Nov 18 2019 04:02 PM - last edited on Nov 09 2023 11:09 AM by
Using a digital pen or touch to write directly on PDF files has been one of the top feature asks from Microsoft Edge insiders. We are pleased to announce that inking mode for PDF files has rolled out to all Insider Preview channels. With this new inking mode, users can fill out PDF forms and sign using ink or take notes directly on PDF files and save for later reference.
To access this feature, open any PDF file from your computer or from the web. In the toolbar that is seen on the top, you will see two new options – Draw and Erase. You can click or tap on the Draw button to enter inking mode. Once in this mode, you can use a digital pen, touch or even mouse to write on any part on the PDF file. You can use two finger swipe for panning the file or use pinch gesture to zoom in/out if you want to navigate the file while in inking mode.
If you make any mistakes while writing or drawing on the document, you can use the eraser by clicking or tapping the Erase button. To erase ink strokes in the erase mode, just move the pointer across any ink stroke to erase it.
Once you are done marking up the file, you can use the Save button in the toolbar to save your work and all the annotations you made will get saved onto the file. You can reopen the file at any point to see the ink annotation on the file or edit them. You can also print the file along with the annotations in case you want to send out a copy of the annotated form, for example.
This is just the first step for inking support for PDFs. For inking, right now we offer basic support with one pen color and stroke size. We will build on this over time, supporting additional capabilities and quality enhancements. Following is the list of inking features the team is working on:
If you have any feedback or suggestions for the current version of inking support in Microsoft Edge, please do write as well. To send any feedback use the Send feedback in the top right corner of the app or leave a comment to this post. We are listening!
Dec 04 2019 06:41 AM
Dec 04 2019 09:56 AM
@HotCakeX
It should be noted that this is available only after enabling it through the Experimental flags: #edge-pdf-highlight
Gabriel
Dec 07 2019 07:52 PM
Dec 07 2019 07:52 PM
Dec 08 2019 12:06 PM
Dec 09 2019 02:30 AM
@Elliot Kirk When testing this feature, I opened up a PDF from my Desktop and annotated some text. However, clicking Save got me a Save as option. Why can't I just save the file I opened?!
Dec 09 2019 04:09 AM
@Krysset wrote:@Elliot Kirk When testing this feature, I opened up a PDF from my Desktop and annotated some text. However, clicking Save got me a Save as option. Why can't I just save the file I opened?!
This^ is my concern too
Dec 09 2019 08:02 AM
@HotCakeX Thanks for pointing this out. We are working on getting this fixed. Till then, the fallback is to use the "Save as" like functionality to save the edited PDFs.
Dec 16 2019 01:07 AM
Dec 22 2019 12:29 PM
Please add save functionality ( not a "save as" ), bookmarks/Content and some keyboard shortcuts for:-
1. Pen/Draw tool (Alt+P)
2. Eraser tool (Alt+E) (currently Alt+E does the same job as Alt+F : "..." menu)
3. Page entering text box/Page Goto box (or whatever it is called.)
Dec 23 2019 08:13 PM
@ZodiacVG Which build? We added the support for the back button eraser and it is already there in Canary. Please let us know if it is not working for you.
Dec 23 2019 08:16 PM
@smartens222 We are working on features which you mentioned which would be useful for all users like text highlights. In fact, the feature is already live in Canary and Dev. Our effort is that PDF annotations should be accessible with any input mode.
Dec 23 2019 08:17 PM
@Maan2003 This is a great feedback and it is definitely something that we plan to add.
Jan 20 2020 01:23 AM
As someone already wrote, like in other apps (OneNote, Edge legacy...) touching with a single finger should scroll/pan the page, while using a pen should write/erase ink. As in other Windows Ink apps, a dedicated button should be present for writing with touch as well (disabled by default). The actual behavior could be activated automatically only on devices that do not support an active pen.
Jan 22 2020 08:01 PM
@Elliot Kirk Aun se extrañan todas las capacidades que teníamos en el Edge tradicional, hacía mucho la diferencia frente a Chrome y demás navegadores. Yo he dejado de lado Acrobat pero ahora al faltar tantas herramientas debo pensar en volver. Esperemos que pronto tengamos las mismas habilidades, incluso las notas web, eran fantásticas.