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Editing text by using the annotation tools
As a reviewer you can annotate a document with very specific change requests by using the Acrobat annotation
tools. By annotating in Acrobat, you can provide detailed feedback, while leaving the final edit decisions to the
author. Each edit is added as a comment in the Comments List, making them easy to reference by the author or other
reviewers.
To replace selected text:
1. Select the text you wish to replace in the document.
2. In the Annotations panel, select the Replace tool.
The selected text is automatically crossed out and a pop-
up note is created that is linked to the crossed-out text
(Figure 9).
3. Type the replacement text into the pop-up note.
You can also copy and paste text into the note.
Note: If you close the pop-up note, your text remains.
4. If you need to edit or delete the Replacement Text pop-up
note, you can easily adapt the instructions for editing or
deleting a sticky note.
Note: The steps for using the Add Note To Text, Insert,
Underline, and Strikethrough tools are the same as the
steps for the Replace tool.
Figure 9 Replacement Text pop-up note
To highlight text:
1. In the Annotations panel, select the Highlight Text tool.
2. Select the text you wish to highlight.
The selected text is highlighted in yellow.
3. Double-click the highlighted text to reveal the pop-up note
associated with the text (Figure 10).
4. Type your comment into the pop-up note.
You can also copy and paste text into the note.
Note: If you close the pop-up note, your text remains.
If you need to edit or delete the Highlight Text pop-up
note, you can easily adapt the instructions for editing or
deleting a sticky note.
Figure 10 Highlight Text pop-up note
Stamping documents
When you are exchanging documents repeatedly or using multiple reviewers, consider using the stamp tools.
Reviewers can use stamp tools to mark the document with a graphic that denotes the document’s status. Users may
also use this tool to mark a document as a draft. Multiple reviewers can stamp a document, providing a clear history
of the review process.
Acrobat provides a set of Dynamic stamps that denote the document status, automatically generate the time and date
of review, and provide the option to show the reviewer’s name. The five preset Dynamic stamp options are Revised,
Reviewed, Received, Approved, and Confidential. Dynamic stamps are an excellent way to quickly mark a
document with important details about the receipt or review of a document. In addition to the Dynamic stamps, there
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are stamps used to identify where to sign a document and there is a large collection of standard business stamps,
such as Approved, Confidential, and Void. You can even create custom stamps.
To add and edit a preset stamp:
1. In the Annotations panel, click the Add Stamp tool to
open the pop-up menu, and then click Dynamic or Sign
Here, or Standard Business (Figure 11).
2. Choose the appropriate stamp from the submenu.
You can set up your identity with the Identity Setup dialog
box (Figure 12), which automatically appears if you have
not already set up your identity. Fill out the dialog box
with your pertinent details and click Complete.
Note: On future use, your identity will default to what you
entered the first time you used a Dynamic or Standard
Business stamp. To edit your identity details in Acrobat or
Reader, choose Edit > Preferences and select the Identity
category on the left.
3. Position the mouse pointer over the document.
Your chosen stamp appears in a faded-out color and
moves with your cursor.
4. Click on the page where you want the stamp to appear.
The Dynamic stamp appears in full color and includes
your name and the time and date when the stamp was
added (Figure 13).
5. To edit or delete a stamp, click on it and transform
handles appear along the border of the stamp (Figure 14).
Use the handles to scale, rotate, or move the stamp. Right-
click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS), and choose
Delete from the context menu to remove the stamp.
6. To attach a pop-up note to a Dynamic or Standard
Business stamp, right-click (Windows) or Control-click
(Mac OS), and select Open Pop-Up Note or simply
double-click the stamp. Type the desired text into the pop-
up note.
Figure 11 Dynamic stamps menu
Figure 12 Identity Setup dialog box
Figure 13 Reviewed Dynamic stamp sample
Figure 14 Scale, rotate, and move handles
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Attaching files in a PDF document
As an author of a document, it’s common to include reference links to additional content stored in other documents
or on the Web. As a reviewer, you can refer the author or other reviewers to additional information by attaching
files, such as documents, worksheets, HTML files, Flash video, SWF files, or MP3 audio clips to the PDF. You can
attach any file type to the PDF, but the author or reviewer must have the correct application used to open and view
the file.
To attach a file to a PDF document:
1. In the Annotations panel, click the Attach File tool.
2. Position the mouse pointer in the PDF document where
you want to attach the file.
The pointer changes to a thumb tack.
3. Click in the PDF document where you want to place the
attached file.
The Add Attachment dialog box appears.
4. Browse to locate a file to attach. Select it and click Open.
The File Attachment Properties dialog box appears
(Figure 15). You can change the appearance of the icon
representing the attachment.
On the General tab, you can change the general properties
associated with the attachment, including who placed the
attachment. The Review History tab lists any change of
status for the attachment.
