What's New in PDF Annotator 9

NEW! Color Modes - “Dark Mode”

• Choose between the usual bright color mode or the new dark color mode.
• Color mode affects the appearance of the application user interface. Your PDF documents will always display identically - as printed on white paper.

NEW! Accent Color

• Choose between the usual “red” accent color or the new “blue” accent color.
• For users with red green deficiency we recommend using the accent color “blue”.
• The accent color will be used in several places throughout the user interface, for example for tool symbols or for marking the currently selected page.

NEW! ”Area Dimensioning” Tool

• You can now also dimension areas.
• Area dimensions are annotations that become part of the PDF document (cf. “Measure”).
• Areas get marked up semitransparently.
• Text can be edited manually.
• Select a predefined or custom scale.
• Turn display of dimension unit on and off.

NEW! “Connect Lines” Feature

• ... to snap corner points to existing annotations.
• This feature is now available for lines, arrows, polygons, distance and area measures.
• Also, the corner points of polygons and points on ellipses/circles get identified as snap targets.
• Create dimensional chains using the distance dimension tool and “Connect Lines”.

NEW! Individual Text Formatting

• You can now format parts of text annotations individually.
• For example, you can format individual words bold or in italics, underline or strike out phrases.
• Use different font types, -colors and -sizes within the same text annotation.

NEW! Individual Paragraph Formatting

• You can now set separate alignment options for paragraphs within the same text annotation:
• left aligned
• centered
• right aligned

NEW! Superscript and Subscript Text

• You can now apply these new text styles to letters, numbers or text phrases:
• superscript
• subscript

NEW! “Polygon” Tool

• Use the new Polygon tool to draw...
• closed polygons
• polylines
• ...with the support of the popular...
• “Connect Lines” and
• “Snap to 15° Angles” features.

NEW! Open and Closed Polygons

• Polygons: Close a polygon by clicking the starting point or by choosing “Close Polygon and Accept”.
• Polylines: Finish an open polygon by choosing “Accept”.

NEW! Moving Corner Points

• Easily move corner points to modify a selected annotation of these types
• Area dimension
• Polygon

NEW! ”Formula” Tool

• Create and edit complex scientific formulas using our brand-new formula editor.
• Make use of a wide selection of predefined expressions and common symbols.

NEW! ”LaTex” Formula Editor

• As an experienced LaTeX user, you may edit the underlying LaTex commands directly to edit a formula.
• Share and exchange formulas using copy and paste from/to other LaTeX supporting editors.

NEW! “Black Screen” for Presentations

• In Full Screen Mode, you can now temporarily turn the display completely black to ensure your audience’s full attention.
• Use the Full Screen Mode action button, or press Alt+B.
• Press any key, or click/tap with mouse, pen or finger to end the blackout.

NEW! Improved Color Selection

• All color pickers (e.g. for selecting the pen color) have been revised and now contain...
• ...a palette of common colors,
• ...an additional palette for saving and reusing your own colors (“My Colors”).

NEW! Enter/Copy RGB or HTML Color Values

• Expand the color picker window for an enhanced color picker with the ability to enter colors as RGB or HTML values (e.g. “#FF0000” for red).
• Here you can also copy or paste color values.

NEW! Extract Colors with the Pipette

• Use the “Pipette” tool in the expanded color picker window to extract colors...
• ...from the currently visible part of the document, or
• ...from any point on the current monitor.

NEW! And more...

• “Autostart Search” setting: You can now disable the automatic start of the text search while entering a search phrase.
• Duplicate Selection to Next Page: Like the existing “Duplicate to All Pages” feature, you can now as well duplicate a selection only to the next page.

PDF Annotator 64-bit

• As a true 64-bit application, PDF Annotator can now access significantly more memory on 64-bit systems.
• Enables loading larger files, and editing more documents at the same time, than with the 32-bit version.
• Setup will automatically install the correct version for your operating system.

Select and Edit Annotations

• While moving, resizing or rotating annotations, all changes display immediately.
• Enables exact annotation placement.
• Larger appearance of selection rectangles and size grips on high resolution displays.

Dimension Tool

• Dimensions are annotations that become part of the PDF document (cf. the Measure tool).
• Dimensions consist of extension lines, dimension line, and editable dimension text.
• Select a predefined or custom scale.
• Turn display of dimension unit on and off.

