

Choose Tools > Comment to see the menu bar for Highlight Text tool, Strikethrough Text tool, and Underline Text tool

You can use the Highlight Text tool, Strikethrough Text tool, and the Underline Text tool to add comments by
themselves or in conjunction with notes.
You can add a highlight with a note or you can cross out text or underline text by selecting the text using the Select tool,
right-clicking, and then choosing that option from the menu that appears. However, if you’re marking up a lot of text,
the specialized tools are faster and easier to use.
1 Choose Tools > Comment, and select the Highlight Text tool , the Strikethrough Text tool ,
or the Underline Text tool .
Note:
If you want to apply more than one comment using the Strikeout Text tool or the Underline Text tool, choose Keep Tool
Selected from the Options menu after you select the tool. The Highlight Text tool stays selected after you make the first
comment.
2 Drag from the beginning of the text you want to mark up. Control-drag to mark up a rectangular area of text. This
feature is especially useful when you are marking up text in a column.
3 (Optional) To add a note, double-click the markup and add text in a pop-up note.
Note that you can also change the color of the highlighted text. Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) on
the highlighted text and click Properties to open the Highlight Properties dialog box, which will allow you to change
the color.

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Change Highlight Color option: The color of the highlighted text can be changed using this option.

In case if you need to delete the highlight on the text (without deleting the text), right-click (Windows) or Control-click
(Mac OS) on the highlighted text and click Delete.

Delete highlight color without deleting the text.

Preparing for a PDF review

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About managed PDF reviews

In a managed review, you use a wizard to set up your review, specify the document location, and invite participants.
You don’t have to import comments, enable commenting for Reader users, or manually track reviewer responses.
Note:
You must have Acrobat Pro installed to enable commenting for Acrobat Reader users in managed reviews. You cannot
enable commenting for Acrobat Reader users using Acrobat Standard.
Acrobat includes two types of managed reviews: shared and email-based reviews. Each type of review has a wizard that
helps you distribute a PDF with special tools and instructions to reviewers.
The Tracker tracks all managed reviews. The Tracker provides access to the PDF file and information about the review
and its participants. Review initiators can change review deadlines, add reviewers, and end reviews from the Tracker.
The Tracker lets participants know when new comments are available, when deadlines are changed, and when
reviewers are added, even when Acrobat is closed. It also provides information about server error states.
Note:
Managed reviews cannot be conducted for PDF Portfolios.
Shared reviews
Shared reviews are the most collaborative form of review because participants can read and reply to the comments of
other participants. Comments from participants are stored in a repository on an internal server. Acrobat synchronizes
comments at regular intervals to download all the latest changes. Reviewers are notified of new comments as they are
added, and they can see and reply to comments made by other reviewers.

In a shared review, recipients can easily join the review, share their comments, track their reviews, and get regular updates.

Note:

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For shared reviews, reviewers must have Acrobat 8 or later or Reader 8 or later installed to view other reviewer comments.
Reviewers using earlier versions of Acrobat must send comments in email.
Email-based reviews
Email-based reviews are ideal when reviewers either don’t have access to a common server or don’t require a
collaborative approach to reviewing documents.
In an email-based review, the initiator sends a PDF to reviewers as an email attachment. Reviewers add their comments
and return the document by using the Send Comments button in the document message bar. When receiving these
comments, the initiator can merge them into their copy of the PDF.
The primary limitation to email-based reviews is that participants can’t view other comments during the review.
Initiators can view comments only after receiving them.
Note:
Participants in an email-based review must have Acrobat 6.0 or later or Reader 7.0 or later.

In an email-based review, participants send their comments to the initiator, who merges the comments into the master copy of the PDF.

Choosing a distribution option for reviews and forms

Acrobat provides several distribution options in the Send For Shared Review and Distribute Form wizard. When you
choose an option, consider the security needs for the distributed file, what servers or websites your recipients can use
to download the file, and how you want to receive comments or form data.
Internal server
You can use your own internal server location if your recipients work behind a firewall and all have access to a common
server. The server can be a network folder, a Microsoft SharePoint workspace (Windows only), or a web server folder.
You can include a link to your distributed PDF or send it as an attachment in an email message. For reviews, Acrobat
uploads published comments to the server. For forms, Acrobat stores responses on your hard drive as they are returned.
Note:
Web server folders are not available for form distribution.
When you specify your own server, the wizard prompts you to save a profile with the server location and the
distribution options you chose. The next time you distribute a PDF, the saved profile is available as an option in the
wizard.
Email

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The Distribute Forms wizard has an option for sending a form as an email attachment. You can send the form using
your own email client or webmail. You can also use the wizard to create an email message in which the form file is
attached. Once your recipients fill out and submit the form, the responses are returned to your mailbox. Each response
is copied into a PDF Portfolio responses file, which you can organize and export to a spreadsheet.
The Send for Shared Review wizard lets you either email a link to the pdf, or attach the pdf to the email.

Enable commenting for Reader users (Acrobat Pro)

By enabling commenting rights in a PDF, users of Reader 8 or later can participate in reviews of that PDF. When a PDF
with commenting rights opens in Reader, it includes a document message bar and commenting tools that are otherwise
unavailable.
When you initiate a managed review, commenting rights are automatically enabled. If you do not use a managed review
(for example, if you send a PDF directly in email), you can still enable commenting rights.
• Open the PDF and choose File > Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF > Enable Commenting and Measuring.
Note:
If you enable commenting for Reader in a digitally signed document, the signature is invalidated.

Select an email application for reviews

You need either an email application and a mail server connection, or a webmail account for email-based reviews and
to send comments. Acrobat supports most email applications. If you have more than one email application installed,
you can specify which application starts when Acrobat sends a PDF. Do one of the following:
• (Windows) Double-click Internet Options in the Control Panel. In the Internet Properties dialog box, select the
Programs tab, and then select the preferred email application. Restart Acrobat to activate the change.
• (Windows) Change the MAPI settings in your email application. Acrobat and Reader use the Messaging
Application Program Interface (MAPI) to communicate with your email application. Most email applications
come with MAPI settings to handle this communication. For more information on configuring your email
applications, see the email application’s Help.
• (Mac OS) In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences, select General, and then choose the preferred email application from
the Default Email Reader menu. Restart Acrobat to activate the change. If your application isn’t listed, choose
Select from the menu and browse to the location. If you select an application that isn’t listed in the Default Email
Reader menu, Acrobat does not necessarily support it.

Specify a server
If you distribute a PDF using your own server location, you can specify a network folder, a Windows server running
Microsoft SharePoint Services, or a web server folder. Participants must have read and write access to the server you
specify. Ask your network administrator to provide a suitable server location for storing comments. No additional
software is required to set up a server.
Note:
Web server folders are not available for form distribution.
Network folders
If all recipients are within a local area network, network folders and SharePoint servers are the best choices for a
comment server. Network folders are generally the cheapest and most reliable.

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SharePoint/Office 365 subsites

If your recipients work behind a firewall and all have access to a common server, you can use your own internal server
location, such as a Microsoft SharePoint site. For more information, see Hosting shared reviews on SharePoint or Office
365 sites.
WebDAV servers
WebDAV servers (web servers that use the WebDAV protocol) are best used only if your reviewers are outside a firewall
or a local area network. For more information on how to configure Acrobat to use a WebDAV service, see Hosting a
Shared Review: An Alternative to Acrobat.com.

Starting a PDF review

Automatically collect everyone's comments in a single PDF file. Track progress and consolidate comments.
Note:
Adobe is testing a new PDF sharing experience in Acrobat DC. If the steps listed in this document don't match your
version of Acrobat, see LinkStarting a PDF review | New experience.

Share a PDF for review using the Adobe Document Cloud review service
Use the Adobe Document Cloud review service to easily share PDF files for review from Acrobat DC desktop
application, the Document Cloud web, or Acrobat Reader mobile app. When reviewers click the URL in the email
invitation from their computer, they can easily provide their feedback in a browser without having to sign in or install
any additional software.
You can use the service to share PDF files for review in one of the following ways:
• Send personalized invitations using the Document Cloud Share option
1 Click the Share button in the upper-right corner when a PDF document is open in Acrobat. Alternatively,
choose Tools > Share, and then browse and select the PDF. The sharing options are displayed in the right pane.

Note:
• The computer must be connected to the Internet to start a shared review in Acrobat.
• You can also start a shared review directly from other applications that use PDFMaker, such as Microsoft
Word. Choose Acrobat > Create And Send For Review.

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2 In the Invite People section, enter, or choose the email address of whoever you’d like to review the file. You can
also use the Address Book link to choose email addresses. Choose Review File.
3 The Name and Message fields are just like the ones you use for sending an email and appear to your recipients
in the same way. Enter the desired information.
4 If you want to set the review deadline, select Set Deadline. Specify the time, select the date, and click Done. To
set the reminder for the invitees, select Set Reminder. Specify the time, select the date, and click Done.

5 Click Send.
Initiate a review using @mention in a PDF
Use @mention in your personal commenting notes to start a review. The @mentions includes your organizational
contacts and your synced personal contacts list. The moment you use @mention in a PDF file, the review mode gets
enabled for you. The reviewers get an invitation email with a link to the Document Cloud shared review file.

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Reviewer experience
The reviewers receive an email invitation with a link to the review PDF. When they click the link or the Open button
in the invitation, the PDF opens in a web browser. They can use the commenting tools to add comments to the PDF.
They can also use Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC desktop applications to add comments.
For more information, see Participating in a PDF review.
• Send an anonymous or public link in an email
An anonymous or public link makes the files accessible to anyone who clicks the link. Follow the steps below to
create a review link, and share it using your email client.
1 Click the Share button in the upper-right corner when a PDF document is open in Acrobat. Alternatively,
choose Tools > Share, and then browse and select the PDF. The sharing options are displayed in the right pane.

