Draw on PDF

Runs in browser PDF Editing & Annotation

Sketch, circle, underline by hand or sign with a stylus. Choose the colour, stroke width and opacity; each stroke is an object you can move, resize or delete. Strokes are saved as vector paths, so they stay crisp at any zoom.

Privacy: Processed locally in your browser. Your file is not uploaded.

What is a PDF annotation, and why does whiting-out text not remove it?

An annotation is an object attached to a page on top of its content: highlights, underlines, strike-throughs, sticky notes, free text, ink drawings, shapes, stamps and signature fields are all annotation types defined in ISO 32000, stored in the page's /Annots array and editable or removable later. Flattening draws them permanently into the page content. The PDF editor on this site keeps only highlights, underlines, strike-throughs (unless you choose to flatten them) and sticky notes as annotations; the text, drawings, shapes, stamps and signature images it adds are written straight into the page content and are permanent. A white rectangle drawn over text is exactly that — a shape on top — so the text beneath still exists, copies and searches; only redaction, which deletes the underlying content, removes it.

Security note: Covering text with a shape is not redaction: the hidden text remains in the file and can be selected, extracted or found by search. Use a redaction tool that removes content, then check the result by searching for the removed text.

Read the guide: How to Edit a PDF Without Uploading It

How to use Draw on PDF

  1. Drop a PDF.
  2. Choose the pen (or a shape) and draw on the page.
  3. Change colour or width before or after drawing.
  4. Click "Save PDF" and download.

Draw on PDF features

  • Freehand pen with round caps
  • Straight lines, arrows, rectangles, ellipses
  • Colour, width 1–12 pt, opacity
  • Every stroke is an object: move, resize, delete
  • Mouse, touch and stylus
  • Vector output

Draw on PDF example

Circle a mistake and point at it

Input:

Ellipse around the figure, arrow from the margin, red, 3 pt

Output:

draft-drawn.pdf — an ellipse and an arrow as vector paths on page 2

Frequently asked questions about Draw on PDF

Does it work with a touch screen or a stylus?

Yes. Pointer events are used throughout, so a finger, an Apple Pencil or a Wacom pen all draw; the page does not scroll while a drawing tool is active.

Are drawings vector or bitmap?

Vector. Each stroke becomes a path with round caps in the page content, which prints sharply and adds only a few bytes per stroke.

Can I erase part of a stroke?

Select a stroke and delete it, then redraw; or cover an area with the whiteout tool in the full PDF Editor. Partial erasing of a single stroke is not offered.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. The file is opened and processed by your browser with WebAssembly and JavaScript; nothing is sent to Mutqan Soft or anyone else. Close the tab and the file is gone. Downloading the result needs a free account — no subscription, no payment.

Can I use it on a password-protected PDF?

Yes, if you know the password: the file list asks for it once and every operation then works on the decrypted pages. The output is saved without a password unless you protect it again.

Technical notes

Pointer events with capture give one stroke per pointer-down; points closer than ¾ px are dropped to keep paths small. Strokes are written with drawSvgPath (moveTo/lineTo, round line caps and joins) and arrowheads as filled triangles computed from the line angle.

References