Pencil Tool

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Pencil Tool


 

editor.icon Pencil Tool

 


 

Click the Pencil Tool to add freehand annotations to documents:

 

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Figure 1. Comment Tab, Pencil Tool

 

When the Pencil Tool is enabled, click and drag the pointer to create freehand annotations:

 

pencil.annotations.ribbon

Figure 2. Pencil Tool Examples

 

Click to select pencil annotations, as detailed in the upper-left annotation in the image above. Selected annotations can be edited as follows:

 

Click and drag the yellow control points to resize pencil annotations.

Click and drag pencil annotations to reposition them.

Click and drag the green control point to rotate pencil annotations. Hold down Shift to rotate at increments of fifteen degrees.

Use the arrow keys to reposition pencil annotations. Hold down Shift to move at an increased increment.

Use the editing aids detailed here to assist in the precise placement of pencil annotations.

Right-click pencil annotations for further options. See here for an explanation of these options.

Press Ctrl+' to open the Properties pane for selected annotations and view/edit properties:

 

pencil.annotation.properties

Figure 3. Pencil Tool, Pencil Properties Pane

 

Subject is the name of the pencil annotation, as referenced in the Comments pane.

Author is the name of the user that created the pencil annotation.

Name is the unique name of the pencil annotation, as referenced within the application.

Created is the date and time at which the pencil annotation was created.

Modified is the date and time at which the pencil annotation was last modified.

Read Only is the read only status of the pencil annotation. If this property is enabled then users cannot interact with the annotation.

Printable is the print status of the pencil annotation. If this property is enabled then the annotation is printed with the document. If this property is not enabled then the annotation is not printed.

Locked is the locked status of the pencil annotation. If this property is enabled then the annotation cannot be deleted and its properties (including its position and size) cannot be modified by users.

Layer specifies the optional content layer to which the pencil annotation belongs. Further information about layers is available here.

Stroke Color determines the color of the pencil annotation.

Border Style determines the style of the annotation.

Border Width determines the width of the annotation.

Opacity determines the level of transparency in the pencil annotation.

Blend Mode determines how pencil annotations blend with overlapping content. These options are explained here.

Rotation determines the degrees of rotation of the pencil annotation.

 

Note that when the Pencil Tool is enabled, the Format tab is available and can be used to customize the default properties of pencil annotations:

 

pencil.format.ribbon

Figure 4. Format Tab, Pencil Tool

 

Click options in the Shape Style group to select alternative default pencil annotation styles.

Click Keep Selected to keep the Pencil Tool enabled and add multiple pencil annotations to the document. If this option is not enabled then PDF-XChange Editor will revert to the designated default tool immediately after creating one pencil annotation.

Click Exclusive Mode to enable exclusive mode, which simplifies the process of using the Pencil Tool. When Exclusive Mode is enabled, the pointer ignores all interactive elements of documents other than base content. This makes it possible to create pencil annotations on areas that overlap with other content without the risk of accidentally selecting undesired items. When Exclusive Mode is disabled, the pointer recognizes and interacts with all underlying elements in the usual manner.

Click Properties to open the Properties pane and view/edit Pencil Tool properties, as detailed above.

When pencil annotations are selected, the Style Tools dropdown menu is available in the Format tab. It contains the following options:

Click Copy Comment Style to copy the style properties of pencil annotations.

Click Apply Copied Comment Style to apply a copied pencil annotation style to selected annotations.

Click Apply Copied Comment Appearance to apply a copied pencil annotation style to selected annotations.

Click Make Current Properties Default to set the properties of the pencil annotation as the default properties for subsequent annotations.

Click Apply Default Properties to apply the default pencil annotation properties to selected pencil annotations.

When pencil annotations are selected, the Pop-up group is available in the Format tab and can be used to interact with the pop-up note of the annotation:

Click Open to open the pop-up note.

Click Hide to hide the pop-up note.

Click Reset Location to reset the location of the pop-up note.

When pencil annotations are selected, the Arrange tab is also available and can be used to manipulate comments as detailed here.

 

Note that the Comment Styles Palette can be used to edit and save customized stamp annotation styles for subsequent use, and the Commenting preferences can be used to view/edit preferences for all comments.

 

Eraser Tool

 

The Eraser Tool is used to erase pencil annotations. When it is enabled the pointer becomes a white circle. Click and drag to erase pencil annotations. Click the Format tab to customize the Eraser Tool:

 

Diameter determines the diameter of the eraser.

Keep Selected determines whether or not the Eraser Tool remains selected after a single use. If this option is enabled then the tool will remain selected and can be used several times consecutively. If this option is not enabled then PDF-XChange Editor will revert to the designated default tool immediately after a single use of the Eraser Tool.