Note:
• The computer must be connected to the Internet to start a shared review in Acrobat.
• You can also start a shared review directly from other applications that use PDFMaker, such as Microsoft
Word. Choose Acrobat > Create And Send For Review.
2 Click Get a Link.

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3 In the Get Link section, choose Review File, and click Create Link. The selected file is uploaded to the
Document Cloud, and a public link is created.
Note:
You cannot set a deadline or reminder when you create a public link and share the file for review.
4 To copy the review link, click Copy Link. Share the review link with the reviewers in an email.
Reviewer experience
The reviewers receive an email invitation with a link to the review PDF. When they click the link or the Review
button in the invitation, the PDF opens in a web browser. They can use the commenting tools to add comments to
the PDF. They can also use Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC desktop applications to add comments.
For more information, see Participating in a PDF review.
For information on tracking the reviewers' activity on the document, see Tracking and managing PDF reviews.

Share a PDF for review by hosting it on Sharepoint, WebDAV server, or a

network folder
• Steps to send a PDF for review
1 If you're using Acrobat 2017 or Acrobat DC 2015 (Classic), skip to the next step. If you're using Acrobat DC, do
the following before you initiate the review:
a Go to Edit > Preferences. The Preferences dialog box is displayed.
b In the left pane, click Reviewing. Under the Shared Review Options section, deselect the Share For Review
Using Adobe Document Cloud check box, and then click OK.
2 Choose Tools > Send For Review. The Send for Comments toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.

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You can also start a shared review directly from other applications that use PDFMaker, such as Microsoft Word.
Choose Adobe PDF > Convert To Adobe PDF And Send For Shared Commenting. For Office 2010 applications,
choose Acrobat > Create And Send For Shared Commenting.
3 In the secondary toolbar, click Send For Shared Commenting.
Note:
If prompted, select a PDF file that you want to send for shared review.
4 Select the way you want to collect comments from your reviewer and click Next.
5 Select how you would like to host the shared review file and specify the location.
• Network folders: If all recipients are within a local area network, network folders and SharePoint servers are
the best choices for a comment server. Network folders are generally the cheapest and most reliable.
• SharePoint/Office 365 subsites: If your recipients work behind a firewall and all have access to a common
server, you can use your own internal server location, such as a Microsoft SharePoint site. For more
information, see Hosting shared reviews on SharePoint or Office 365 sites.
• WebDAV servers: WebDAV servers (web servers that use the WebDAV protocol) are best used only if your
reviewers are outside a firewall or a local area network. For more information on how to configure Acrobat
to use a WebDAV service, see Hosting a Shared Review: An Alternative to Acrobat.com.
6 Choose a delivery and collection method. Click Next.
7 Enter a new profile name and click Next, or click Next to use the default.
8 On the email screen, specify the following settings as needed:
Delivery Method Click to specify a different delivery and collection method from the one that is currently
selected.
To, Cc Enter the email addresses of your reviewers. Insert a semicolon or a return after each address. Click the
To or Cc button to select email addresses from your email application address book.
Subject, Message Preview and edit the email subject and message as needed. Acrobat saves any changes you
make and displays them the next time you send a document for review. To use the default email message, click
Reset Default Message.
Review Deadline Click to specify a different date or no deadline. After the review deadline expires, reviewers
cannot publish comments.
Note:
If the review deadline expires while a reviewer has the document open in Acrobat, then the reviewer can publish
comments before closing the document.
9 Click Send.
The shared PDF that you send includes the Annotation and Drawing Markups panels, and instructions in the
document message bar.
Acrobat creates a copy of the shared review file, named [original filename]_review.pdf, in the same folder as the
original file you specified for the review.

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Start an email-based review

When you start an email-based review, you send out a tracked copy of the PDF, enabling you to easily merge comments
that you receive. (Form fields in a PDF aren’t fillable during the review.) After initiating a shared review, you can also
start an email-based review with the same PDF.
Before you start an email-based review, make sure that your email application or webmail account is configured to work
with Acrobat.
• Steps to start an email-based review
1 If you're using Acrobat 2017 or Acrobat DC 2015 (Classic), skip to the next step. If you're using Acrobat DC, do
the following before you initiate the review:
a Go to Edit > Preferences. The Preferences dialog box is displayed.
b In the left pane, click Reviewing. Under the Shared Review Options section, deselect the Share For Review
Using The Adobe Document Cloud check box, and then click OK.
2 Choose Tool > Send For Review.
The Send for Comments toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.
3 Click Send For Comments By Email.
4 If prompted, enter information in the Identity Setup dialog box.
5 Specify a PDF if it isn’t already open, and then click Next. The PDF that you specify becomes the master file.
Merge the comments you receive from reviewers into this file.
6 Specify reviewers by typing their email addresses. Insert a semicolon or a return between each address. Click
Address Book to select email addresses from your email application or webmail address book.
7 Preview and edit the email invitation as needed, and then click Send Invitation.
8 Select an email client to send the invite and click Continue.
A copy of the PDF is sent to the reviewers as an attachment. When this PDF attachment is opened, it presents
commenting tools and instructions.
• Steps to merge comments
After you receive comments from reviewers, you can merge the comments into the master PDF.
1 After a reviewer sends you comments, open the attached file in your email application. If the email application
can’t find the original version of the PDF, it prompts you to browse for it.
Note:
It’s possible to forward comments to the initiator if you didn’t initiate the review. First merge these comments into
your copy of the PDF. Then send the comments; see Send comments in email. If you’ve sent your comments already,
the initiator receives only new comments. Merged comments retain the original author name.
2 If you initiated the review, the Merge Comments dialog box appears. Select one of the following options:
Yes Opens the master copy of the PDF and merges all comments into it. After comments are merged, save the
master PDF.
No, Open This Copy Only Opens the reviewer’s copy of the PDF with comments. If you select this option, you can
still merge comments by choosing Comments > Merge Comments Onto Master PDF.
Cancel Closes the reviewer’s PDF that contains comments.

? Your recipients get an email notifying them that the file is shared with them for review. Each recipient will receive a
unique link. Anyone with access to the link can join as a reviewer.

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Hosting shared reviews on SharePoint or Office 365 sites

Shared reviews are the most collaborative form of review because participants can read and reply to the comments of
other participants. Comments from participants are stored in a repository on an internal server. Acrobat synchronizes
comments at regular intervals to download all the latest changes. Reviewers are notified of new comments as they are
added, and they can see and reply to comments made by other reviewers.
You can use your own internal server location, such as a Microsoft SharePoint workspace/subsite, if your recipients
work behind a firewall and all have access to a common server.

Initiate SharePoint-based shared review using Acrobat

Before you initiate a review, ensure that you have a SharePoint site and reviewers have write permission to your site.
Now, to host the shared review, you can do one of the following:
• Let Acrobat automatically create and configure a document library within your SharePoint server’s subsite.
• Choose a subsite and the respective document library that you may have already created and configured.
1 Open the PDF document in Acrobat, and then select Send for Review in the Tools pane.

2 Select Send for Shared Commenting in the toolbar.

3 Select Automatically collect comments on my own internal server from the drop-down menu, and then click
Next.

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4 Choose SharePoint subsite, and then provide the URL of your subsite on the SharePoint server. Click Next.

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Acrobat automatically creates and configures a new document library (named AcrobatSharedReviews) within your
subsite to initiate the shared review.
Note:
If you don't want Acrobat to automatically configure the review, you can click Choose a subsite to select the document
library that you have already created and configured.
5 Choose distribution method and the way the file should appear when it’s sent, and then click Next.

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6 To save this shared review profile for future use, provide a name and then click Next, or click Next to use the default.

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7 Enter all your reviewers’ email addresses, make appropriate change to the subject, message, and review deadline, and
then click Send.

Participating in a PDF review

Review a PDF hosted in Adobe Document Cloud

If the initiator shared the PDF using the Adobe Document Cloud review service, the email invitation includes a link to
the review PDF. When you click the link, the PDF opens in a web browser. You can add comments in the PDF using
the commenting tools available in the browser window. No sign-in required. From the web, you can also launch Acrobat
Reader DC or Acrobat DC desktop application to add comments.
You can join the review in one of the following ways:
• Join the review using a web browser
1 In your review email invitation, click the link or the Review button.
Note: Below is an example email invitation sent via Adobe Document Cloud. The invitation may look different
if the initiator sent you a public link to the review PDF in an email.

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2 The PDF opens in a web browser. Enter as a guest, or sign in with your Adobe ID and password. Signing in allows
you to use @ mention tags, edit or delete your comments anytime.
3 Add comments to the PDF using the commenting tools. All reviewers can see your comments.

4 While reviewing, you can also do the following:

• Use the @ mention to get the reviewer's attention. Use of the @ mention sends a notification to the named
reviewer.
• Filter Comments ( ) based on comment status like Unread, Resolved, @ mentions, or comment by a
reviewer.
• Use the Options Menu ( ) to view all reviewers, copy shared link, remove yourself as a review participant,
or report abuse.
5 When you have finished your review, click Finished. A notification is shown in Acrobat DC and an email is sent
to the initiator.
• Join the review using Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC
1 In your review email invitation, click the link or the Open button. The PDF opens in a web browser.

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2 In the toolbar, click Open In Acrobat. The PDF is downloaded and opened in Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat
DC depending on which application is the default PDF owner.

Note:
To join the review, you must have the latest version of Acrobat Reader DC or Adobe Acrobat DC installed. For more
information, see Adobe Document Cloud review service | Open in Acrobat
3 In Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC, add comments to the PDF using the commenting tools. The comments
are automatically saved, and all reviewers can see your comments.
Note:
If you are not connected to the Internet, you can still add comments to the PDF. The comments will be saved to the
Document Cloud, whenever you connect to the Internet.
4 While reviewing, you can also do the following:
• Use the @ mention to get the reviewer's attention. Use of the @ mention sends a notification to the named
reviewer.
• Use Search Comments field to search for a specific term.
• Sort Comments ( ) based on page, author, date, type, unread status, or color.
• Filter Comments ( ) based on comment status like Unread, Resolved, Unresolved, @ mentions, or
comment by a reviewer, comment types, and color.
• Use the Options Menu ( ) to edit, mark as unread, resolve, or delete the selected comment.
• Check the review status for all the participants by clicking the reviewer avatar in the upper-left corner.

