To add comments to a PDF on a Mac without rewriting its printed text or rearranging its pages, use Preview’s annotation tools: add a note, speech bubble, highlight, or text box, then save the annotated PDF. Preview does not edit the PDF’s underlying text; annotations are separate markup. If you need to preserve an untouched original, make a duplicate first and annotate the copy. Annotate a PDF in Preview on Mac

What Preview can and cannot change

Preview’s Markup tools let you place comments and visual marks on PDF pages. You can add notes and speech bubbles, highlight or underline selected text, and insert text boxes or shapes. These tools are useful for review comments, reading notes, and callouts while leaving the PDF’s existing page text in place. Annotate a PDF in Preview on Mac

There is an important distinction between adding a comment and editing the document itself. Apple says Preview can’t edit the text of a PDF. If you need to rewrite a sentence that is already on the page, change its layout, or alter the original page content, Preview’s annotation tools are not a substitute for editing the source document in the app that created it. A text box adds new markup over the page; it does not replace the PDF’s original text. Annotate a PDF in Preview on Mac

Preserve an untouched original first

Preview can automatically save changes as you work. To keep a clean source file, duplicate the PDF before annotating: open it in Preview, choose File > Duplicate, then choose File > Save, give the copy a distinct name, and select where to save it. Work in that copy. This gives you a clear original and annotated version, without depending on remembering to use Save As later. Copy PDFs and images in Preview on Mac, Save files in Preview on Mac

For example, keep Project-Brief.pdf as the original and save the duplicate as Project-Brief-Notes.pdf. Those names are illustrative; choose a naming pattern that makes the annotated copy easy to distinguish in your own folders. Before adding anything, check the Preview window title and confirm that the copy is open.

Add a note or comment in Preview

  1. Open the duplicate PDF in Preview. If it is open in another app, use Finder’s Open With > Preview command.
  2. If the Markup toolbar is hidden, click Show Markup Toolbar.
  3. To add a note, click the Note button, type your comment, and click elsewhere on the page to close it. You can drag the note to move it; Control-click a closed note to change its color.
  4. To add a speech bubble instead, choose Tools > Annotate > Speech Bubble, type the comment, and drag a blue handle to resize it.
  5. To review the annotations together, choose View > Highlights and Notes. Preview displays the document’s notes and highlights in the sidebar. Add notes and speech bubbles to a PDF in Preview on Mac

A note is a compact comment marker, while a speech bubble displays a callout on the page. For longer comments, consider whether the visible bubble will obscure nearby material; move it to an open area if needed. You can reopen and edit a note by clicking it and typing. To remove one, select it in the Highlights and Notes sidebar and press Delete. Add notes and speech bubbles to a PDF in Preview on Mac

Highlight, underline, or add a text box

If the comment refers to a specific passage, select the PDF text and use the arrow next to the Highlight button to choose a highlight color, underline, or strikethrough. You can also turn on highlight mode to apply the chosen style as you select text, then click the Highlight button again to turn that mode off. To remove a mark, Control-click the marked text and choose the corresponding Remove command. This workflow depends on selectable text; when text selection is unavailable, a text-based highlight may not be possible. Highlight, underline, and strike out text in a PDF using Preview on Mac

For a comment that should appear directly on the page, use the Text tool in the Markup toolbar, type into the box, and position it where you want. This inserts an annotation; it does not change the PDF’s existing text. Shapes and arrows can also point to a passage or diagram. Before placing a large text box, make sure it won’t cover content someone needs to read. Annotate a PDF in Preview on Mac

Save annotations so you can edit them later

To keep annotations editable, use File > Save, File > Export, or File > Export to PDF. Apple also says automatically saved PDFs retain editable annotations. When preserving the working version, avoid printing to PDF as the save method: Apple documents that File > Print, followed by Save as PDF, flattens annotations so they can’t be edited as annotations later. Keep the annotated copy in the editable form if you expect to revise or remove comments. Annotate a PDF in Preview on Mac

A practical check is to close and reopen the annotated copy in Preview, then open View > Highlights and Notes and confirm the comments appear in the sidebar. This is a workflow suggestion, not a guarantee that every PDF will behave identically: access restrictions, file problems, or differences in other PDF apps may affect what you can edit or see. Keep the untouched duplicate until you have confirmed the copy meets your needs.

Choose the right kind of markup

Use a note for a compact comment that can be opened when needed. Use a speech bubble or text box when the wording should be visible on the page. Use a highlight or underline to identify an existing passage, provided that the PDF text can be selected. In every case, the added content is markup. If the task is to change the PDF’s original wording or layout, edit the source document instead of covering the original with an annotation.

If you are reviewing a PDF alongside other open Mac windows, Wallo can organize existing windows and to-dos locally by goal and help focus windows with the keyboard. It does not add or manage PDF annotations; Preview handles that part of the workflow.

Sources