How to View or Print Only Highlighted Text in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user wants to extract and print only the actual text that has been highlighted in a PDF document.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader / Acrobat Pro
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Trying to print a PDF document with its markups, but the output produces reference markers instead of the actual highlighted text.
- Observed behavior
- Printing documents and markups only produces markup references. The free version of Acrobat Reader lacks the native ability to copy highlighted text into comments for extraction.
Before attempting to print or extract your highlights, note that the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader does not support this feature natively. Ensure you have access to Adobe Acrobat Standard, Acrobat Pro, or a capable alternative PDF editor.
Enable Text Copying and Print Summarized Comments in Acrobat Pro
Change your Acrobat preferences to automatically copy highlighted text into the comment pop-ups, allowing you to summarize and print them.
You must configure this setting before making your highlights. Existing highlights will not automatically populate with the text because the setting only applies to new annotations.
Go to the Edit menu (or the Acrobat menu on macOS) and select Preferences.
Select 'Commenting' from the Categories pane on the left side.
Check the box that says 'Copy selected text into Highlight, Strike-Out, and Underline comment pop-ups' and click OK to save your changes.
Go through your PDF document and highlight the desired text. The text will now be automatically copied into the annotation's comment field.
Go to File > Print. In the Print dialog box, click on the 'Summarize Comments' button to print only the highlighted text and annotations.
Extract and Manage PDF Highlights Easily with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a comprehensive, free PDF editor that allows you to easily highlight text, manage annotations, and organize your comments without needing an expensive Acrobat Pro subscription.
- 1. Open your PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document using the built-in PDF Editor.
- 2. Add highlights and comments: Navigate to the Comment tab and select the Highlight tool to mark important text sections.
- 3. View and extract highlights: Open the Comment pane on the left sidebar to view all your highlights in a summarized list, making it easy to reference or copy the text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extract highlighted text in the free Adobe Reader?
No, the free Adobe Acrobat Reader does not support copying highlighted text into comments natively. You will need Acrobat Standard, Acrobat Pro, or a third-party script/software to extract highlights.
Why does my printed PDF only show markup references instead of the text?
If the highlight annotation does not contain the copied text within its comment field, the print summary will only output a reference to the highlight (such as 'Highlight on page 1') instead of the actual text.
Do existing highlights automatically update if I change the preferences?
No, changing the preferences to copy text into highlight comments only applies to new highlights made after the setting is enabled. Your existing highlights will remain empty.