A Click to view all participants B Annotation tools C Click to toggle between managing the shared file and viewing comments D Search
comments E Sort comments F Filter comments G @ Mention

5 When you have finished your review, click Done. The review PDF is closed. The initiator gets a notification in
Acrobat/Reader and an email is sent.

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Review a PDF hosted on SharePoint, WebDAV server, or a Network folder

When you receive an email invitation to a PDF review, the invitation typically includes the PDF as an attachment or
provides a URL to the PDF. Alternatively, some invitations include a Forms Data Format (FDF) attachment. When
opened, an FDF file configures your review settings and opens the PDF in Acrobat.
PDFs in a review have special features, including commenting tools and a document message bar with instructions. Use
the commenting tools to add comments to the PDF and then submit them. Either publish the comments to a comment
server where others can see them, or send comments as an email attachment to the review initiator.
Note:
It’s possible to receive a PDF that doesn’t include special features. If so, add your comments using tools in theTools >
Comment toolbar. Then save the PDF and send it back.
To review the PDF later, reopen it from the Tracker. Doing so ensures that your comments are added to the tracked
copy of the PDF and that the initiator receives your comments. If you don’t send or publish your comments right away,
save the PDF before you close it to avoid losing your comments. Until the initiator receives your comments, they appear
only in your local copy of the PDF and aren’t visible to other reviewers.
• Steps to join a review
1 In your email application, open the PDF by clicking the URL or double-clicking the attachment (PDF or FDF).
2 Do one or more of the following, if prompted:
• Log in to Adobe Document Cloud with your Adobe ID and password.
• Click Connect in the Shared Review dialog box.
• Click OK in the Welcome To Shared Review window. This window shows the review deadline, participants,
whether each reviewer has made any comments, and the comment server location.
• Type your name, email address, company name, and job title.
3 Save the file to a location that you can find easily, such as the desktop.
4 Add comments to the PDF using tools in the Tools > Comment toolbar. To delete a comment, select it and press
Delete. (You can only delete the comments that you made.)
5 Do all of the following that apply:
• If you’re notified that new comments from other reviewers are available, click the message. New comments
appear in the PDF.
• To find out if new comments are available from other reviewers, click the Check For New Comments
button .
6 Submit your comments by clicking Publish Comments or Send Comments To Review Initiator in the
document message bar.
When you send comments, a PDF containing your comments is sent as an email attachment to the review
initiator. When you publish comments, your comments are saved to the comment server.
• Options in the document message bar
The options in the document message bar depend on how the initiator set up the review and whether you can access
the comment server.
Check For New Comments Prompts Acrobat to synchronize comments between the comment server and the local
hard drive. If you don’t click this button, Acrobat checks for new comments every 10 minutes if the document is
open and every hour if the document is closed.

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Merge Comments Copies the comments in the open PDF to your copy. This option is available only for PDFs you
receive from reviewers in email-based reviews.
Publish Comments Available only in shared reviews. Uploads your new comments to the comment server. This
button is disabled if the review has ended.
Save An Archive Copy Available only in shared reviews, when a review has ended. Saves a copy of the document
with review comments to your hard drive.
Send Comments Creates an email message addressed to the review initiator that contains the commented PDF as
an attachment. This option is always available for reviewers in email-based reviews. It appears in shared reviews if
the reviewer has chosen to work offline or if an attempt to connect to the comment server has failed.
Status An icon that displays the connected state of the comment server. The icon appears as the last attempt
successful icon , the last attempt unsuccessful icon , or the attempting to connect icon . If you click the
icon, a menu with additional options appears: Track Reviews opens the Tracker; Save As Archive Copy saves a copy
of the PDF that is no longer connected to the review; Work Offline lets you work in offline mode, in which you can
make comments but cannot publish them until you switch back to online mode. To switch to online mode, click
Reconnect To Server.
• Check for newly published comments
When you participate in a shared review, Acrobat synchronizes published comments on your local hard drive with
the comments on the server. Acrobat notifies you when new comments are available. Because synchronization
continues after the PDF is closed, you’ll continue to receive notifications.
Messages in the notification area inform you when new reviewers join the review, when updates occur (multiple
reviews), when deadlines change, and when synchronization attempts fail. They also inform you when a new
broadcast subscription is added in the Tracker. You can change the frequency of messages and of comment
synchronization, and you can manually trigger the synchronization process.
To view new comments in a shared review, you must be able to connect to the network where the comment server
is located. If you can’t connect, check the server status in the Tracker to determine the cause of the problem.
? Click the Check For New Comments button in the document message bar.
• Send comments in email
If you review a PDF offline or outside a firewall, or if you lose your connection to the comment server, you can send
your comments in an email message.
1 Choose File > Send File > Attach To Email.
2 In the Send Email dialog box, select Default Email Application, or Use Webmail and choose you webmail client
from the Selectmenu.
3 Click Continue, and follow the onscreen instructions.
Note:
If the PDF exceeds the 5-MB file-size limit, Acrobat prompts you to send your comments in a Forms Data Format
(FDF) file. The initiator can import this smaller file. To adjust the limit, open the Preferences dialog box and select
Reviewing. Then enter the new value for Send Comments As FDF For Files Greater Than [#] MB.
• Publish comments from other reviewers

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When you participate in a review, you can receive comments from other reviewers. For example, if a reviewer can’t
access the comment server, the reviewer can send you comments. As another example, suppose that you solicited
feedback from people who weren’t initially invited to the review. Those reviewers can return a copy of the review
PDF to you with their comments. By taking ownership of the comments, you can share them with everyone in the
review.
1 Open the PDF that contains comments.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click OK when asked if you want to publish comments for this reviewer. The published comments appear in
the PDF. Your name appears in the title bar and the author’s name appears in the body of the comments,
preceded by the text On behalf of.

To hide "On behalf of " text, in the Preferences dialog box under Reviewing, deselect Show “On Behalf of ” text in
comment when user takes ownership of comments in a shared review.
• Click Yes when asked if you want to merge comments, or click Merge Comments in the document message
bar and then click Send Comments. Add email addresses for other reviewers, as needed, and then click Send.
• In Acrobat or Reader, open a copy of the PDF and choose Comment > Comments List > Options > Import
Data File. Select a file with comments from reviewers. Add email addresses for other reviewers, as needed,
and then clickSend.
Only new or edited comments are published or sent.
• Rejoin a review
Use the Tracker to reopen PDFs in an active review. The Tracker only displays PDFs that you’ve saved. If you didn’t
save a PDF the first time you opened it, reopen the PDF from your email application.
1 Choose View > Tracker.
2 In the Tracker, double-click the PDF.
3 Add new comments or edit existing comments. To delete a comment, select it and press Delete. (You can delete
only comments that you made.)
Acrobat removes deleted comments from the online PDF the next time it synchronizes comments. If you delete
comments that you sent in an earlier email message, they aren’t deleted in the initiator’s document.
4 Click Publish Comments in the document message bar.
Only new or edited comments are published or sent.

Use annotation and drawing markup tools to add

comments in PDFs
Add comments to PDF files with highlights, sticky notes, a freehand drawing tool, and mark-up tools.

This document provides instructions for Acrobat DC and Acrobat 2017. If you're using Acrobat XI, see Acrobat XI Help.

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Add comments while viewing a PDF document

With the May 2019 release of Acrobat DC, you can use quick actions in a floating toolbar to add comments while
viewing a PDF. You do not have to open the commenting tool to access these actions. The following quick actions are
available for commenting based on your selection in a PDF:
Note:
If you are unable to see these options, update Acrobat DC to the latest version.
• Actions on text selection: You can Highlight Text, Underline Text, Strikethrough Text, Copy Text, and Edit Text &
Images.

• Actions on image selection: When you select an image you can perform actions like Add Sticky Note, Highlight
Text, Edit Text & Images, and Copy Image.

• Actions on highlight selection: When you select an existing highlight comment in a PDF you see quick actions to
Add Note or Delete the comment.

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Annotations and drawing markup tools overview

Note: In Acrobat Reader, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have Enable commenting for
Reader users (Acrobat Pro).
You use annotation and drawing markup tools to add comments. The commenting tools are made available in the
secondary toolbar of the Comment feature. Comments are notes and drawings that communicate ideas or provide
feedback for PDFs. You can type a text message using the Sticky Note tool. Alternatively, you can use a drawing tool to
add a line, circle, or other shape and then type a message in the associated pop-up note. Text-editing tools let you add
editing marks to indicate changes that you want in the source document. Most commenting and markup tools don’t
appear in the toolbar until you enable the Commenting feature.
Note:
In Acrobat Pro, you can add tags to your comments so that readers with motion or vision limitations can read them using
assistive technologies.

Show annotations and drawing markup tools

Annotations and markup tools don’t appear by default, except when you open a PDF in a managed review workflow.
1 Choose Tools > Comment to open the Comment toolbar. The comments that you add to the document are
displayed in the right pane.

Comment toolbar

Note:
To see the labels along with the tool icons, right-click on the Comment toolbar and select Show All Labels.
2 The drawing markup tools are grouped under the Drawing Tools menu. Click the Drawing Tools icon
on the toolbar, and then select Expand Drawing Tools to add the drawing tools to the secondary toolbar.

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Drawing Tools menu

Select an annotation or drawing markup tool

• Open the Comment toolbar and select the desired annotation tool.
• To select the drawing markup tool, open the Comment toolbar and click the Drawing Tools icon . Select
the desired tool from the Drawing Tools menu.
Note:
After you make an initial comment, the tool changes back to the Select tool so that you can move, resize, or edit your
comment. (The Pencil and Highlight Text tools stay selected.)