Rotate Annotations

• Rotate annotations using the new rotation grip directly within the document.
• Rotate snaps to 15° steps while CTRL key is pressed.

Measure Tool

• Measure tool to extract measures from PDF documents:
• Improved appearance of measured distances and areas.
• Measure results stand out better with large and clear display directly within the document (instead of small hint windows).

Measure Angles

• Now you can measure:
• Distances
• Perimeters (traverses)
• Areas
• Angles

Create Links

• Links are text annotations that, when clicked, jump to:
• a web URL,
• a specific position (page) in the current document, or
• an external document.
• Define link text styles (e.g. blue, underline) directly within the Configure Link window.

Intelligent Auto-Smooth

• Extended functionality for the Auto-Smooth feature available for pen and marker tools:
• Intelligent geometric object recognition (rectangles, squares, circles).
• Start and end points will automatically snap to, or be moved towards existing lines.
• Automatically closes circular lines by moving the end points to the start points.

Intelligent Auto Connect

• New Connect Lines feature now available for line and arrow tools:
• Start and end points will automatically snap to, or be moved towards existing lines.

Laser Pointer Tool for Presentations

• The laser pointer is a large red circle that can easily be located even from a distance.
• Activate via “Tool, Laser Pointer” or by pressing the letter “o” key.
• Back to previously used tool with ESC key.
• Draw temporarily with the laser pointer: After lifting the pen (or releasing the mouse button), the drawn mark-up disappears.

Extract Text

• When using the Extract Text feature, after selecting some text, the context menu won’t open automatically anymore.
• Now, just click “Edit, Copy” or press CTRL+C to copy the selected text to the clipboard.
• All features previously available on the context menu are now accessible directly from the toolbar above the document.

Move Bookmarks with Drag’n’Drop

• In the sidebar:
• Move bookmarks with the mouse using drag’n’drop.
• The destination position will be outlined exactly.

“Print” Command on Explorer Menus

• If PDF Annotator has been set up as the default application for PDF files, the Windows Explorer context menu will now include a “Print” command.
• Print PDF files without having to open them in PDF Annotator first.
• Print just one, or multiple documents at once.

Use your Pen as a Clicker

• In full screen presentations, press the button at the end of the pen to advance to the next page.
• Single click: Advance to next page.
• Press and hold: Back to previous page.
• Requirements: 3rd Gen Microsoft Surface Pen, Windows 11/10.

Arrow Appearance

• Arrowheads now draw with sharp edges (vs. round edges in previous versions).
• Reference points of all arrowheads have been corrected to point exactly to the tip/end.
• Arrowheads now draw in a size well-balanced to the line width.

Accelerated App Start

• The application startup time has been further reduced.
• On new installations, the Quick Start option now gets enabled automatically.
• You can also enable the “Start with Windows” option under “Extras, Settings, Preferences, Quick Start”.

And more...

• Faster text search.
• Improved text cursor appearance (especially on high resolution displays).
• Scroll the toolbox with your finger.

PDF Templates

• Select a template when creating new documents using "File, New"
• Add, remove, rename templates
• Save current document as template
• Automatic use of same template when adding additional pages

Images to PDF

• Select image files instead of PDF files under "File, Open"
• Center image on a blank new PDF document, or
• Automatically convert to a single page PDF

Measure Tool

• Measure distance, perimeter or area
• Select scale to automatically convert and output in correct units
• User defined list of scales
• Create a scale based on a known dimension in a document

Combine PDF Files

• Select multiple PDF documents to combine (merge) to one single PDF
• Choose from list of open documents
• Order documents before combining

Quick Start

• Option to reduce wait time while application starts
• Keeps application open by minimizing it to the Windows system tray when program window gets closed
• Option to start application automatically with Windows to reduce wait time on first start
• Program icon in Windows system tray with option to shut down application

PDF Security

• Set password and restrictions
• Require password to open document
• Set permissions to edit, print or copy content
• Set password to edit permissions

Text Tool

• New text alignment options for text boxes:
• left-align
• center
• right-align

Text Marker Tips

• Select shape of tip:
• rectangular vertical (default)
• rectangular horizontal
• square
• ball

Image Editor: Pixelize

• Obfuscate areas within images
• Pixelize faces, license plates, sensible data in images

Append Multiple Documents

• Select multiple PDF documents using "Insert Document" or "Append Document" commands
• Choose from list of open documents
• Order documents before appending

