How to Change Pencil Tool Color in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Question details
The user needs to select different colors for the Pencil tool before drawing in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, without the change inadvertently altering the Highlight tool's default color.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Annotating and drawing freehand on PDF documents.
- Observed behavior
- Changing the default color for the Pencil tool simultaneously changes the Highlight tool color, which is an undesired outcome.
Ensure your Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is updated to the latest available release, as older versions occasionally experience bugs where the color properties of different comment tools become incorrectly linked.
Change Pencil Color Before Drawing via Tool Properties
Adjust the pencil color directly from the Comment properties bar before making any marks on the document to avoid linking default tool colors.
By modifying the color via the tool's specific appearance settings while it is active, you can isolate the color change to the Pencil tool alone, ensuring the Highlighter tool retains its own settings.
Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, navigate to the 'Tools' tab at the top left, and select 'Comment' to open the commenting toolbar.
Click on the 'Pencil' (Draw freehand) icon located in the Comment toolbar.
Look for the Color icon (a colored circle) or the Properties gear icon on the same toolbar. Click it and select your desired color from the palette.
If you plan to draw multiple items in this new color, click the pin icon to 'Keep Tool Selected', then begin drawing on your PDF document.
Change Pencil Color After Placing the Annotation
Draw your freehand annotation first, then modify its properties individually to avoid changing global tool defaults.
Easily Annotate PDFs and Customize Drawing Colors with WPS Office
Avoid frustrating tool conflicts by using WPS Office to edit and annotate your PDFs. WPS PDF offers a dedicated drawing tool that lets you customize pencil colors, line weights, and opacities effortlessly without affecting your highlighters.
- 1. Open PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document.
- 2. Navigate to Comment: Click on the 'Comment' tab located on the top ribbon.
- 3. Select Graffiti Tool: Click on the 'Graffiti' or 'Draw' tool icon to activate freehand drawing.
- 4. Pick Your Color: Select your preferred drawing color and line thickness directly from the formatting menu.
- 5. Draw freely: Draw directly on your PDF, knowing your highlighter settings remain completely independent and untouched.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does changing the Pencil color change my Highlighter color in Acrobat?
This usually happens due to a glitch in older versions of Acrobat where default tool properties become linked, or if 'Make Properties Default' was accidentally applied globally. Updating the software usually resolves this behavior.
How can I save a custom color for the Pencil tool?
You can add custom colors by clicking the color palette icon in the properties toolbar, selecting 'Custom Colors' or the gear icon, and inputting your preferred HEX or RGB values.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for the Pencil tool in Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, you can quickly access the freehand drawing tool by pressing 'Shift + D' on your keyboard when you are actively using the Commenting workspace.
How do I delete a pencil drawing in my PDF?
Switch to the selection tool (the standard arrow pointer), click directly on the pencil drawing you wish to remove to highlight it, and press the 'Delete' key on your keyboard.
