If someone emails you a PDF form that was meant to be printed and filled out by hand, or if you need to add a quick note to a digital document before sending it back, you do not need to purchase an expensive Adobe Acrobat license. The built-in Preview app on macOS contains a powerful set of markup tools that allows you to easily add custom text boxes directly on top of any PDF file.
How to Access the Markup Toolbar
The text editing tools in Preview are hidden by default to keep the interface clean for reading.
- Double-click your PDF file to open it in the Preview app.
- Look at the top right area of the application window, near the search bar.
- Click the Markup Toolbar icon. It looks like a small pencil tip enclosed in a circle.
A new horizontal toolbar will immediately slide down directly below the main menu, revealing a variety of editing tools, including shapes, signatures, and text options.
How to Add and Position a Text Box
Adding text to the document is a simple two-step process.
- In the newly revealed Markup toolbar, click the Text tool icon (which looks like a capital ‘T’ inside a square).
- A small text box containing the word “Text” will instantly appear exactly in the dead center of your current PDF page.
Because the box always appears in the center, you will almost certainly need to move it to the correct location (such as on top of a signature line). Simply click directly on the edge of the text box and drag it to your desired location. You can also click and drag the small blue dots (handles) on the left and right sides of the box to stretch it, giving yourself more room to type a long paragraph.
How to Edit the Text and Formatting
To actually type your information, double-click directly on the word “Text” inside the box to highlight it, and then begin typing. Your new words will replace the placeholder.
If the default text is too large, or if it is the wrong color (Preview often defaults to red text for annotations), you can easily change the typography.
- Click once on your text box to select it.
- In the Markup toolbar, click the Text Style icon (which looks like an uppercase ‘A’ next to a slightly smaller uppercase ‘A’).
- A drop-down menu will appear. Here, you can change the font type, adjust the numerical font size, apply bold or italic styling, and select a new text color from the color palette box.
When you are finished filling out the document, simply press Command + S to save the file. The text boxes will be permanently embedded onto the PDF, and whoever opens the file next will see your annotations exactly as you typed them.