What's new

Best PDF Editor/Annotator?

liutszho

New Member
My job requires me to go through a lot of PDFs and have to always make notes in PDFs really quick.

Anyone recommend a pdf editor/annotator that allows someone to draw/write on PDFs? I don't mind paid apps.

Before, I was using a MacBook air and highlighting and typing text, it was quite the hassle and I thought a surface pro with stylus would be awesome! Especially with an eraser!

The default "Reader" app is too buggy, sometimes I make notes and save, my drawings/notes become corrupt and blotch all over the PDF. Also it only lets me note in black so when a PDF has black text with black drawings/notes it is VERY VERY hard to read for others.

I tried the following and here are my dislikes:

Reader - dislikes noted above. Can't rely on making notes with it if it corrupts/garbles up my notes. Wasted hours.

Foxit Mobile PDF - Does not have an erase function or undo function once something is drawn/noted on PDF, unusable.

Note Anytime - Can't export as PDF and would be good if it supports the stylus eraser.

PDF Touch - No eraser from stylus function. Once something is drawn and you draw something else later, the undo queue is cleared and you cannot clear previous notes anymore. Unusable.

One Note 2013 - Zooming and editing and saving very cumbersome, have to import to one note, and then each page have to click a few times to zoom to fit page width, and then have to export back out as a PDF miraculously as one PDF with multiple pages. So much setup for each PDF I gave up.

Right now I am using Word to convert the PDFs to make notes. But this is a bit silly too because once in "Ink" mode and you are making notes, your finger touches also make notes too so going to the next page with your finger requires you to deactivate the "Ink" mode first. Really annoying and just kills productivity.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Getting kind of desperate here and to be honest, frustrated this isn't even a default demand, considering surface pro was built for work.
 

DOS

Active Member
Not sure that it will meet all of your needs, but the PDF Annotator is what I am currently using. It is a Desktop Application vs. Modern UI, and it does allow a trail period.
 
OP
L

liutszho

New Member
But PDF Annotator doesn't detect the difference between pen and touch. Can't just scroll down with touch and use pen to make notes

Edit: never mind figured it out. Drag the grey area
 
Last edited:

Wayne Orwig

Active Member
For what I need, I use Note Anytime, and have a PDF printer driver installed. So I print to PDF to output the result.
 

MickeyLittle

Active Member
Yeah in PDF annotator you just save as PDF, no need for any drivers


I think PDF Annotator is running $99 and the full version of Note Anytime is $24.99 so there maybe some good reasons for some people to look at the $25 option over the $100 option.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
At least 3 times a year you can PDF Annotator for $39 through deals and/or sales, with that said the list price is $69.99 which isn't a bad price for what it does.
 

MickeyLittle

Active Member
At least 3 times a year you can PDF Annotator for $39 through deals and/or sales, with that said the list price is $69.99 which isn't a bad price for what it does.

But would you really but it without dropping the $29.99 for updates? To me it's kinda sad that you have to spend $70 + $30 because you know you'll need the product updates due to bugs and enhancements for 2 years. Just my opinion. But it is good to know that if you time it right you can find it for $39 + $29 for updates.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
That extra $30 covers ".0" releases (i.e. 4.0 to 5.0) all of the interim app updates are included, so if you buy 4.0 you will get 4.1 through 4.9 for free, when 5 is released you would normally pay for the upgrade which has typically been $24 - $30 and he typically updates the app every 24-36 months...
 

MickeyLittle

Active Member
That extra $30 covers ".0" releases (i.e. 4.0 to 5.0) all of the interim app updates are included, so if you buy 4.0 you will get 4.1 through 4.9 for free, when 5 is released you would normally pay for the upgrade which has typically been $24 - $30 and he typically updates the app every 24-36 months...

Thanks for the added info. That surely helps in the value of the purchase.
 
Top