How to add shapes and arrows to a PDF on Mac
Lines, arrows, rectangles and ovals — the marks that point instead of describing.
“The third column of the second table, four rows down” is a sentence nobody wants to write or read. An arrow does it in one gesture.
Shapes is part of Premium, so it carries a small lock in the document actions panel and in the menu bar. The lock is a label rather than a barrier — you can open the feature and see what it does before deciding to unlock it. Reading and every page operation stay free.
What is available
| Shape | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Line | Connecting two things, or ruling off a region. |
| Arrow | Pointing at the thing you are talking about. The most useful of the four by some distance. |
| Rectangle | Framing a region — a table, a paragraph, a part of a drawing — without covering it. |
| Oval | The same job with a softer edge. Circling a figure reads as less formal than boxing it. |
Each takes any colour and line weight. Rectangles and ovals can be outlined or filled; a filled shape at low opacity tints a region without hiding it.
Adding a shape
-
Choose the shape
From the shapes tool in the pill along the bottom of the window.
-
Set colour and weight
A thin line reads as precise; a thick one reads as emphatic. Match it to how strongly you mean it.
-
Drag it out
For an arrow, drag from the tail to the head, so it ends up pointing where you want. Hold ⇧ while dragging to constrain a line to a clean horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
-
Adjust it
Every shape can be moved, resized, recoloured and deleted afterwards. Undo works throughout.
Drawing an opaque black box over a name hides it on screen and leaves it in the file, where anyone can select the text underneath and copy it straight back out. This is the single most common way sensitive documents leak. If the point is to remove something, use redaction, which takes the content out.
Shapes plus a note
An arrow says where. A note says what. Used together they are the clearest possible review mark: point at the thing, then say what is wrong with it in words. Either one alone leaves the reader guessing.
On plans and drawings
Shapes come into their own on documents that are not text: site plans, schematics, floor layouts, screenshots in a set of instructions. If you also need to know how far apart two things actually are, the measuring tool reads real-world distances once you have set the drawing's scale.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add an arrow to a PDF on a Mac?
Choose the shapes tool from the pill along the bottom, pick the arrow, and drag from the tail to the head so it points where you want.
How do I circle something in a PDF?
Use the oval. Drag it out around what you want to mark, and set the line weight and colour to suit how emphatic you mean it.
Can I draw a straight line?
Yes, with the line tool. Hold ⇧ while dragging to constrain it to a clean horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
Is a black rectangle the same as redacting?
No, and this matters. A rectangle is just another mark: the text underneath is untouched and can be copied straight back out. Redaction removes the content.
Can shapes be moved after I draw them?
Yes — moved, resized, recoloured or deleted, at any point before the document is flattened.