How to Turn Off the Pencil Tool in Adobe Acrobat on a Surface Device
Question details
The user needs to disable the Pencil tool in Adobe Acrobat that activates unexpectedly when using a stylus.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- Microsoft Surface
- Scenario
- Using a stylus to navigate, read, or annotate a PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat unexpectedly switches to the Pencil tool and draws red ink instead of showing the normal cursor for navigation or selection.
Ensure your Surface stylus is properly connected and that your Windows touch screen drivers are up to date before adjusting internal settings in Acrobat.
Use the Esc Key and Select Tool
The quickest way to exit the active drawing mode is by using a keyboard shortcut and manually selecting the default cursor.
Acrobat sometimes misinterprets stylus input as a drawing command. Interrupting this mode manually restores standard navigation.
Tap the 'Esc' key on your Surface Type Cover or attached keyboard to instantly exit the active drawing or Pencil tool mode.
Navigate to the Acrobat toolbar at the top of the screen and click on the 'Hand' tool or the arrow 'Select' tool to restore normal cursor functionality.
Turn Off the Pencil Tool in Comment Settings
If the Pencil tool keeps activating, you can explicitly turn it off from the Comment tools menu.
Adjust Windows Pen Settings and Restart Acrobat
Persistent issues might be caused by Windows overriding Acrobat's touch settings.
Use WPS Office for a Better Stylus Experience on PDFs
If Acrobat continues to glitch with your Surface stylus, switch to WPS PDF. It offers smooth, native stylus support for highlighting, annotating, and reading without unexpected drawing errors.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and click on 'Open' to select your PDF file.
- 2. Navigate Using Touch or Stylus: By default, you can use your Surface stylus to scroll and select text seamlessly without triggering drawing tools.
- 3. Access Annotation Tools: When you want to draw, go to the 'Comment' tab and select the Pen tool. Simply click the Select tool to stop drawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat automatically draw red lines when I use my Surface Pen?
Acrobat often detects the Surface Pen as an active annotation tool by default. If the Pencil tool is accidentally triggered, it will draw red ink instead of acting as a pointer.
Can I disable touch and stylus drawing entirely in Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, you can go to Edit > Preferences > General in Acrobat and adjust the Touch Mode settings to prevent the software from automatically enabling drawing features.
What should I do if pressing Esc doesn't stop the Pencil tool?
If the Esc key doesn't work, manually click the arrow icon (Select Tool) on the top toolbar using your mouse or trackpad, then save your document and restart the application.