Keep an annotation tool selected

You can add multiple comments without reselecting the tool.
1 In the Comment toolbar, select the tool you want to use (but don’t use it yet).
2 Click the Keep Tool Selected icon

Add a sticky note

Note:
In Acrobat Reader, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
The most common type of comment is the sticky note. A sticky note has a note icon that appears on the page and a pop-
up note for your text message. You can add a sticky note anywhere on the page or in the document area.

Use the Sticky Note tool to add a text message in a pop-up note.

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Add a sticky note comment

1 Select the Sticky Note tool in the Comment toolbar, and click where you want to place the note.
2 Type text in the pop-up note. You can also use the Select tool to copy and paste text from a PDF into the
note.
Note:
If you close the pop-up note, your text remains.

Edit a sticky note comment

1 Click or double-click the note icon.
2 Make changes, as needed:
• To resize the pop-up note, drag the lower-left or lower-right corner.
• To change the text formatting, click the Text Properties icon in the Comment toolbar, and select the text, and
then select the property you want in the toolbar.

Use the Commenting panel in the Preferences dialog box to change the font size, default pop-up behavior, and other
settings for creating and viewing comments
After making the desired changes, click the close (X) button in the upper-right corner of the pop-up note, or click
outside the pop-up note.

Copy partial text in a sticky note comment

1 Click or double-click the note icon.
2 Select the text, and then right-click and copy text.

Delete a sticky note

1 Select the Sticky Note tool , the Hand tool , or the Select tool .
2 Select the note icon, and press Delete.
Alternatively, double-click the note icon and choose Delete from the Options menu of the pop-up note.

Add a text comment

Use the Add Text Comment tool to type text anywhere on the PDF page. The Add Text Comment tool is
similar to the Add Text Box tool.
1 Choose the Add Text Comment tool from the Comment toolbar.
2 Click on the page to place the cursor
3 To change the text formatting, click the Text Properties icon in the Comment toolbar, and select the text, and then
select the property you want in the toolbar.

Add a line, arrow, or shape

Note:

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In Acrobat Reader, drawing tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review workflow
typically include commenting rights.
When selecting a drawing tool, consider the effect you want.
1 Choose Tools > Comment. In the Comment toolbar, click Drawing Tools and select the drawing
markup tool:
• The Rectangle tool , the Oval tool , the Arrow tool , and the Line
tool let you create simple shapes.
• The Cloud tool and Polygon tool create closed shapes with multiple segments. The
Polygon Line tool creates open shapes with multiple segments.
• The Pencil tool creates free-form drawings, and the Pencil Eraser tool removes the
pencil markups.

To specify the line width, color, and other properties before you draw, select the desired tool, and press Ctrl+E to open
the properties toolbar. Set the desired options in the Properties toolbar.
2 Draw in the PDF:
• To create a cloud or polygon shape, click to create the start point, move the pointer, and click to create each
segment. To finish drawing the shape, click the start point, or right-click and choose Complete from the menu.
Double-click to end a polygon line.
• To draw a line, arrow, or rectangle, either drag across the area where you want the markup to appear, or click
twice: once to create the start point and once to create the end point.
• To draw a square or circle, or to draw a line that’s horizontal, vertical, or at a 45° angle, press Shift while you draw.
• To draw free-form lines using the Pencil tool , drag where you want to begin drawing. You can release
the mouse button, move the pointer to a new location, and continue drawing. To erase parts of the drawing, select
the Pencil Eraser tool and drag across the areas of the drawing that you want to remove.
3 To edit or resize the markup, select it and drag one of the handles to make your adjustments.
4 To add a pop-up note to the markup, select the Hand tool, and double-click the markup.
5 (Optional) Click the close button in the pop-up note. A note icon appears to the right of the markup to indicate the
presence of text in the pop-up note.
Note:
To delete a drawing markup, select it and press Delete.

Group and ungroup markups

You can group two or more markups so that your comments function as a single comment. You might group markups
temporarily to move them to a new location or to modify their properties rather than editing each one individually.
Grouping also helps to distinguish your markups from other reviewers’ markups in a document review.
Note:
You cannot group text edit markups.

Group markups
1 Using the Select tool or the Hand tool, select a markup.

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2 Ctrl-click/Command-click to select the markups you want to group.

3 Right-click within the selection, and choose Group.

Ungroup markups
? Right-click the grouped selection, and choose Ungroup.

Add comments in a text box or callout

Note:
In Acrobat Reader, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use the Text Box tool to create a box that contains text. You can position it anywhere on the page
and adjust it to any size. A text box remains visible on the document page; it doesn’t close like a pop-up note.
Text font and size are based on the system default settings.

Note:
You can add comments to Japanese, Chinese, and Korean text with the Text Box tool, but you must have the Asian-
language resource files installed. Text boxes allow for horizontal text only.
You can use the Callout tool to create a callout text box. Callout text boxes are especially useful when you
want to single out—but not obscure—a particular area of a document. Callout text boxes have three parts: a text box, a
knee line, and an end-point line. You can resize each part by dragging a handle. The knee line can be resized in one
direction only; horizontal knee lines can be resized horizontally only; vertical knee lines can be resized vertically only.
The text box expands vertically as you type so that all text remains visible.
You can move the text box itself or together with the end-point line. The text box moves around a stationary anchor
point—the arrow on the end-point line—which is created when you first click in the PDF. You can modify the color
and appearance of the text box and add arrows or leaders to the end-point line.

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Add a text box

1 Choose the Add Text Box tool from the Comment toolbar.
2 Click in the PDF.
3 Choose the Text Properties icon in the Comment toolbar, and then select the color, alignment, and font attributes
for the text.
4 Type the text.
Text wraps automatically when it reaches the right edge of the box.
5 (Optional) To make further changes to the text box:
• Using the Select tool or the Text Box tool, click an edge of the text box to select it, and then drag a corner to resize
it. Use the Properties toolbar to change the border and fill options.
• Double-click the text box to edit the text or change the text attributes. Drag across text to select it, and then select
options from the Properties toolbar.
6 To delete the text box, select it, and then press Delete.

You can also paste a block of text by selecting and copying the text in any application, selecting the Hand tool in Acrobat,
and choosing Edit > Paste.

Add a callout
1 In the Comment toolbar, click Drawing Tools and choose the Add Text Callout tool.
2 Click once to set the location of the end point, and click again to set the location of the text box.
3 Choose the Text Properties icon in the Comment toolbar, and then select the color, alignment, and font attributes
for the text.
4 Type the text.
Text wraps automatically when it reaches the right edge of the box.
5 (Optional) To make further changes to the text box:
• To resize the callout, select it and drag any of the handles that appear.
• To move the text box, click inside the box and drag it.
• To move the entire callout, click either the end-point line or an edge of the text box, and drag it.
• To change the color, opacity, or line characteristics, use the Select tool to right-click the callout, choose
Properties, and select the options you want.

Add an audio comment

Note:
In Acrobat Reader, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can use the Record Audio Comment tool to add a prerecorded WAV or AIFF file as a comment or to record and
place an audio comment in a document. Audio attachments appear in the Comments list and can be played back on
any platform. However, the appropriate hardware and software for playing audio files must be installed.

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Add a prerecorded audio comment

1 Choose the Record Audio tool from the Comment toolbar.
2 Click in the PDF where you want to place the audio comment.
The Sound Records dialog box appears.

The Sound Recorder dialog box without the record button.

Note:
The above dialog box appears when a recording device is not configured on your system.
3 Click Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS), and select the audio file you want to add.
4 (Optional) To hear the audio comment, click the Play button . When you’re finished, click the Stop button and
then click OK.
5 Specify options in the Specify Attachment Properties dialog box, and then click OK.

Record an audio comment

Note:
Before you record an audio comment, ensure that your system has a recording device installed and configured.
1 Choose the Record Audio tool from the Comment toolbar.
2 Click in the PDF where you want to place the audio comment.
The Sound Recorder dialog box appears.

The Sound Recorder dialog box with the record button.

Note:
The above dialog box appears when a recording device is configured on your system.
3 In the dialog box that appears, click the Record button and then speak into the microphone. When you’ve
finished recording, click the Stop button , and then click OK.
4 Specify options in the Sound Attachment Properties dialog box, and then click OK.

Add comments in a file attachment

Note:
In Acrobat Reader, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.

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Use the Attach File tool to embed a file at a selected location in a PDF, so that the reader can open it for viewing. By
adding attachments as a comment, you can reference longer documents that can’t easily be pasted into a pop-up note
or text box. If you move the PDF to a new location, the embedded file automatically goes with it. To view an attachment,
the reader must have an application installed that can open the attachment.
Note:
Be sure to use the Attach tool when attaching files for a document review. Document-level file attachments that you attach
using the Attach A File tool from the Tools > Edit PDF > More menu aren’t tracked with other comments in a
review workflow and may cause your attached comments to be lost.
1 Choose the Attach File tool from the Comment toolbar.
2 Click in the PDF where you want to place the attachment.
3 Select the file that you want to attach, and then click Open. If you’re attaching a PDF, you can highlight areas of
interest in the file using comments.
4 In the File Attachment Properties dialog box, select the settings for the file icon that appears in the PDF.
The comment attachment also appears in the Attachments tab (in the left navigation pane) with a page number
indicating its location.
Note:
To delete the attachment, right-click the attached comment icon, and choose Delete.