5. On the Appearance tab, select an icon for the attachment,
and click OK.
The icon you selected appears where you clicked in the
document (Figure 16).
6. To view the attached file, double-click the attachment
icon.
A message appears, warning you that opening attachments
has risks, including viruses that may infect your computer.
7. As long as you trust the source of the file, select Open
This File, and click OK.
As long as you have the appropriate application, the file
opens in a new window.
8. When you are finished viewing the attachment, close the
file and return to Acrobat.
9. To remove an attachment, right-click (Windows) or
Control-click (Mac OS), and select Delete.
Figure 15 File Attachment Properties dialog box
Figure 16 File Attachment icon
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Reviewing and commenting on video
When you view a video embedded in a PDF, you can add comments to individual frames. Each comment is attached
to a specific frame so the comments appear in the context in which they were made. This feature is useful if you
frequently need to review rough cuts of videos. Frame-by-frame video commenting makes the review and revision
processes quicker and more efficient.
To comment on a frame of video:
1. Use the Flash Player navigation controls to navigate to the
frame in the embedded Flash Video you wish to comment
on.
2. Use the Sticky Note tool, Stamp tool, or any of the
graphical markup tools to comment on specific frames in
the video.
As you create a comment, Acrobat automatically attaches
a pop-up note (Figure 17) with the video time code
referencing the specific frame in the video to which the
comment applies.
3. Type your comment in the pop-up note.
4. You can view all the comments on the embedded video by
using the Comments List.
Comments on video assets contain a small blue cube in
the comment icon (Figure 18). The list shows the
comments in the order in which they appear in the video.
When you select video comments in the Comments List,
the video jumps to the point in the where the comment
was made.
Figure 17 Sticky note comment on a frame of video
Figure 18 Comments List showing a comment
made to a video
Using audio commenting
Acrobat includes an audio commenting feature with which you can record audio comments from within Acrobat.
Audio commenting adds a personal touch to commenting documents. Also, audio comments may be easier and more
effective when your comment is lengthy or you are explaining a difficult concept. The built-in microphones on most
computers should be sufficient for recording audio comments.
Note: Audio commenting can quickly increase the size of your document file. Be aware of your recipient’s
capabilities for sending and receiving large files and consider any restrictions when you plan your document
management strategy.
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To add an audio comment:
1. In the Annotations panel, select the Record Audio tool.
The pointer changes to a speaker icon.
2. Click to place the audio comment in a specific location in
the document.
The Sound Recorder appears (Figure 19).
3. If you have already recorded audio in a separate
application, you can click Browse to select the audio file.
Otherwise, click the red record button to begin recording.
Using your computer’s built-in microphone, record the
audio comment you wish to make.
4. Click the stop button when you finish.
5. You can review your audio comment by clicking the play
button. Move the slider left and right to review portions of
your audio comment. You can click the record button
again to record additional comments.
6. When you are satisfied with your audio comment, click
OK.
You may wish to make adjustments to the appearance of
the audio comment.
7. In the Sound Attachment Properties dialog box
(Figure 20), you can change the icon style, color, and
opacity of the comment marker. Click OK.
The audio comment icon appears on the page at the
desired location (Figure 21).
8. To listen to the audio comment, double-click on the
comment or right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac
OS) on the comment and select Play File from the audio
comment menu (Figure 22).
9. To delete the audio comment, right-click (Windows) or
Control-click (Mac OS) on the comment and select Delete
from the audio comment menu (Figure 22).
Note: You cannot edit audio comments in Acrobat.
Figure 19 Sound Recorder
Figure 20 Sound Attachment Properties dialog box
Figure 21 Audio comment icon
Figure 22 Audio comment menu
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Drawing and Markup tools
Acrobat provides a number of graphical markup tools that may be helpful if you are evaluating portfolios or
documents that contain multimedia content. Select a tool and drag on the document to create the graphical markup.
Add Text Box tool
Places a box on top of the document into which you can insert text.
Add Text Callout tool
Create an arrow pointing to a specific location and a box into which you can add text.
Draw Cloud tool
Click around an object or text to draw a cloud around it.
Draw Line and shape tools
Draw shapes to highlight specific elements in a document.
Draw Connected Lines tool
Draw Connected lines. To end lines, double-click the last point.
Draw tool
Draw freeform lines.
Erase tool
Erase freeform by clicking and dragging.
Showing and hiding comments and viewing the Comments List
You can view all comments in a document by opening the Comments List panel. You can sort comments by type,
page, author, date, or status. You can filter the comments list by type of comment, or by author. These functions are
helpful when multiple people have reviewed the document or when you have a document with numerous comments.
To view the Comments List:
1. Open the Comments pane.
The Comments List appears at the bottom of the
Comments pane (Figure 23).
2. Click any comment in the list to view it in the document.
The document scrolls to show the comment you select.
Figure 23 Comments List
Comments List
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