By Jenefey Aaron

Updated on 2025-03-03

100 % Helpful

PDF Editor Tips

How to Redline a PDF for Effective Document Editing

By Jenefey Aaron

2025-03-03 / Annotate PDF

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Redlining is an essential tool for professionals who need to track document changes, review contracts, and collaborate on edits efficiently. While word processors like Microsoft Word offer built-in redlining features, handling PDFs can be more complex. This guide will teach you how to redline a PDF, when to use it, and the best tools available to help you redline PDFs effectively.

Part 1: What is Redlining and Why is it Useful?

Part 2: When You Should Redline a pdf?

Part 3: How to Redline a PDF Using PDNob PDF Editor

Part 4: Best Tools for Redlining PDFs

Part 5: Conclusion

Part 1: What is Redlining and Why is it Useful?

Redlining refers to the process of marking edits, additions, and deletions in a document, making it easy to track changes and compare versions. It is commonly used in legal, business, and academic settings where document revisions need to be carefully reviewed and approved.

Why Redlining is Important

Clarity in Editing: Redlining highlights changes clearly, preventing miscommunication.
Improves Collaboration: Multiple stakeholders can review and approve edits efficiently.
Ensures Document Integrity: It keeps track of modifications and prevents unauthorized changes.
Legal & Business Documentation: Many contracts and agreements require clear tracking of modifications for compliance and record-keeping.

Part 2: When You Should Redline a PDF?

Redlining is an essential process for tracking document changes, ensuring clarity, and facilitating collaboration. It plays a crucial role in various professional and academic settings where precision and transparency are necessary. Below are some key areas where redlining is widely used:

1. Contract Reviews

Contracts often undergo multiple revisions before all parties reach an agreement. Redlining allows stakeholders to track edits, suggest modifications, and approve changes before finalizing the document. This ensures that all terms are clearly defined and agreed upon, minimizing legal disputes.

2. Legal Documents

In the legal industry, accuracy is paramount. Redlining helps lawyers and legal teams highlight revisions in legal drafts, case filings, and regulatory documents. It enables seamless collaboration, ensuring that all changes comply with legal requirements and client expectations.

3. Academic Research Papers

For researchers and scholars, maintaining the integrity of citations, footnotes, and overall content structure is vital. Redlining allows peer reviewers and editors to provide feedback, track corrections, and refine research papers before submission or publication.

4. Business Reports & Proposals

Companies frequently draft financial reports, business proposals, and whitepapers that require team collaboration. Redlining ensures that every edit—whether related to data accuracy, structure, or wording—remains visible, helping teams finalize polished and error-free documents.

5. Policy and Regulatory Updates

Organizations often update workplace policies, compliance documents, and standard operating procedures. Redlining ensures that changes are clearly documented and easy to review, preventing misinterpretations and ensuring adherence to the latest regulations.

In all these cases, redlining streamlines the editing process, improves collaboration, and enhances document accuracy, making it a critical tool for professionals and academics alike.

Part 3: How to Redline a PDF Using PDNob PDF Editor

PDNob PDF Editor is a professional tool that allows users to redline PDFs effectively. Follow these steps to redline a document using this software.

Step 1: Open Your PDF File

Download and install PDNob PDF Editor on your computer.
Launch the application and click “Open File” to upload the PDF.

Step 2: Use the Annotation Tools

Select the Comment Tool to add text boxes for redlining.
Use the Highlight Tool to mark areas requiring attention.
Choose Strikethrough & Underline to indicate deletions and modifications.

Step 3: Add Comments and Suggestions

Click on the Comment or Note Tool to leave detailed explanations about your changes.
Assign different colors for additions, deletions, and modifications for easy identification.

Step 4: Save and Share Your Redlined PDF

After reviewing and making necessary edits, click “Save” to retain the changes.
If working in a team, you can use PDNob's cloud-sharing feature for real-time collaboration.

Part 4: Best Tools for Redlining PDFs

Redlining a PDF requires specialized tools that offer annotation, markup, and comparison features. If PDNob PDF Editor is not the right fit for you, several other software options provide excellent redlining capabilities. Below are some of the best alternatives for reviewing and tracking changes in PDFs.