Paste images as comments

Note:
In Acrobat Reader, commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review workflow
typically include commenting rights.
You can use the Paste Clipboard Image As Stamp Tool to add images to a PDF. You can copy most image formats from
drawing and image-editing applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. If you want to add the image
to PDFs repeatedly, create a custom stamp of the image.
Note:
The Paste Clipboard Image As Stamp Tool isn’t available until you copy an image.
1 Copy an image by doing one of the following:
• In Acrobat, choose Edit > Take A Snapshot , and select an image from a PDF.
• In another application, select an image and choose Edit > Copy.
2 Open a PDF.
3 Choose Tools > Comment. In the Comment toolbar, click the Add Stamp tool and select Paste
Clipboard Image As Stamp Tool.
4 Click in the PDF where you want the image to appear.
5 Do any of the following:
• To move the image, drag it.
• To resize the image, select it and then drag one of its handles. Press the Shift key when resizing the image to
maintain the original proportions.
• To change the image properties, right-click it and choose Properties.

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• To delete the image, right-click it and choose Delete.

Commenting preferences
Commenting preferences affect both the appearance of and the way you view annotations and markups in PDFs.
Note:
A reviewer can place comments anywhere within the document frame. As a result, sometimes you need to scroll or zoom
out to see comments that are located off the page.
In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Commenting.

Viewing comments
Font, Font Size In Windows, you can determine the font and the size of text in pop-up notes. In Mac OS, you can select
only Large, Medium, or Small settings for the font. This setting applies to all new and existing comments.
Pop-up Opacity Determines the opacity of comment pop-up notes in values from 1 to 100. When a pop-up note is open
but not selected, an opacity value of 100 makes the note opaque, while lower values make it more transparent.
Enable Text Indicators And Tooltips Shows a tool tip when you place the pointer over a comment that includes a pop-
up note. The tool tip contains the author name, comment status, and two lines of the text. Selected by default.
Print Notes And Pop-ups Specifies that pop-up notes associated with comments, and icons for note, audio, and file
attachments print exactly as they appear on the page.
Instead of selecting this option, you can print comment text in various layouts by choosing File > Print, and click
Summarize Comments. For more details, refer the document to print comments.
Show Lines Connecting Comment Markups To Their Pop-ups On Mouse Rollover When you place the pointer over a
comment markup (such as a highlight or a note icon), the shaded connector line appears. Selected by default.
Ensure That Pop-ups Are Visible As The Document Is Scrolled As you scroll a PDF, the pop-up notes on a given page
shift to stay in view within the document pane. Selected by default.

Pop-up open behavior

Automatically Open Comment Pop-ups For Comments Other Than Notes A pop-up note appears when you create a
comment using a drawing tool, the Stamp tool, or the Pencil tool.
Hide Comment Pop-ups When Comments List Is Open Helps reduce screen clutter when a page includes many
comments. Selected by default.
Automatically Open Pop-ups On Mouse Rollover When you place the pointer over a comment of any type, including
drawing markups and stamps, the pop-up note opens.

Making comments
Always Use Log-in Name For Author Name Determines which name appears in the pop-up note you create. If this
option is selected, the Login Name in the Identity panel of the Preferences dialog box is used. If this option isn’t
selected, the default name you specify for Author in a comment properties dialog box is used. Selected by default.
Create New Pop-ups Aligned To The Edge Of The Document Aligns pop-up notes with the right side of the document
window, regardless of where the comment markup (such as a note icon or highlighting comment) is added. If this
option is deselected, the pop-up note appears next to the comment markup. Selected by default.
Allow nested reply to sticky notes (requires restart) Allows reply to Sticky Notes with a single-thread experience. If
this option is selected, each annotation appears like a conversation and all replies appear like a single-thread experience.

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Enable Text Selection For Highlight, Strikethrough and Underline Allows you to select and copy text for highlight,
strike-through, and underline comments
Show checkbox Displays the checkbox consistenty for all comments.

Making comments (Acrobat specific)

Copy Encircled Text Into Drawing Comment Pop-Ups Copies text that you circle using the drawing tools in the pop-up
note associated with the drawing markup.
Copy Selected Text Into Highlight, Cross-Out, And Underline Comment Pop-ups Copies selected text to the pop-up
note associated with text editing comments, such as those created by the Highlight Text tool.

Change the look of your comments

Note:
In Acrobat Reader, complete commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a
review workflow typically include commenting rights.
You can change the color and appearance of comments or markups before or after you create them. You can set the new
look as the default appearance for that tool.
Note:
To change how your name appears in comments, open the Preferences dialog box, select Commenting, and then deselect
Always Use Log-in Name For Author Name.
For the selected tool, you can use the Color Picker and Text Properties icons availabe on the Comment toolbar.

The Color Picker tool on the Comment toolbar

The Text formatting tool on the Comment toolbar

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Alternatively, you can choose Properties from the right-click context menu, and then select appropriate options.

Properties, with note icon selected

With pop-up text and formatting options

Change a comment’s look and set it as the default

1 After you create a comment, right-click the comment or its icon and then choose Properties from the righ-click
context menu.
2 In the Properties dialog box, do any of the following, and then click OK:
• Click the Appearance tab to change such options as the color and type of icon used. The type of comment selected
determines which options are available.

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• Click the General tab to change the name of the author and subject of the comment.
• Click the Review History tab to see the history of changes people have made to the status of a comment during
a review.
• Select Locked at the bottom of the Properties dialog box to prevent the comment from being edited or deleted.
• Select Make Properties Default at the bottom of the Properties dialog box to apply these properties to all
subsequent comments of this type.

Set the default look for a tool

1 After you create a comment, right-click the comment and choose Properties.
2 Set the properties as desired, and click OK.
3 Right-click the comment and choose Make Current Properties Default.
All comments you create using this tool display the properties you set. Existing comments aren’t affected, nor is the
appearance of text in pop-up notes.

Draw attention of a reviewer to your comment

Use @mentions to get attention of any reviewer.
Note:
When you use @mention in your personal commenting notes in a PDF file, the review mode gets enabled for you. The
reviewers get an invitation email with a link to the Document Cloud shared review file.
1 In the comment text, click the @ symbol.

2 A popup menu will appear with a list of reviewers. Choose the reviewer you want to mention.

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Adding a stamp to a PDF

Stamp a document
You apply a stamp to a PDF in much the same way you apply a rubber stamp to a paper document. You can choose from
a list of predefined stamps, or you can create your own stamps. Dynamic stamps obtain information from your
computer and from the Identity panel of the Preferences dialog box, allowing you to indicate name, date, and time
information on the stamp.
The Stamp tool appears in the secondary toolbar of the Comment tool.

Stamp tool categories

A Dynamic stamp B Sign Here stamp C Standard business stamp D Custom stamp

For a tutorial on creating dynamic stamps, see Dynamic Stamp Secrets at

http://acrobatusers.com/tutorials/dynamic_stamp_secrets.

Open the Stamps palette

? Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > ShowStamps Palette.

Apply a stamp
1 Select a stamp by doing one of the following:
• Click the Stamp tool. The most recently used stamp is selected.
• In the Stamps Palette, choose a category from the menu, and then select a stamp.
2 Click the document page where you want to place the stamp, or drag a rectangle to define the size and placement of
the stamp.
3 If you haven’t provided a name in the Identity preferences, the Identity Setup dialog box prompts you to do so.

Change a stamp’s location or appearance

? Using the Select tool or the Hand tool, do any of the following:
• To move a stamp, drag it to a new location.
• To resize a stamp, click it, and then drag a corner handle.

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• To rotate a stamp, click it, move the pointer over the handle at the top of the stamp, and drag when the rotate
stamp icon appears.
• To delete a stamp, right-click the stamp and choose Delete.
• To change the stamp’s opacity or the color of its pop-up note, right-click the stamp, and choose Properties. In the
Appearance tab, set the opacity or color.

Move a stamp to the favorites list

1 Using the Select tool or the Hand tool, select a stamp markup on the page.
2 In the secondary toolbar of the Comment tool, click the Stamp tool and choose Add Current Stamp To Favorites.

Create a custom stamp

You can create custom stamps from a number of different formats, including (but not limited to) PDF, JPEG, bitmap,
Adobe® Illustrator® (AI), Adobe® Photoshop® (PSD), and Autodesk AutoCAD (DWT, DWG) files. In Acrobat Reader,
create Custom stamp allows only PDF format.
Note:
To add an image to a PDF one time only, simply paste the image into the document. Pasted images have the same
characteristics as other stamp comments; each includes a pop-up note and editable properties.
1 Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Show Stamps Palette.
2 Click Import, and select the file.
3 If the file has more than one page, scroll to the page you want, and then click OK.
4 Choose a category from the menu or type a new category name, name the custom stamp, and then click OK.

Change the name or category for a custom stamp

1 Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Show Stamps Palette.
2 Choose the stamp category, right-click the stamp, and choose Edit.
3 Edit the category or name of the stamp, or replace the image, and then click OK.

Delete a custom stamp

You can delete only the custom stamps that you created, not the predefined stamps. When you delete a stamp, the stamp
is removed from the Stamp tool menu, but the stamp file isn’t deleted.
1 Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Show Stamps Palette.
2 Choose the stamp category from the menu, right-click the custom stamp, and choose Delete.

Delete a custom stamp category

1 Choose Tools > Comment > Stamps > Custom Stamps > Manage Stamps.
2 Select the category you want to delete, and then click Delete.
Note:
Deleting all stamps in a custom stamp category deletes the custom stamp category.

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Approval workflows

About approval workflows

Acrobat users (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean only), can send PDFs as email
attachments for others to approve. When participants open an approval request in Acrobat (all languages), they can
approve the PDF by adding a digital identity stamp. Then, they can send the PDF to other approvers, or return the PDF
to the initiator and other appropriate participants. The initiator can track progress by choosing to be notified each time
the PDF is approved. The workflow ends when the last participant adds the final approval. If a PDF isn’t approved, the
approval workflow must be reinitiated.
Note:
If you use Acrobat Pro to initiate the workflow, you can invite users of Reader 9 or later to participate by enabling
commenting in the PDF.

Wizard sets up approval workflows (left); Stamps palette provides stamps for approving documents (right).