Rotate Annotations

• Preview while rotating objects via Rotate dialog

Duplicate Annotations

• New "Selection, Duplicate to all pages" command
• Stamp all pages
• Transfer a single annotation to all pages

Stamp Preview

• Larger stamp preview when hovering over a stamp in the toolbox
• Makes it easier to differentiate large stamps and text stamps

Edit Stamps

• New Edit commands for stamps, right from the Configure Tool dialog:
• Resize Stamp
• Rotate Stamp
• Mirror Stamp

Toolbox Menus

• Improved and more intuitive context menus
• Edit and group tools
• Export and import tools and stamps

Hide Scrollbars

• Separate settings to hide scrollbars in ...
• ... regular mode
• ... full screen mode

Eraser Modes

• Select between two modes:
• Erase whole annotation/stroke (default)
• Split stroke
• Custom eraser widths

And more...

• Display current length while drawing with line and arrow tools, dimensions and area using rectangle and circle tools
• Undo page deletions
• Separate commands for "Insert Image from Camera" (for use with custom toolbar buttons or keyboard shortcuts)
• Snap: Automatically adapt lines in 15° steps

Completely Redesigned Full Screen Mode

• We have redesigned Full Screen Mode, especially for presentations, and to make best use of screen estate.
• Full Screen Mode now has one single, but fully configurable toolbar.
• Automatically adapts to screen orientation
• 24 customizable favorite tool buttons
• 16 customizable action buttons
• Additional navigation buttons

• How to quickly change tool properties in full screen mode

Full Screen Menu & Sidebar

• Open & save documents
• Switch between multiple open documents
• Open most recently used documents
• Sidebar with page previews, access to document and page editing commands, and bookmarks

Full Screen Customization

• Customize all tool and action buttons via the customization button.
• Right click customization button for more options.
• Quick customization option (after 2nd click on already selected tool).

• How to customize the tool buttons in full screen mode
• How to customize the action buttons in full screen mode

Full Screen Options

• Display the new full screen toolbar either permanently, or display a flap which will bring up the toolbar temporarily after clicking on it.
• Select a preferred toolbar position (left/right, top/bottom)
• Scale button sizes from 50% to 150% (for smaller and more, or larger and less buttons)

• How to set up the button size in full screen mode

Capture from Camera

• Capture photos from any internal or external (USB) camera
• We support all kinds of tablet cameras, web cams, and document cameras.

Image Editor

• New image editor to apply basic editing to inserted or captured images
• Crop images (rectangular, with lasso)
• Make selection transparent
• Make transparent based on color (e.g. to crop signatures)
• Rotate & flip images

• How to create a transparent stamp from an image
• How to create a signature stamp from a scan

Display 3rd Party Annotations

• PDF Annotator now also displays PDF annotations created in 3rd party PDF programs.

Send Email

• Send current document as email attachment without saving it first (requires a MAPI enabled email client being set up locally).
• We will now set a useful default for the email subject.

Zoom History

• Quickly zoom in to view a detail and get back to your previous view with a single click

Resize Options

• Quick resize with default options (50%, 200%, ...)
• Percentual resize
• New Maintain Aspect Ratio option

Additional Page Backgrounds & Sizes

• Light blue lines/squares
• 1/16", 1/8", 1/5" squares
• Point grids
• Size pages in typical screen sizes for screen presentations (3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10 ratios)

Page Numbers

• Additional page numbering formats
• Bold and italic font settings
• Save current settings as default

Select & Move Pages

• Select a range of pages by entering page numbers (e.g. 1-3,5)
• New Move Page to... command to move pages to a target page number instead of dragging them with the mouse.

Insert or Append Copied Pages

• Paste copied/cut pages above current page (insert)
• or behind current page (append)

Extract Text Tools

• Remove line breaks from copied text with new option available on the Extracted Text Preview

Create Bookmarks from Text

• Create a bookmark directly from selected text

Graphical Tool Helpers

• Keep CTRL key pressed to create object from its center
• We now display the current angle in a tooltip.

Configurable Tool Switch

• Configure the target tool for the tool switch.
• Default is Pan tool.

Edit Font Styles

• You can now also bulk edit font settings for multiple text annotations.

And more...