1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is widely considered the industry standard for working with PDFs. It includes a robust set of tools for redlining, editing, and reviewing documents.

Key Features:

Advanced annotation tools, including highlights, comments, and strikethroughs.
A built-in document comparison feature to track differences between versions.
The ability to collaborate in real-time with team members.
Secure document handling, including digital signatures and encryption.

Best For:

Legal professionals reviewing contracts and agreements.
Businesses needing secure document collaboration.
Teams requiring detailed tracking of document revisions.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a premium tool with a subscription cost, but it offers unmatched functionality for those who frequently work with PDFs.

2. Foxit PDF Editor

Foxit PDF Editor is a powerful alternative to Adobe Acrobat, offering comprehensive annotation and redlining features. It is known for its speed and lightweight design, making it a good choice for professionals who need an efficient tool.

Key Features:

Full suite of commenting tools, including sticky notes, highlights, and freehand drawing.
Multiple user collaboration and approval workflows.
Integration with cloud storage services like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to edit scanned documents.

Best For:

Teams that require an affordable yet feature-rich alternative to Adobe Acrobat.
Professionals handling large volumes of contract reviews and legal documents.

Foxit PDF Editor is a cost-effective solution for businesses looking for a high-quality PDF editing tool without the expense of Adobe Acrobat.

3. Nitro PDF Pro

Nitro PDF Pro is another strong competitor in the PDF editing market. It provides powerful markup and redlining tools for document collaboration and revision tracking.

Key Features:

A side-by-side document comparison feature to detect changes.
Annotations, highlights, comments, and other markup tools.
Built-in digital signature functionality for document approval.
Cloud-based collaboration for teams working remotely.

Best For:

Business professionals who frequently handle agreements and legal documents.
Organizations that need a straightforward tool for tracking revisions.

Nitro PDF Pro offers a good balance between features and affordability, making it an excellent choice for companies that work extensively with PDFs.

4. PDF-XChange Editor

PDF-XChange Editor is a lightweight yet powerful alternative to more expensive PDF tools. It provides a strong set of annotation and redlining features at a lower cost.

Key Features:

Extensive markup tools, including text editing, highlighting, and drawing.
Redlining features that allow users to track and review document changes.
Support for adding and verifying digital signatures.
Fast performance and low system resource usage.

Best For:

Individuals and small businesses looking for an affordable PDF redlining tool.
Users who need a fast and responsive PDF editor with markup capabilities.

PDF-XChange Editor is a great solution for those who want essential redlining features without the high cost of premium software.

5. Microsoft Word (For PDFs Converted to Word)

While not a dedicated PDF editor, Microsoft Word can be an effective tool for redlining if the PDF is converted into a Word document. Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature allows users to review edits and provide feedback before converting the file back into a PDF.

Key Features:

Track Changes tool to highlight modifications and revisions.
Comments and markup for collaborative document editing.
The ability to save and export back to PDF format after making edits.

Best For:

Users who prefer working in Word but need to redline PDFs occasionally.
Professionals handling contracts and legal documents that need detailed review.

Using Microsoft Word as a redlining tool is practical when dealing with text-heavy PDFs that require extensive revision. However, it may not be suitable for PDFs with complex layouts or graphics.

Choosing the Right Tool for Redlining PDFs

When selecting a tool for redlining PDFs, consider factors such as cost, ease of use, and required features.

For professionals and legal teams, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is the best choice due to its comprehensive redlining and collaboration tools.
For budget-conscious users, Foxit PDF Editor and PDF-XChange Editor offer excellent features at a lower cost.
For business teams, Nitro PDF Pro provides a balance of affordability and advanced editing capabilities.
For occasional users, Microsoft Word can serve as a free alternative if the PDF can be converted into a Word document.

Each of these tools provides unique advantages, so choosing the right one depends on your workflow and document editing needs.

Part 5: Conclusion

Redlining a PDF is an essential skill for professionals across industries, allowing clear document tracking and collaboration. Whether you choose PDNob PDF Editor, Adobe Acrobat Pro, or Foxit PDF Editor, selecting the right tool depends on your workflow requirements. By following this guide, you can efficiently redline PDFs, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and seamless document management in your projects.