Send a PDF for approval

When you send a PDF by email for approval (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean only),
approvers receive the PDF as an email attachment. When recipients open the PDF attachment, they can apply a digital
identity stamp from the Stamps palette and then make the appropriate selection in the document message bar.
To send a PDF for approval, use the wizard in Acrobat. The wizard provides on-screen instructions to help you invite
approvers, customize instructions, and send the PDF.
In Acrobat Pro, the wizard enables commenting in the PDF so that Acrobat Reader users can participate in the
approval workflow.
Before you initiate an approval workflow, make sure that your email application is configured to work with Acrobat.
1 To start an approval workflow, choose Share > Send By Email For Approval.
2 If prompted, enter your email address in the Identity Setup dialog box.
3 Specify a PDF, and click Next.
4 Type the email address for the first approver in the To box.
5 (Acrobat Pro) If you want to enable Reader users to participate or if you want to be notified of the approval status
for each participant, specify those options.
6 (Acrobat Standard) If you want to be notified of the approval status for each participant, specify those options.
7 (Optional) Type additional instructions for the first approver at the top of the email message.
Only the default text message and instructions are forwarded to subsequent approvers.
Note:
The invitation email contains instructions to help participants complete the approval process. Avoid changing or
removing this text.
8 Click Send Invitation.

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Participate in an approval workflow

If you’re invited to participate in an approval workflow, you receive an email message that provides step-by-step
instructions for approving the attached PDF. When you open the PDF, the Stamps palette opens and the document
message bar appears at the top of the PDF. If your version of Acrobat is earlier than 7.0, you’re prompted to download
the latest version of Reader.
You can select any of the digital identity stamps in the Stamps palette to approve the document. A digital identity stamp
contains identity information that you provide, such as name, title, organization, and email address. You can use an
identity stamp in place of a signature. When you apply a stamp, it becomes part of the document page content. You can
delete your own stamp during the approval process; however, once the approval process is completed, your stamp is
locked. You can’t move or delete stamps from other participants.
You can also reject documents that don’t meet your standards.
In addition to adding digital stamps to a PDF, you can add other types of comments, including note comments, text
edits, custom stamps, and file attachments.

Approve a PDF
1 Open the PDF attachment in the approval invitation email message.
Note:
If you haven’t added identity information to the stamp, you’re prompted to do so.
2 Select a stamp from the Stamps palette (Tools > Stamp > Stamps palette) . (To view all stamps, scroll or drag a
corner to resize the window.)
3 Click the document to apply your approval stamp.
Note:
To delete a digital identity stamp that you’ve applied, select it and press Delete. If you select Print, Save A Copy, or Email
during the approval process, you can’t delete your stamp.
4 Do one of the following:
• To send the document to the next approver, click the Approve button in the document message bar. In the Send
To Next Approver dialog box, type the email address for the next approver in the To box, add addresses for other
recipients as appropriate, and click Send.
• To complete the approval process, click the Final Approval button in the document message bar. In the Complete
Final Approval dialog box, specify whether to send an approval notification from the Final Approval Method
menu. If you send a notification, type an email address in the To box, add addresses for other recipients as
appropriate, and click Send. If you don’t send a notification, click Complete.
If the Notify Initiator Of Approval Status Via Email option is selected, a separate email notification appears,
addressed to the initiator. Click Send to send this notification.
5 Save the PDF.
Note:
If you use the Email button in the toolbar to send the PDF, the PDF is no longer part of the workflow, and approval
options aren’t available to the recipient of that email message.

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Reject a PDF
If the PDF you received in an approval request doesn’t meet the requirements for approval, use the options in the
document message bar to reject the document and return it to the initiator. If a PDF is rejected, the approval workflow
must be reinitiated.
1 Open the PDF attachment in the approval invitation email message.
2 Click the Reject button in the document message bar.
3 In the Reject And Send Notification dialog box, type the email address for the initiator in the To box. If the Notify
Initiator Of Approval Status Via Email option is selected, a separate email message is sent to the approval initiator.
Click Send.
4 Click Send in the email message that appears.

Add or change identity information for a digital stamp

1 Choose Tools > Stamps > Stamps Palette.
2 In the Stamps palette, select Digital Identity Stamps, right-click your stamp, and choose Edit Identity.
3 In the Identity Setup dialog box, type or edit your name, title, company name, department, and email address, and
click Complete.

You can also change your identity information from the Preferences dialog box. Under Categories, select Identity.

Managing comments | view, reply, print

View comments
The Comments list appears in the right pane of the document window. The Comments list displays all comments in a
PDF, and it provides a toolbar with common options, such as sorting, filtering, and other options to work with
comments.

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Comments list

• Open the Comments list

1 Choose Tools > Comment.
The Comments toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar and the Comments list is displayed in the right pane.
2 Using the Options menu at the upper-right corner of the Comments list, do any of the following:
• Expand or collapse the comments. Click Expand All or Collapse All in the Comments list options menu. To
expand an individual comment, click the comment or click ( ), in the comment. To collapse an individual
comment, click ( ) in the comment.
• Create or Print Comment Summary.
• Import and Export comments.
• Export to Word or AutoCAD.
• Specify Commenting Preferences.
• Expand the Comments list
You can expand the Comments pane for better readability of the long comments.
• To resize the pane, align your cursor along the left boundary of the pane and then hold and drag towards left or
right.
• Sort comments

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You can sort comments in the Comments list by page, author, date, type, unread status, or color. In a thread of
replies, only the first message is sorted, and the reply messages are sorted in the same category as the first message
in the thread.
1 Choose Tools > Comment.
2 In the Comment list, choose an option from the Sort Comments by menu .
• Filter comments
You can hide or show comments based on status, reviewer (author), type, or color. Filtering affects the appearance
of comments in both the document window and the Comments list. When you print or summarize comments, you
can specify whether hidden comments are printed or summarized. When you hide a note comment that has been
replied to, all other replies in the thread are hidden as well.
Note:
In an email-based review, hidden comments aren’t included when you send the comments to the initiator.
? From the Filter comments menu in the Comments list, do any of the following:
• To clear all filters, click Clear All. Alternatively, use Ctrl+8 (Windows) or Command+8 (Mac OS).
• Use the toggle switch to show or hide all comments. Alternatively, use Ctrl+Shift+8 (Windows) or
Command+Shift+8 (Mac OS).
• To filter comments, choose the categories that you want to appear. For example, if you want only sticky note
comments that you left unresolved to appear, choose > Types > Sticky Notes so that only the sticky
note comments appear, and then choose > Status > Unresolved, so that only the unresolved sticky
note comments appear.
• To open all pop-up notes, right-click an annotation and choose Open All Pop-Ups. (Only available if the
Comments list is closed)
• To close all pop-up notes, right-click an annotation and choose Minimize Pop-Ups. (Only available if the
Comments list is closed)

Reply to comments
Note:
In Acrobat Reader, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
Replies to comments are especially useful in shared reviews, when participants can read each other’s comments. They
can also be used by review initiators to let reviewers know how their suggestions are being implemented. When one or
more reviewers reply to a comment, the set of replies is called a thread. In the Comments list, all replies are displayed.
Replies are indented below the original comment.
• Reply in the pop-up note
1 Open the pop-up note for the comment.
2 Click Reply, in the upper right corner of the pop-up note.
3 Type your reply in the box that appears.
• Reply in the Comments list
1 Select a comment in the Comments list.
2 Type your reply in the box that appears.

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• Reply to a review participant

1 Select a comment and use @mention to get the attention of a document reviewer.
2 Type your reply in the box that appears.
• Delete a reply
You can delete your comments in a PDF. However, you cannot delete other reviewers' comments.
? In the pop-up note, right-click the reply and choose Delete.

Set a status

For PDFs shared using Adobe Document Cloud

Status is useful for keeping track of comments that you’ve read, resolved or that require further action. By setting the
review status, you can let the review participants know how you are going to handle the comment.
Select the comment in the Comments list and right-click. Alternatively, you can click the Options menu ( ) for the
selected comment and perform the following actions:
• To mark the comment as resolved, choose Resolve.
• To mark the comment as unread, choose Mark As Unread.

For PDFs shared using a network folder

Set a status or check mark

In Windows, you can use a status or a check mark to indicate which comments you want to export to a Word
document. By setting the review status, you can show or hide a group of comments and let review participants know
how you are going to handle the comment. Once the review status is set, you cannot remove the review status display
from the comment in the Comments list, even if you change the review status to None. Check marks are for your
personal use and do not appear when others view the PDF unless you change the status of comments.
1 Select the comment in the Comments list and right-click to show the Options menu. Then choose an option from
the Set Status menu.
The review status appears in the comment along with the name of who set the review status. If another reviewer sets
the review status for that comment, both reviewers’ names and review statuses appear in the Comments list.
2 To view a comment’s history of changes, right-click the note icon, markup, or title bar of a pop-up note, and then
choose Properties. Click the Review History tab.

Flag comments with a check mark

? Select a comment in the Comments list. From the Options menu ( ), select Add Checkmark. You can also right-
click the comment and select Add Checkmark. A check mark icon ( ) appears on the comment.
Note:
By default, the checkbox is hidden. If you use checkboxes on multiple documents, Acrobat prompts you to enable the
checkboxes for all documents.

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To show checkbox for all comments, do the following:

1 Go to Edit > Preferences (in Windows), or Acrobat > Preferences (in macOS). The preferences dialog box is
displayed.
2 In the Commenting category, select Show Checkbox under Making Comments.

3 Click OK.
The checkbox is now available for all comments. To add a checkmark, select the checkbox next to the comment.

Print a comment summary

Summarizing comments is a convenient way to get a synopsis of all the comments associated with a PDF. When you
summarize comments, you can either create a PDF with comments that you can print, or you can print the summary
directly. The summary is neither associated with nor linked to the PDF that the comments are derived from.