• Configurable document tab width
• Additional keyboard shortcuts
• More placeholders for text extract actions
• Additional file attachment information
• New stamps: Small proofread symbols
• Kinetic scrolling

New, Modern Look-and-Feel

• New, clear color scheme and symbols
• Optimised for high resolution screens (high DPI)
• Automatic switch to large icons on high resolution screens

• How to set an alternative toolbar icon color

Stamp Symbols

• New, huge selection of modern symbols and arrows as stamps
• Two sizes

Tool Switch

• Button on the bottom right, hovering over the document
• Single click (or tap):
  Switches to Pan tool
• Another single click (or tap):
  Switches back to previously used tool
• Right click (or long tap):
  Opens a menu with recently used tools
• Customizable to be visible in regular and/or full screen mode; can be moved around.

• Quick Tool Selection with the Tool Switch

Select Text Actions

• After text selection in the original PDF content:
• New menu with Copy, Preview, Search, Translate (and more) options
• Immediately mark-up selected text with highlighter
• Underline or strike-through
• Define your own actions (program calls, URLs)

• Select Text Actions
• Creating Custom Select Text Actions

Convert Search Hits into Annotations

• Immediately mark-up search hits with highlighter
• Underline or strike-through

• Converting Search Hits into Annotations

Extended Print Features

• New Print dialog with page preview
• Print current view
• Duplex print
• Automatically rotate pages

Page Numbers

• Automatic page numbering
• Detailed positioning options for page numbers
• Multiple numbering sections possible

• Adding Page Numbers

Align and Resize

• Align a selection of annotations
• Resize a selection of annotations

• Aligning Annotations

PDF Portfolios

• Open and manage PDF Portfolios

File Attachments

• Overview on all embedded file attachments
• Add or remove attachments

Document Properties

• View and (partially) modify PDF document properties
• Common properties
• PDF properties
• Security settings

Wavy Lines

• New line style for the line tool

Separate Cover Page

• Display first page separately in two pages view (facing pages)

Copy and Paste Pages

• Copy single (or multiple) pages from the Page Manager.
• Paste them into the same or a different open document.

• How to copy a page from one PDF into another one

Crop Pages, Add Margins

• New page preview with the ability to move or resize the page area within the preview

Digital Copy

• Digital copy for restricted documents
• Helps when document does not allow commenting, or author password is unknown.
• howto/open_protected_document

Scroll / Draw with Touch

• On touch devices, the finger will now scroll the document.
• To draw with the finger, enable the new "Draw with touch" option on the tool properties toolbar

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Configurable keyboard shortcuts for all commands
• Use your own shortcuts instead of the defaults.
• Define shortcuts for commands that don't come with a default shortcut.

Export/Import Settings

• Export and import all settings including stamps
• Optimal for moving to a new computer, or synchronizing settings on multiple installations

And more...

• Restore document tabs from last session on next start
• Set border color for text boxes
• Default text box width setting
• Improvements when handling semitransparent images and objects
• More efficient way to save annotations within the PDF

Annotation Manager in the Sidebar

• Get a quick overview of all annotations in a document.
• Navigate to any annotations quickly.
• Perform operations on any selection of annotations.

• Introduction to the Annotation Sidebar

Filter Annotations

• Only display a filtered subset of your annotations in the new Annotations sidebar.
• Filter by type, color, or page number.

Print Annotations Overviews

• Print a detailed list with small previews of every single annotation in a document.
• Print an overview only outlining the pages containing annotations.

• Printing Annotations from the Sidebar

Export/Import Annotations

• Export any selection of annotations.
• Reimport those annotations into a different document.
• Or reimport annotations into a new version of the original document.

• Exporting and Importing Annotations

Page Backgrounds

• Select between various lined or squared papers for new documents or pages.
• Additional pages will automatically use the right background.
• Background lines will be saved into your document.

Auxiliary Lines

• Display temporary lines to make writing on documents easier.
• Select between a wide range of possible line styles.
• These lines will not be saved into your document.

• Using Lines for Decoration and Positioning

Group and Lock Annotations

• Group annotations to keep them always together.
• Lock annotations to avoid unwanted modifications or to avoid moving them.

• Grouping and Ungrouping Annotations
• Lock and Unlock Annotations and the Annotation Sidebar

Edit Style Properties

• Edit any style properties of existing annotations, i.e. colors, line widths or styles.
• Edit styles of multiple annotations at once.

• Editing Style Properties in Text Annotations
• Editing Style Properties in Non-text Annotations

Semi Transparency

• Select semi transparency level.
• For Rectangle (Square) and Ellipse (Circle) tools.

