PDF annotators

Introduction

The purpose of this page is to collect notes on tools that allows annotating pdf files. We consider only tools that are free.

Jarnal

General notes

• requires Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to run
• cross-platform
• not very fast, but useable
• main concept: the tool loads a pdf file as a background image, then allows simple drawing on another layer on top of the background
• allows exporting the result as another pdf, combining the original pdf and the new layer
• further info can be found at Jarnal home page: http://www.dklevine.com/general/software/tc1000/jarnal.htm

Installation

• on Windows:
  • install JRE if needed. A quick way to do that is to download from http://filehippo.com/download_java_runtime/ and run the installer.
  • download http://www.dklevine.com/general/software/tc1000/jarnal-install.zip
  • unpack it to C:\jarnal (you can choose another location if you want)
  • to start the tool, open c:\jarnal\jarnalannotate.cmd
• on linux:
  • a JRE must be installed first if needed (not described here)
  • download http://www.dklevine.com/general/software/tc1000/jarnal-install.zip
  • unpack and install:

sudo mkdir -p /opt/jarnal
cd /opt/jarnal
unzip /path/to/jarnal-install.zip

• • After installation, to start the tool run sh /opt/jarnal/jarnalannotate.sh
• on MacOSX:
  • the same as on linux; MacOSX has JRE installed by default

Usage

Please put here questions and answers on jarnal's usage; if you have a question but don't know the answer, put it here too, someone else might answer it

• Start the application, then select File/Open Background to open a PDF file
• To put some text:
  • click on Text tool
  • click on the place you want to write text
  • type the text in
• To move some drawn text around:
  • click on Select tool
  • click on text and drag it to another place
  • N.B.: every time you want to move some text (or another piece of drawing), you must click on the Select tool first and then drag the relevant object.