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Annotate PDF for journalists
Updated July 2026
Arthize lets journalists and newsrooms annotate a PDF in a private workspace — free, with no watermark. Annotating a PDF adds highlights, comments, shapes and notes on top of the page, so you can mark up a document without changing its text.
Why journalists annotate a PDF
A journalist OCRs a scanned document dump so it's searchable, extracts key tables into a spreadsheet, and redacts a source's identifying details plus metadata before publishing.
Built for FOIA releases. Whether it's FOIA releases, leaked documents, reports, Arthize's annotate pdf keeps the work inside your private workspace. Source protection is paramount; documents must be handled privately and metadata stripped before publishing.
What matters when you annotate a PDF
Annotations sit on top of the page and don't change the underlying text.
You can highlight, comment, draw and add notes.
Annotated files are ideal for review and feedback.
How to annotate a PDF
- 1
Open the editor
Sign in and open the PDF editor.
- 2
Add your PDF
Upload the document to mark up.
- 3
Add annotations
Highlight text, add comments, draw shapes or leave notes.
- 4
Download
Save the annotated PDF.
Common questions
- How do journalists annotate a PDF for free?
- Annotating a PDF adds highlights, comments, shapes and notes on top of the page, so you can mark up a document without changing its text. On Arthize it's free with no watermark, and the file is deleted after the job — which is why journalists and newsrooms can use it for FOIA releases without a confidentiality risk.
- Is it private to annotate a PDF sensitive FOIA releases?
- Yes. Source protection is paramount; documents must be handled privately and metadata stripped before publishing. Files are processed inside your private Arthize workspace and deleted after the job.
- How do I annotate a PDF?
- Annotating a PDF adds highlights, comments, shapes and notes on top of the page, so you can mark up a document without changing its text. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.
- Can I highlight and comment on a PDF?
- Annotating a PDF adds highlights, comments, shapes and notes on top of the page, so you can mark up a document without changing its text. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.
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