How to Draw a Filled or Transparent Rectangle in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user needs to locate the rectangle tool in Acrobat 2017 to draw shapes with custom fill colors and transparency over PDF content.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing a PDF to hide or partially cover underlying text and images using customizable shapes.
- Observed behavior
- The rectangle tool used for drawing empty, filled, or transparent shapes is difficult to find in the Acrobat interface compared to earlier versions.
Ensure you have the Comment toolset accessible in your Acrobat toolbar, as drawing shapes is categorized under commenting features in newer versions of the software.
Use the Comment Tool to Draw and Customize Rectangles
Access the Rectangle tool through the Comment menu to draw shapes and modify their properties, including fill color and opacity.
In newer versions of Adobe Acrobat, such as Acrobat 2017 and Acrobat DC, drawing tools have been relocated. They are now integrated within the Comment tools rather than having a standalone drawing toolbar.
Navigate to the top menu and click on 'Tools', then select 'Comment' from the list of available toolsets.
In the Commenting toolbar that appears, click the 'Drawing Tools' icon (often shaped like a polygon or shapes) and select the 'Rectangle' tool.
Click and drag your mouse cursor over the specific area on the PDF page where you want to place the rectangle.
Right-click the newly drawn rectangle and choose 'Properties' from the context menu.
In the Properties dialog box, go to the 'Appearance' tab. Here you can set the fill color, choose a border color, and adjust the opacity slider to make the rectangle transparent.
If you plan to draw more rectangles with the exact same appearance, check the 'Make Properties Default' box before clicking 'OK'.
Edit PDFs and Draw Custom Shapes with WPS Office
If you are struggling with complex menus in other PDF editors, WPS PDF offers a highly intuitive interface for drawing rectangles, adjusting opacity, and editing document content directly without the hassle.
- 1. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your target PDF file.
- 2. Go to the Comment Tab: Navigate to the 'Comment' tab on the top ribbon.
- 3. Select the Shape Tool: Click the 'Shapes' drop-down menu and select the 'Rectangle' option.
- 4. Draw and Customize: Draw the rectangle on your document, then use the quick properties panel on the right side of the screen to effortlessly adjust the fill color and transparency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I find the rectangle tool in Acrobat 2017?
In Acrobat 2017 and Acrobat Pro DC, drawing tools were moved and grouped under the 'Comment' toolset to streamline the interface, meaning they no longer have their own dedicated toolbar by default.
How do I make the rectangle completely transparent?
Right-click the drawn rectangle, select Properties, and either drag the Opacity slider all the way down to 0%, or set the Fill Color to 'No Color' (indicated by a white box with a red diagonal line).
Can I use rectangles to redact sensitive information?
While you can draw a solid black rectangle over text to obscure it, this does not permanently remove the underlying data. Anyone can move or delete the shape. For true security, you must use the official 'Redact' tool, which permanently strips the hidden text from the document code.
