How to highlight text in a PDF on Mac
Select, highlight, and the mark goes into the document itself — so whoever you send it to sees what you saw. With Verso.
Highlighting is the most-used mark there is, and the one most likely to be read by somebody else. Getting it right is mostly about colour discipline, not technique.
Highlighting, along with the rest of markup 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.
Highlight, step by step
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Choose the highlighter
It sits in the tool pill along the bottom of the window. It stays selected until you choose something else, so a whole pass of highlighting is one choice followed by reading.
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Pick a colour
Any colour you like. The picker keeps the swatches you have used, so the exact green you highlight with is one click away next time instead of something you mix again from scratch.
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Select the text
Drag across the words. The highlight follows the shape of the line, including across a line break.
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Adjust or remove
Click a highlight to select it, then recolour it, move it or delete it. The eraser removes marks quickly, and undo works throughout.
Colour, used well
A document highlighted in four colours chosen at random is harder to read than one highlighted in a single colour. Colour is only useful when it means something, and it only means something if everyone reading agrees what.
| A workable scheme | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Important — read this closely. |
| Green | Agreed, checked, or done. |
| Pink or red | Problem — wrong, missing, or needs an answer. |
| Blue | Cross-reference — relates to something elsewhere. |
The specific scheme matters far less than having one. If you are reviewing with other people, five seconds agreeing the colours at the start saves an argument at the end.
A page with four lines highlighted tells the next reader where to look. A page with twenty tells them nothing, because a highlight only carries meaning when most of the page does not have one.
If you cannot select the text
Highlighting works on text, and a scanned page has none — it is a picture of a page. Run Make Searchable over it and the words become selectable, after which highlighting works normally.
If you want to mark a scan without recognising it first, the drawing and shapes tools work on any page: a marker stroke or a rectangle does the same job visually.
Sending a highlighted document on
Your marks are stored in the document, so anyone opening the file in any reasonable PDF app sees them. Nothing needs exporting and nothing is left behind.
If the highlights must not be moved or removed by whoever receives them — a final record, a signed copy — flatten the document first. That fixes them permanently into the page, at the cost of turning those pages into pictures, so their text stops being selectable.
Frequently asked questions
How do I highlight a PDF on a Mac?
Open it in Verso, choose the highlighter from the tool pill along the bottom, pick a colour and drag across the words. The mark goes into the document itself.
Can I change the highlight colour?
Yes, to anything you like. The picker keeps the swatches you use, so a colour you return to is one click away rather than something you mix again.
Why can I not highlight my PDF?
The page is a scan, so there is no text to select. Run Make Searchable over it first, or use the drawing and shapes tools, which work on any page.
Will other people see my highlights?
Yes. They are stored inside the document, so anyone opening the file in a reasonable PDF app sees them exactly as you made them.
How do I remove a highlight?
Click it and delete it, or use the eraser. Undo works throughout. Once a document has been flattened the marks are part of the page and cannot be removed.
Is highlighting free?
Reading is free permanently. Markup is part of Premium, and it is labelled with a small lock before you use it rather than after.