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    How to Annotate PDFs and Images Using Mac Preview

    Mac Preview has built-in tools for highlighting text, adding shapes, and writing notes on PDFs and images — no extra software needed.

    4 min read 6 stepsApril 19, 2026Verified April 2026
    1

    Open the File in Preview

    ~15s
    Double-click any PDF or image file on your Mac. It should open in Preview. If it opens in a different app, right-click the file, choose Open With, then click Preview.
    2

    Show the Markup Toolbar

    ~22s
    Look at the top of the Preview window. Click the small pencil-tip icon (it looks like a marker or a tip of a pen) to open the Markup toolbar. A row of annotation tools will appear at the top of the window.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: You can also open the Markup toolbar by going to the View menu at the top of your screen and clicking Show Markup Toolbar.

    3

    Highlight Text

    ~16s
    To highlight text in a PDF, click and drag over the words you want to highlight. Then click the Highlight button in the toolbar (it looks like a marker). The selected text will turn yellow. To change the highlight color, click the small arrow next to the highlight button.
    4

    Add a Text Box

    ~20s
    Click the Text button in the toolbar (it looks like a letter "A" in a box). A text box will appear on the page. Click inside it and type your note or comment. You can drag the text box to move it anywhere on the page, and you can change the font size using the formatting options in the toolbar.
    5

    Draw Shapes and Arrows

    ~15s
    Click the Shapes button in the toolbar to see options including rectangles, circles, arrows, and lines. Click the shape you want, then click and drag on the document to draw it. Arrows are great for pointing to specific parts of a diagram or form.
    6

    Save Your Changes

    ~22s
    Press Command + S on your keyboard to save the file with your annotations. The annotations will be stored inside the document. To remove an annotation, click on it to select it and then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

    Warning

    Saving overwrites the original file with the annotations included. If you want to keep an unannotated copy, duplicate the file before you start marking it up (File > Duplicate).

    You Did It!

    You've completed: How to Annotate PDFs and Images Using Mac Preview

    Need more help? Get Expert Help from a TekSure Tech

    Preview is the app that comes built into every Mac for viewing PDFs, images, and other documents. Most people know it as a viewer, but it also has a full set of annotation tools that let you mark up files without needing a paid program like Adobe Acrobat.

    With Preview's annotation tools, you can highlight text in yellow or other colors, add text boxes anywhere on the page, draw arrows and shapes to point out specific areas, and leave notes that look like sticky notes. These annotations are saved inside the file, so anyone who opens it later will see your markings.

    Preview is available on every Mac — you do not need to download anything. To open a file in Preview, you can double-click most PDF or image files and Preview will open automatically. If it opens in a different app, right-click the file, choose Open With, and select Preview.

    Annotations are stored as part of the document. If you share the PDF with someone else, they will see your highlights and notes when they open the file. If you need to send a clean copy without annotations, Preview also lets you export a flattened version where the annotations are burned in and cannot be edited — or you can remove them before exporting.

    These tools work for both PDFs and images, making Preview a handy all-in-one option for anyone who works with documents regularly.

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    Official Resources

    Apple SupportHow-To Geek — MacApple Support YouTube

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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    How to Annotate PDFs and Images Using Mac Preview — Step-by-Step Guide | TekSure