I Hack PDF
English

Shapes & highlights

Draw a rectangle, ellipse, line, or translucent highlight over a page.

Read the guide ↓

What this tool does

Draw visible shapes, lines and highlights on PDF pages. Point out a section, mark a review area or add a simple visual callout without replacing the text below it.

What you can open
One PDF and a rectangle, ellipse, line or highlight with position and appearance settings.
What you will download
One PDF with permanent visible page graphics.

How to use it

  1. Choose the page and the kind of mark to add.
  2. Set its position, dimensions, color and opacity, then check the preview.
  3. Run the operation and review the downloaded marked-up PDF.

Options explained

Pages
Select physical page positions: all, a range such as 1-3, several choices such as 1, 4, last, or the final page with last.
Annotation shape
Choose the kind of visible page graphic to add.rectangle / ellipse / line / highlight
Left, in points
Set the horizontal position from the visible left edge, measured in PDF points.
Top, in points
Set the vertical position from the visible top edge, measured in PDF points.
Width, in points
Set the width of the added object or selected rectangle in PDF points.
Height, in points
Set the height of the added object or selected rectangle in PDF points.
Color
Choose the color of the added text or graphic. A color overlay is not a redaction.
Opacity, percent
Set how opaque the added mark appears. A transparent mark leaves underlying content visible.
Outline width, points
Set the thickness of the shape or line outline in PDF points.

Know the tradeoffs

  • These marks are permanent page graphics rather than an editable collaborative comment thread.
  • Highlights and shapes do not remove or redact underlying content.

Questions about this tool

Is a black rectangle a secure redaction?

Not in this tool. Underlying content remains; use Redact PDF.

Can I add a line instead of a box?

Yes. Choose the line option and set its position and dimensions.