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Page layout options for comment summaries

A Document and comments with connector lines on single page B Document and comments with connector lines on separate pages C Comments
only D Document and comments with sequence numbers

By default, Acrobat prints PDFs with any stamps that were applied. For the greatest control over how comments are
printed, choose >Print With Comments Summary from the Comments list.
1 Filter the comments to show only those you want in the summary. (In the Comments list, click Filter
Comments and choose the categories of comments you want to show.)

2 For the greatest control over how comments are printed, choose >Print With Comments Summary.
Alternatively, to create a separate PDF of the comments, choose > Create Comment Summary.
3 In the Create Comment Summary dialog box, do the following:
• Choose a layout for the document and comments. The layout determines available options.
• Choose how to sort the comments.
• Specify a page range and choose whether to include pages without comments.
• Select whether you want all comments to appear in the summary or only the comments that currently appear.

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4 Click Create Comment Summary.

Find a comment
Locate a comment in the Comments list by searching for a particular word or phrase.
1 Choose Tools > Comment to display the Comments list.
2 Click . In the Search Comments field, specify the word or phrase you want to search for.
The Comments list displays the comments that match the search criteria; the number of comments is displayed on the
panel header.

Delete comments
You cannot delete other reviewers’ comments in a shared review, nor can you delete locked comments.

To delete all of the comments in a PDF, choose Tools > Redact > Remove Hidden Information. Then select the Comments
and markups option from the Results pane. This feature is not available in Reader.

Delete a comment
? Do one of the following:
• Select the comment and press Delete.
• In the Comments list, right-click on the comment you want to delete, choose Delete from the context menu.
Note: Before pressing the Delete key, make sure that the comment is selected.

Unlock a comment
Note:
Only available for PDFs shared using a network folder
1 Right-click the comment and choose Properties.
2 Deselect Locked.

Spell-check all text in comments

You can spell-check the text you add in note comments and form fields. However, you cannot spell-check the text in
the underlying PDF.
1 Select the comment. From the options menu, choose Edit.
2 Right-click the text, and select Check Spelling.
3 Click Start. To change a word, do one of the following:
• Edit the selected word. To undo your change, click Undo Edit. To accept your change, click Change.
• Double-click a suggested correction.
• Select a suggested correction and then click Change. Click Change All to replace every instance of the
unrecognized word with the suggested correction.

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Importing and exporting comments

Import Comments
Note:
In Acrobat Reader, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
Comments can be imported from a PDF document. You can also import comments from a Forms Data Format (FDF)
file or an XFDF file, which is an XML-based FDF file. You cannot open and view FDF files or XFDF files on their own.
1 In the document that you want to receive comments, from the Options menu in the comments list,
choose Import Data File.
Note:
To open the comments list, choose Tools > Comments.
2 Choose All Files (*.*) from the file type menu. If you know the file format of the comments you want to import,
choose it.
3 Double-click the name of the document with the comments.
The comment positioning matches that of the file from which they were imported. If comments appear out of place,
the source and recipient PDF documents are likely to be different. For example, if you import comments from a ten-
page document to a two-page document, only comments from the first two pages appear.

Export comments
Note:
In Acrobat Reader, commenting features are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review
workflow typically include commenting rights.
If you add comments to a PDF that isn’t part of a managed review, you may need to export your comments to send them
to someone, or you may need to import comments you receive. (PDFs in a managed review workflow include special
options that let you send or publish your comments, rather than export them.)
When you export comments, you create a Forms Data Format (FDF) file that contains only comments. Consequently,
FDF files are usually smaller than PDFs. You or another reviewer can then import the comments from the FDF file into
the original PDF.

Export comments to a data file

1 From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export All To Data File.
2 Name the file and choose Acrobat FDF Files (*.fdf) or Acrobat XFDF Files (*.xfdf) for the file type.
3 Specify a location for the file, and then click Save.

Export selected comments

Note:

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Exporting selected comments isn’t available in Acrobat Reader.

1 In the comments list, select the comments you want to export.
Note:
To open the comments list, choose Tools > Comments.
2 From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export Selected To Data File.
3 Name the file and choose Acrobat FDF Files (*.fdf) or Acrobat XFDF Files (*.xfdf) for the file type.
4 Specify a location for the file, and then click Save.

Export comments to Word (Windows)

In some instances, reviewers make comments in a PDF that was created from a Microsoft Word document. You can
revise the original Word document by exporting these comments from the PDF. For example, text that has been
inserted, crossed out, or replaced using the text edit tools in the PDF can be deleted or transferred directly to the source
Word document. Formatting added to comments (for example, boldface text) is lost during this process and must be
added to the Word document manually.
To revise a Word document using comments, you must create a tagged PDF from the Word document. Before you
transfer text edits from the PDF, remove any extra words or information and then merge them to one PDF (if you have
comments from multiple reviewers). If you plan to import comments more than once, you may want to make a copy of
the Word document before you import the comments or comments may not be imported correctly.
1 Do one of the following:
• From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export To Word.
• In Word, open the source document, and then choose Acrobat Comments > Import Comments From Acrobat.
For Word 2013, click Acrobat, and then choose Acrobat Comments >Import Comments From Acrobat.
2 Read the instructions, and click OK.
3 In the Import Comments From Adobe Acrobat dialog box, select the PDF and Word files, select from the following
options, and click Continue:
Take comments from this PDF file Browse to the PDF file that contains the comments.

Place comments in this Word file Browse to the Word document to which you want to import comments.

All Comments Imports all comments.

All Comments With Checkmarks Imports only those comments marked with check marks.

Text Edits Only: Insertions, Deletions, And Replaces Imports only those comments that you’ve added using the text
edit commands in the Annotations panel.
Apply Custom Filters To Comments Imports only comments that you specify by author, type, or status.

Turn Track Changes On Before Importing Comments Shows the changes made by the imported comments in Word.

4 (Optional) If you imported text edits, click Integrate Text Edits in the Successful Import dialog box to review and
apply each edit individually. For each edit, select one of the following options:
Apply Makes the change in the document and deletes the comment bubble. If a comment appears to be empty, you
may want to integrate it to see if it’s a space or a paragraph return.
Discard Rejects the edit and deletes the comment bubble.

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Next Skips to the next text edit. Text edits that are skipped or not integrated appear as bubbles in the Word
document.
Apply All Remaining Integrates all remaining text edits and deletes the comment bubbles.

Undo Last Undoes the last text edit, including any manual changes.

5 Delete comment bubbles that appear in the Word document:

• Right-click the comment bubble and choose Delete Comment.
• Choose Acrobat Comments > Delete All Comments In Document. For Word 2013 and later, this option is on
the Acrobat ribbon.

Export comments to AutoCAD (Acrobat Pro on Windows)

You may have reviewers add comments to a PDF that was created from an AutoCAD drawing. If you use AutoCAD
PDFMaker to create a PDF, you can import comments into the AutoCAD drawing, rather than switch between
AutoCAD and Acrobat DC. You can import most comment types, including drawing markups, sticky notes, stamps,
and text edits.
1 Save the PDF to ensure that recently added comments are included.
2 Do one of the following:
• From the options menu in the comments list, choose Export To AutoCAD, and then specify the
PDF file and the AutoCAD file in the Import Comments dialog box.
• In AutoCAD, choose Acrobat Markups >Import Comments From AcrobatDC.
3 In the Import Comments dialog box, specify the PDF that contains the comments, specify which comments to
import, and click Continue. If you import a custom set of comments, specify the set by making sure that only the
characteristics you want are selected. You must select at least one option in each category.
Show By Reviewer Imports comments by individual reviewers.

Show By Type Imports comments by type, such as text edits or note comments.

Show By Status Imports comments by review status.

Show By Checked State Imports comments that are checked.

All imported comments appear in the Adobe Acrobat Markups layer as custom objects that you can edit, filter, or
delete.
4 To modify an imported comment (change the status, add a check mark, or modify text), right-click the comment,
choose Acrobat Comments, and then choose an option.

Tracking and managing PDF reviews

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Track reviews for PDFs shared using Adobe Document Cloud

You can track and manage reviews using the following methods:
• Using the Document Cloud review link
To view the review comments, follow the steps below:
1 Click the review link in your email.
2 The review PDF is open in a browser. Sign in with your Adobe ID to join the review and view comments.
• Using Acrobat DC desktop app
Initiator
When the reviewers add any comment on the PDF, you get a notification in Acrobat. Click the notification icon
( ), and then click the notification message. Acrobat opens the review PDF.
Reviewer
You get a notification in Acrobat. Click Review, in the notification message to open the review PDF in Acrobat. The
PDFs shared for review with you are also listed in Acrobat > Home > Recent. Double-click the PDF to open in
Acrobat.
Note:
The comment icon ( ) next to a shared file’s name indicates that it’s a review file. If there’s no comment icon ( ) next
to a shared file, then the file has been shared for viewing only.
To view and track all the PDFs shared for review, do the following:
1 Click Home.
2 In the Shared section, do one of the following:
• To view the files sent by you for review, click Shared By You.
• To view the files received for review, click Shared By Others.
The comment icon ( ) next to a shared file’s name indicates that it’s a review file.

All the PDFs shared for review are displayed along with the following information:
• Name: Name of the PDF shared for review

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• Status: Shows the number of people who have commented on the file.
• Last Activity: The timestamp of the last activity performed on the PDF.
3 To view the details of a PDF, select the PDF. A thumbnail of the PDF is displayed in the right-pane. To view the
review status and the list of reviewers, expand the list by clicking the arrow key ( ).
Based on whether you are an initiator or a reviewer, you can perform any of the following actions:
Initiator
• View detailed activity on the review file.
• Add more reviewers to the PDF.
• If you have created a personalized invitation, click Invite Person, and enter the names of the reviewers you want to
add.
• If you have created a public link, click Copy Shared Link, and send the link to the recipients in an email.
• To stop sharing the review with others, click Unshare File.
• To end review, click Delete Shared File. This action removes the review file from the Document Cloud and
cannot be undone.

