How to Keep the Highlighter Tool Active in Acrobat Pro DC
Question details
The user wants to highlight multiple sections of text in a PDF document continuously without the highlighter tool deactivating after each individual use.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Annotating and reviewing a PDF document requiring multiple text highlights.
- Observed behavior
- The highlighter tool automatically deactivates and reverts to the standard cursor after a single use, forcing the user to repeatedly reselect it.
Ensure you have your target PDF document open in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and that the Commenting toolbar is accessible on your screen.
Use the Pin Icon to Keep the Highlighter Selected
Lock the highlighter tool using the built-in pushpin icon in the Comment toolbar so it remains active for continuous text highlighting.
By default, Adobe Acrobat resets your cursor to the Selection tool after you use a commenting or markup tool once. Utilizing the 'Keep tool selected' feature overrides this default behavior.
Navigate to the right-hand tools pane and click on 'Comment' to reveal the commenting and markup toolbar at the top of your document view.
Click the 'Highlight text' icon located in the Comment toolbar.
Look for the pushpin icon (Keep tool selected) in the same toolbar and click it to lock the tool. If the pin icon is not immediately visible, highlight one piece of text to make the pin button appear, then click it.
Continuously Highlight PDFs for Free with WPS Office
If you are looking for a lightweight, free, and intuitive PDF editor, WPS PDF (included in WPS Office) allows you to seamlessly read, annotate, and continuously highlight text without navigating through complex settings.
- 1. Open Your PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your target PDF document using the built-in WPS PDF viewer.
- 2. Navigate to the Comment Tab: Click on the 'Comment' tab located on the top ribbon to access the full suite of annotation tools.
- 3. Start Continuous Highlighting: Click on the 'Highlight' button. The tool remains active automatically, allowing you to highlight multiple sections of text seamlessly. Press 'Esc' or right-click to exit highlighting mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my highlighter tool keep turning off in Acrobat?
By default, Adobe Acrobat automatically switches back to the Selection tool after an annotation tool is used once. To prevent this, you must explicitly click the 'Keep tool selected' (pin) icon in the commenting toolbar.
Is there a keyboard shortcut to access the highlighter tool in Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, you can press the 'U' key on your keyboard to quickly select the highlighter tool, provided that single-key accelerators are enabled in your Acrobat General Preferences.
How do I change the default highlight color in Acrobat Pro DC?
Right-click on an existing highlighted text segment, select 'Properties', and choose your preferred color from the Appearance tab. Check the box that says 'Make Properties Default' before clicking OK to apply this color to all future highlights.
How can I remove a highlight from my PDF document?
Click directly on the highlighted text to select the annotation, then press the 'Delete' key on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can right-click the highlight and select 'Delete' from the context menu.
