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How to Redline in Adobe Acrobat | A Complete Guide

  • By Lena
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  • Updated on June 11, 2025
Introduction:
Whether you are viewing PDFs in legal or academic arenas, redlining is essential for reviewing and editing documents. Adobe Acrobat provides powerful tools to help you efficiently redline PDFs in professional settings. This knowledgeable blog post will guide you through the detailed process on how to redline in Adobe Acrobat using its desktop application and online services.
summary

Can You Redline in Adobe Acrobat?

Yes. Adobe Acrobat enables you to redline and track changes between document versions. It ensures a thorough review and effective collaboration. However, Adobe isn't without its downsides. The subscription can be expensive for individuals or small teams. Additionally, its interface may be overwhelming for new users. It may not please those seeking a quick and straightforward solution.

Do you want a more affordable and user-friendly alternative? Then, look nowhere! SwifDoo PDF is a great option. It offers powerful redlining and PDF annotation tools in a lightweight, easy-to-navigate interface. It is perfect for efficient document review without the complexity or cost.

Keep reading to learn how Adobe and SwifDoo PDF can help you redline PDFs without a fuss.

How to Redline in Adobe Acrobat

You can easily redline PDFs in Adobe Acrobat using the desktop app and online services. Take a look at both methods and pick the one that best meets your needs.

Redline PDFs in Adobe Acrobat App

The Adobe Acrobat desktop app works well on both Windows and macOS, allowing you to redline PDFs directly from your computer. Check out how to redline a PDF in Adobe Acrobat desktop application.

Step 1: Download and open the Adobe Acrobat desktop app. Then, upload the PDF document to Acrobat.

Step 2: Click Tools and choose Comment to view the toolbar.

Step 3: Select the Strikethrough option and pick the red color to strikethrough in a PDF.

Redline PDFs in Adobe Acrobat App

Step 4: Drag from the beginning of the text you wish to mark up. Click Control and drag to mark up a rectangular area of text.

Your PDF will be instantly redlined. When you share the document with anyone, they can immediately identify the areas that need attention for editing, negotiation, or approval. Feel free to make further edits and repeat the process until satisfied.

Redline PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Online Services

Adobe Acrobat online services also allow redlining a PDF. You can highlight, underline, strikethrough, and do much more to mark up changes, additions, and deletions, showing revisions between drafts. This helps indicate all that has been modified in the document.

Here's how to run a redline in Adobe Acrobat online services by crossing out text.

Step 1: Open your current web browser. Navigate to the Adobe Acrobat free online services.

Step 2: Click "Select a File" and locate the PDF document you want to redline. Alternatively, drag and drop the required PDF to the file selection frame.

Note: If you haven't signed in to Adobe before, you'll be asked to sign in to proceed.

Step 3: Click Edit in the toolbar. Now, you'll find the A icon (Fill in form fields), denoted by an 'A in a square.' It will appear on the left side of your document.

Step 4: Click the icon and select Cross out in the dialog box.

Step 5: Click the beginning of the text you want to mark up and drag the slider. Pick the Text Color as red to redline the desired text.

Redline PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Online Services

Once done, click Download at the top to download the redline PDFs and save them to your local storage.

Bonus Tip: Redline PDFs with the Best Adobe Alternative

SwifDoo PDF is an excellent Adobe Acrobat alternative to edit and annotate PDFs. This comprehensive software can redline PDF documents effortlessly in many ways. For instance, you can strike through text in a PDF to cross out content and add a callout to the PDF. SwifDoo PDF also enables users to add attachments and notes to a PDF document.

Benefits of using SwifDoo PDF to redline PDFs

  • Offers precise markup tools to highlight, underline, strikethrough, and add sticky notes
  • Seamless collaboration with multiple users to mark up the same document
  • Easily handles all types of formats and files, such as forms, scanned documents, or native digital PDFs
  • User-friendly interface with secure editing and password protection for annotated documents

Check how to redline a PDF using the SwifDoo PDF software.

Step 1: Download and launch the SwifDoo PDF on your computer.

Step 2: Open the PDF document you wish to redline. Then, click Annotate in the top bar and edit to redline your PDF file.

Redline PDFs with SwifDoo PDF

Step 3: Finally, click the Save button to save the changes.

Download this powerful and comprehensive PDF annotator today to efficiently redline documents. Besides redlining, it can also view, edit, annotate, compress, organize, and split PDFs. It stands out as an ultimate solution to handle all PDF-related tasks effortlessly.

Final Wrap Up

Redlining documents is essential to track changes when necessary edits are made. Here, we have offered the step-by-step process on how to redline in Adobe Acrobat desktop app and online services. You can choose either way based on your convenience and be more productive. However, its expensive subscription plans and steep learning curve may compel you to use the SwifDoo PDF. Its intuitive interface and accessibility help achieve high-quality results rapidly.

Lena has been in the editing industry for 8 years. She is familiar with a variety of products that can make things easier, such as PDF tools, video recording software, iOS location changer, etc. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with users to help them solve problems in their work and life. In her spare time, she likes to play with her cat.

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