Tool Groups

• Group your stamps in the Toolbox.
• Exchange stamps through the new export/import.
• We have also added a number of new default stamps for you.

• Using Custom Tool Groups

And more...

• Extract pages into a new document.
• Move bookmarks.
• Automatically minimize text box size after editing.
• Set DPI for snapshots.
• Automatic backups.
• Full Unicode support.
• Switch between languages.
• Many minor improvements

Multi Document Capabilities

• Work within multiple documents
• Switch between documents with a single click
• Configurable documents tab bar
• Document tabs support the new Windows 7 taskbar

Print to PDF Annotator

• Create PDF documents from within any application and annotate them directly in PDF Annotator
• Simply print your documents from any application by selecting our new virtual PDF printer "Print to PDF Annotator"
• Printer driver supports Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista and XP, both 32-bit and 64-bit

• Using Print to PDF Annotator

Line Tool

• Draw straight lines
• Different line styles
• Snap to 45° angles option
• Full favorites and toolbox support -
  Create your own line tools

Arrow Tool

• Draw arrows
• Different styles for arrowhead and tail
• Line styles
• Snap to 45° angles option
• Full favorites and toolbox support -
  Create your own arrow tools

Rectangle Tool

• Draw rectangles or squares
• Transparent or filled
• Different line styles
• Full favorites and toolbox support -
  Create your own rectangle tools

Ellipse Tool

• Draw ellipes or circles
• Transparent or filled
• Line styles
• Full favorites and toolbox support -
  Create your own circle tools

Extract Text

• Copy text from the original document

Crop Pages, Add Margins

• Crop page sizes
• Add margins to get extra space for annotations
• Crop on the fly by selecting a region
• Selected pages or whole document

• Crop Pages
• Add Margins to PDF Pages

Zoom Tool

• Zoom in and out by selecting a region
• Multi-touch zoom gesture support

New Toolbar Concept

• All editing tools within document area
• Only related tool properties shown
• Vertical Favorite Tools toolbar now optional
• New Windows 7 style look and feel

Large Icons and Touch Support

• Full support for large toolbar icons
• Recommended for touch input

Rotate and Flip Annotations

• Rotate selected annotations in 90° steps or by free angle
• Flip selection vertically or horizontally

And more...

• Optionally deactivate pressure-sensitivity for pen and marker (hardware needs to support pressure-sensitivity)
• Multi-touch rotate gesture rotates pages
• Improved file locking
• Many minor improvements

Page Manager

• Page thumbnails
• Move, clone, rotate pages
• Multi-select support
• Insert document
• Always visible in new sizeable sidebar

• Delete, Insert, Append PDF Pages
• Move, Reorder, Rotate and Clone (Duplicate) PDF Pages
• Rotate, Append, Insert, Concatenate PDF Documents

Toolbox

• Predefined tools (pens, markers, text boxes, stamps)
• Fully customizable: Add, move, delete tools
• Favorites (mirrors favorite tools in main toolbar)

• Toolbox Basics
• The Tool Sidebar
• The Favorites Toolbar
• Setting Your Default Text Box Options

Stamps

• Stamp tool to stamp multiple times
• Save any selection to a stamp (like previous Macros)

• Creating Your Own Stamps
• Stamp Descriptions

Bookmark Manager

• Create, delete and rename bookmarks
• Always visible in new sidebar

Auto-Smooth

• Flatten vertical and horizontal free hand lines
• Snap to 90°
• Separate setting for pen and marker

• Auto-Smooth

Full Screen Mode

• Customizable fly-in toolbars
• All view styles accessible
• More in detail improvements

• Full Screen Mode Introduction

Text Search

• Highlight current/all search results
• Floating search bar with automatic incremental search

• Search PDF - Incremental Text Search in PDF Documents

Snapshot Tool

• Take snapshots of any area on the document
• Copy snapshots to clipboard
• Paste to same document, blank page, other document, or 3rd party application
• Save snapshots as image files

• Taking Snapshots of Parts of a Document

Continuous View

• Seamlessly scroll through the whole document
• One or two page alignment
• New view styles

Pan Mode

• Pan (hand) tool

Page Navigation

• Deviant Page Numbers
• History (Back, Forward)

Menu/Toolbars

• Fresh new look and feel
• Improved command structure
• Lock all toolbars

Text Box Styles

• Custom background colors
• Custom border styles

And more...

• New crystal clear, fast rendering engine!