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Participant
Apr 27, 2015 4:55 PM UTC
Answered

Drawing objects in Acrobat DC

In the version of Acrobat previous to DC, I could draw lines, circles and other shapes on PDF. I used this capability frequently to cross out sections of forms I would send customers so they'd not waste time. In DC, however, I can't seem to find how to draw a line. Any ideas?

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Sara_ForsbergCorrect answer
Inspiring
Apr 27, 2015 8:28 PM UTC

Hi Toepper,

You can find those options in the Commenting tools (click Tools, then click Open under the Comment icon). The Commenting tools will appear at the top of the window; you can access the shape tools by clicking the rightmost icon.

Please let us know if you have additional questions.


Best,

Sara

36 replies

Participant
Dec 20, 2021 10:03 AM UTC

Can you please add so we can draw, erase and add line/rectangles and common shapes?!?!? 
This is not acceptable. 
I was using a free software before my company bought Adobe DC to make this easier but ITS WORSE!!!
WHY SHOULD I PAY TO MAKE IT WORSE?

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jbmoocs
Participating Frequently
Sep 21, 2021 10:02 PM UTC

How can comments be a logical approach to making basic lines and shapes?? Even free publishing software is capable of this simple task, we're not trying to make a comment but a piece of design!

I used the convoluted hidden comments section to make a simple rectangle and the outcome is bullcrap in a form design its just not elegant, it does not act in the way professional use it for the intricate design!

Look we have to do our jobs very well, so why can't the Acrobat designers do the same especially for the simple things like Edit  add and PROPER 'shapes/lines'. Gee.

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Participant
Aug 11, 2021 2:35 PM UTC

Why the drawing tool is buried in the comment tools in a mystery to me. It took me at least a 1/2 hour of searching to find this out. Very frustrating to say the least. If drawing tools was a separate item it would be much easier to find. Come on Adobe, you can do better than this!

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Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
Aug 11, 2021 3:27 PM UTC

The drawing tools are comments.

Adobe Acrobat is not a graphic editor.

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Participant
Aug 11, 2021 3:30 PM UTC

Which is not intutitve. Having to flatten the PDF to incorporate a drawing because drawings are comments is weird. When is a circle or box a comment?

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Participant
Aug 2, 2021 5:27 PM UTC

The fact that I can't draw a simple box in the edit PDF functionality OR change the properties of my text box to add a background color is ridiculous. 

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Participant
Jul 30, 2021 9:15 PM UTC

I use Acrobat to teach industrial print reading, One exercise involes tracing the energy paths of a fluid system which in previous versions was a simple a s drawing a line on a line. But now, every line I draw remains in an "edit box" and the properties bar stays grayed out until I draw another line. I have yet to figure out how to turn off the box so I can change colors and line-weights on the run.

 

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Participant
Mar 24, 2020 9:31 PM UTC

WHY EXACTY WAS IT CHANGED. A PERFECT  FUNCITON AND YOU FOULED IT UP. IN THE COMMENTS SECTION? WHY? I DONT WANT TO COMMENT. I WANT TO DRAW A RED LINE. NOT COMMENT. I WANT TO DRAW ONE DUMB RECTANGLE NOT COMMENT. WOW. MADE IT SOOOOOOO MUCH HARDER TO JUST DRAW ONE BOX. AND FORGET ABOUT TEXT. NOT EVEN GOING THERE. CANT ADD TEXT LIKE YOU USED TO  AGAIN, THE COMMENTS SECTION (WAAAAA?). THAT NO VIRTUALLY NO ONE USES FOR COMMENTS BTW. BIG WASTE OF TIME. TOO CUMBERSOME. CHANGE IT BACK. DONT ANY OF YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE THE SOFTWARE YOU WRITE TO SEE HOW RIDICULOUS THIS IS. SIT DOWN WITH IT FOR ONE DAY ON TEN DEADINES. THEN YOU'LL CHANGE IT BACK. 

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Participant
Mar 10, 2021 3:15 PM UTC

I AM WITH YOU.

This just took me a year to figure out. SO DUMB. SHOULD BE IN THE EDIT TAB. I MISS BLUEBEAM.

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Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
Apr 9, 2021 5:56 PM UTC

Adobe Acrobat is not a graphic editor.

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Participant
Jun 5, 2019 4:53 PM UTC

Thank you, Sara.

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brigitteh12155652
Participant
Feb 7, 2019 6:03 PM UTC

Under Comments a box appears that says No Comments Yet. There are not options to draw a shape.

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Participant
May 24, 2017 2:51 PM UTC

Yes we can draw simple Comment Boxes but Comment Boxes aren't Objects and as such cant be rotated or manipulated as Object Rectangles can. 

Can someone advise me as to what I missing and how to Draw Objects and Lines in in DC Pro, the Object Toolbar remains gray and inactive in Edit PDF mode?

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Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 25, 2017 1:42 PM UTC

To draw objects and lines use the comment tools. Then flatten the annotations and you and edit it in Edit PDF mode.

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Participant
May 6, 2017 2:13 AM UTC

Nothing happens when I press the tool arrow.  So I can't get the comment icon (couldn't think of a better place to hide it!).  Please advise.

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