Initiator options

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Reviewer
• Add more reviewers to the PDF. Click Copy Shared Link, and send the link to the recipients in an email.
• If you want to remove yourself from PDF review, click Remove Me.
• Report Abuse if you feel the content of the PDF is inappropriate or has trademark infringement.

Reviewer options

4 To view the comments, double-click the file. The review PDF opens. The comments list is displayed in the right
pane. In the upper-right corner, click the icon to toggle between viewing comments and managing review.
Based on whether you are an initiator or a reviewer, you can perform any of the following actions from the Share
option:
Initiator
• Add more reviewers to the PDF.
• Click Invite Person, and enter the names of the reviewers you want to add.
• You can also Copy Shared Link, and send the link to the recipients in an email.

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• To stop sharing the review with others, click Unshare File.

• To end review, click Delete Shared File. This action removes the review file from the Document Cloud and
cannot be undone.

Initiator options

Reviewer
• Add more reviewers to the PDF. Click Copy Shared Link, and send the link to the recipients in an email.
• If you want to remove yourself from PDF review, click Remove Me.
• Report Abuse if you feel the content of the PDF is inappropriate or has trademark infringement.

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Reviewer options

Track reviews for PDFs shared using a network folder

Note:
(Acrobat DC only)
To track and manage PDFs shared using a network folder, ensure that you turn off the following preference in Acrobat DC:
1 Go to Edit > Preferences. The Preferences dialog box is displayed.
2 In the left pane, click Reviewing. Under the Shared Review Options section, deselect the Share For Review Using
The Adobe Document Cloud check box, and then click OK.
• Tracker overview
Use the Tracker to manage document reviews and distributed forms, view the status of review and form servers, and
manage web broadcast subscriptions (known as RSS feeds). To open the Tracker, choose View > Tracker.

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Use the Tracker to manage reviews, forms, and web broadcast subscriptions (RSS feeds). Left panel has links to review files, forms, server status
messages, and RSS feeds. Right panel shows details for item selected in left panel.

Note:

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If the RSS button doesn’t appear in Tracker, open the Preferences dialog box in Acrobat and select Tracker. Select Enable
RSS Feeds In Tracker, and click OK. Then close and reopen Tracker.
You can use the Tracker to subscribe to web content that uses the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) format, such as
news feeds and music channels. RSS format is compatible with XML and RDF formats.
The Server Status shows the state of all servers being used for reviews and distributed forms. The check mark
icon next to the server name indicates that the last synchronization attempt was successful. The warning icon
indicates that the last synchronization attempt was unsuccessful. The warning icon indicates that the server is
disconnected from the network, has problems writing data to the disk, or has some other problem. Contact your
network administrator for assistance.
RSS
Server Status
Use Tracker to manage the forms that you have distributed or received. The Tracker allows you to view and edit the
location of the response file, and track which recipients have responded. You can also add more recipients, email all
recipients, and view the responses for a form. For more information, see About Forms Tracker.
Forms
The Tracker shows who’s joined a shared review and how many comments they’ve published. From the Tracker, you
can rejoin a review and email the participants. If you’ve initiated reviews, you can add or change deadlines, add
reviewers, end a review, and start a new review with existing reviewers.
The left side of the Tracker shows all PDF documents in managed reviews. The information pane on the right lists
the date and time the PDF was sent and the list of invited reviewers. Links to shared PDFs provide additional
information, including the deadline (if set) and the number of comments submitted per reviewer. Deleting a link in
the Tracker deletes the PDF and all comments from the server, and permanently ends the review.
Reviews
The Latest Updates panel provides a summary of the latest changes in shared reviews, form files, and servers. If you
have no active reviews or forms, this panel provides instructions and links for creating managed reviews, creating
forms, and distributing forms. In the Latest Updates panel, you can also turn Tracker notifications on or off inside
Acrobat and, for Windows only, in the system tray.
Latest Updates
• Track reviewed PDFs
1 In the Tracker, expand the appropriate folder:
Sent Lists PDFs in reviews that you initiated. (Not available in Reader.)

Joined Contains PDFs in reviews that you’ve received. PDFs appear in this list only after you open them. If you
open a PDF from an email attachment and don’t save the PDF, the entry is removed from the Tracker when you
close the file.
Note:
PDFs listed in bold contain one or more of the following updates: comments that you haven’t read yet, a deadline
update from the review initiator, and reviewers who have joined the review.
2 Select a PDF.
Information specific to the selected PDF review appears on the right. Shared reviews list deadline information,
reviewers who have joined the review, and the number of comments.
• Save the PDF with comments

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You can save a copy of the review PDF that contains all the comments that reviewers have published or that you’ve
imported (merged).
If the PDF is in a shared review, you can save an archive copy. The copy is no longer connected to the shared review,
and you can edit both content and comments in it.
Note:
If you want to create a copy of a shared PDF to distribute to others, use the Save As command. The resulting file includes
all comments that were published up to that point. It can be moved, copied, or renamed without affecting its connection
to the review or to the comment server.
? To save a copy of a review PDF with all the comments, open the file, and then do one of the following:
• For a shared review, choose File > Save As Archive Copy. Alternatively, click the Status button in the
document message bar and choose Save As Archive Copy.
• For an email-based review, choose File >Save As to save a new copy of the PDF. This most recently saved
version is now the tracked PDF. The old version is the archive copy.
• Invite additional reviewers
If you’re the review initiator, you can invite others to participate in the review. If you’re a reviewer and want other
people to participate, ask the review initiator to invite them. That way, the initiator can automatically track all
participants and receive notification when their comments are received.
1 In the Tracker, select the PDF under Sent, and then click Add Reviewers on the right.
2 Specify the email addresses of the reviewers whom you want to add. Change the message as needed and then send
the message.
Additional reviewers appear with other participants in the right pane of the Tracker.
• Add or change a deadline
A review initiator can add or change a deadline in an existing review.
1 In the Tracker, select the PDF, and do one of the following:
• If the review has no deadline, click Add Deadline.
• If the review has a deadline, click Change Deadline.
2 Click Review Deadline, change the deadline as needed, and click OK.
3 Change the email recipients, subject, and message as needed, and then click Send.
• End a review
A review initiator can end an existing review. Once a review has ended, participants cannot publish comments to
the server. You can change the review deadline later if you want to restart the review.
? In the Tracker, select the PDF and click End Review.
• Start a shared review with the same reviewers from an existing review
1 In the Tracker, select a PDF and click Start New Review With Same Reviewers.
2 Follow the steps for starting a shared review.
• Send a message
Sometimes during a review, you want to contact other reviewers or send them a reminder of their approaching
deadline.
1 In the Tracker, select the PDF and click Email All Reviewers.

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2 In the email message, change the To and Subject boxes or the body of the email message as needed, and then
click Send.
• Update your profile
Your comments identify you as the author by displaying your name—the name you provided when you joined or
started a review, or your system login. You can change the author name and other profile information at any time.
If you do, your updated profile appears only in new comments; existing comments aren’t affected.
Update your review profile
1 In the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences) under Categories, select Commenting.
2 Deselect Always Use Log-In Name For Author Name.
3 Select Identity from the list on the left.
4 Edit your profile, making sure to include the email address that you’ll use for reviews. Click OK.
Update your profile for a shared review
1 In the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Identity.
2 Edit your profile, making sure to include a valid email address, and click OK.
• Subscribe to web broadcast services
1 Click the RSS button on the left side of the Tracker.
Note:
If the RSS button doesn’t appear in Tracker, open the Preferences dialog box in Acrobat and select Tracker. Select
Enable RSS Feeds In Tracker, and click OK. Then close and reopen Tracker.
2 Click Subscribe To RSS Feed, and then enter a web address in the URL box.
• Tracker preferences
To specify settings for Tracker, in the Preferences dialog box under Categories, select Tracker.
Automatically Check For New Comments And Form Data Specifies how often comments are synchronized. To
disable automatic synchronization, move the slider to the far right until the value Never appears.
Suspend The Check For New Comments And Form Data Specifies how long after review or form inactivity to stop
checking for comments or new form data.
Remove Custom Server Locations To remove a server profile, select it from the list and click Remove Server Profile.

Notifications Specifies where Tracker notifications appear.

Enable RSS Feeds In Tracker When this option is selected, an RSS category appears on the left side of the Tracker.
You can subscribe to RSS feeds from within the Tracker.
Clear All Stored Credentials Click to remove all stored credentials used for shared reviews.

Adobe Document Cloud for Outlook

You can use Adobe Document Cloud plug-in for Outlook to send large files as public links through Outlook. The
attached files are uploaded to Adobe Document Cloud, and public links to the files are inserted in the email body.
Recipients can click the link to preview the file in a browser window and can download the file if needed.
Note:

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The Adobe Document Cloud plug-in is available only in the latest version of Acrobat DC. If you're using Acrobat 2017 or
Acrobat DC Classic (2015), see LinkAdobe Send & Track for Outlook.

Attach files via Adobe Document Cloud

1 In the new message window, click Message.
2 In the Adobe Document Cloud group, click Attach File via Adobe Document Cloud.

Note:
The plug-in does not work if you have RTF set as the default formatting for email messages. To use the plug-in, switch
to HTML formatting.
3 Browse and select the files that you want to attach, and then click Open.
Alternatively, you can drag files from folders on your computer and drop them on the message window. A prompt
appears on the right side of the attachment input box asking whether you want to send files as Adobe Document
Cloud link. Click Yes.

4 If you’re not signed in, you see a prompt. Click OK. Open Acrobat, click the Sign In link at the upper-right corner
and then sign in with your Adobe ID and password.
5 The selected files are uploaded to Adobe Document Cloud, and public links to the files are inserted in the message
body.

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