How to Change Highlight Color in PDF: A Comprehensive Guide

Part 1. How to Change Highlight Color in PDF Without Adobe

Not everyone uses Adobe Acrobat, and that's perfectly fine. If you're looking for a powerful alternative, Tenorshare PDNob is an excellent choice. It's a user-friendly tool that makes PDF change highlight color a breeze. Whether you're a student, professional, or just someone who needs to manage documents efficiently, this editor has everything you need.

Tenorshare PDNob offers more than just basic editing. It lets you convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, RTF, TXT, PNG, EPUB, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PDF/A, and more. Plus, with 100+ editing options, you can customize text, images, watermarks, links, and backgrounds, as well as merge and protect your PDFs.

Key Features of Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor:

• AI Chat for PDFs: Talk to your PDF—summarize, explain, or enhance content with AI.
• Accurate OCR: Turn scans into editable text with 99% accuracy.
• Format Conversion: Convert PDFs to 30+ formats like Word, Excel, and images with layout preserved.
• Full Editing Tools: Edit text, images, watermarks, links, and backgrounds with 100+ tools.
• Secure Your PDFs: Add passwords, encrypt, and hide sensitive info for safety.
• Batch Processing: Edit multiple PDFs at once to save time.

How to Change Highlight Color in PDF Without Adobe

To use text markup tools in PDNob:

• Navigate to the "Comment" tab.
• Select the desired markup tool from the menu: Highlight, Underline, or Strikethrough.

• Highlight Text

  Click the highlighter icon, choose a colour, then drag across the text you want to emphasise. This is great for marking key terms or summaries.

  

• Underline Text

  Select the underline icon, pick your colour, then click and drag to underline your chosen words or phrases.

  

• Strikeout Text

  Use the strikethrough tool to mark text for removal or edits. Select the tool, and highlight the text you want to strike through.

  

Part 2. How to Change Highlight Color in Adobe Reader

When talking about PDF editing, Adobe Reader often comes to mind first. Known for its professional tools, Adobe makes it simple to highlight, annotate, and customize PDF documents. If you're wondering how to change highlight color in Adobe Reader, you're in the right place. This section will walk you through Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, so you can easily switch to any color you prefer.

How to Change Highlight Color in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

• Open your PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
• Find the highlighted text whose color you want to change.
• Hold down the Ctrl key and drag your mouse over the highlighted text to select it.
• Right-click on the selected text and choose "Properties" from the dropdown menu.

• In the Highlight Properties window:
  • Click the "Appearance" tab.
  • Choose a new color from the palette.
  • (Optional) Adjust the opacity slider to change how light or dark the color appears.
• Click "Make Properties Default" to apply your new color to future highlights, then hit OK. Your selected highlight color is now updated in the PDF.

Part 3. How to Change Highlight Color in PDF on Mac - Preview

Preview is a built-in application on all Mac computers that lets you view and edit images and PDF files without installing any third-party software. It's lightweight, fast, and user-friendly, making it perfect for basic PDF tasks like reading, annotating, and highlighting.

If you often work with PDFs and want to change highlight colors on Mac, Preview is a great tool to get the job done quickly and easily. It supports multiple highlight styles and makes organizing notes in different colors effortless.

How to Change Highlight Color in PDF on Mac via Preview

• Open your PDF file with Preview (just double-click the PDF if Preview is your default viewer).
• Click and drag your mouse to select the text you want to highlight.
• Click the highlighter icon at the top toolbar. This will highlight your selected text in the default yellow color.
• Click the downward arrow next to the highlighter icon to open color options.
• Choose your preferred highlight color, or select Underline or Strikethrough as alternatives.
• Your new highlight color will now be automatically applied to future highlights.

Part 4. Tips for Choosing the Best Highlight Colors in PDFs

Highlighting text in a PDF can help you stay organized, improve comprehension, and make reviewing much easier. But to get the most out of this feature, it's important to be intentional about how you use colors. Here are some practical tips to help you highlight more effectively.

Use a Clear Color-Coding Strategy

Assign different colors to specific types of information. This method helps you visually organize content and quickly identify what you need. For example:

• Yellow for key ideas or definitions
• Blue for names, dates, or facts
• Green for action points or important tasks
• Red or pink for critical information or warnings

Using a consistent system will save you time and improve your review process.

Focus on Contrast and Readability

Make sure your chosen highlight color doesn't interfere with the text. Light colors on white backgrounds can reduce readability. High-contrast highlights such as yellow or green are easier on the eyes and still allow the text to stand out clearly.

Keep Your Highlights Organized

Avoid randomly switching between colors. Stick with your chosen color scheme throughout the document to keep things consistent and easy to follow. This habit is especially helpful when reviewing lengthy materials or sharing documents with others.

Choose Tools with Flexible Highlighting Options

Not all PDF tools offer the same customization. Use reliable software like Tenorshare PDNob or a PDF highlighter online free that lets you choose highlight colors freely, adjust opacity, and edit or remove highlights as needed. This flexibility ensures your notes stay clear and well-organized.

Part 5. Can't Highlight Text in PDF - Fixes

Struggling to highlight text in your PDF? Whether the tool isn't working, colors aren't saving, or you're just unsure how to begin, here are the most common causes and how to fix them. This guide also helps if you're searching how to change highlight color in PDF editor but can't get the highlighter to function properly.

1. The PDF Is a Scanned Document

If your PDF is a scanned image, you won't be able to highlight text because there's no actual text to select.

Fix: Use an OCR tool to convert the scan into editable text. Tenorshare PDNob offers accurate OCR in 16+ languages and is ideal when you want to edit or highlight text smoothly.

2. Highlight Tool Doesn't Work

If clicking the highlighter does nothing, the document may be secured, or your PDF viewer may not support editing.

Fix: Check for document restrictions. If needed, open the file in a more advanced tool that supports full editing especially if you're trying to figure out how to change color of highlighter in PDF environments.

3. Highlight Colors Not Saving

You make the changes, but they disappear after saving.

Fix: Try using "Save As" instead of "Save" to ensure the changes are written properly. Also, make sure your software is updated to the latest version.

4. Limited PDF Reader Features

Some free or built-in readers don't support highlight customization or color changes.

Fix: Switch to a feature-rich PDF editor like Tenorshare PDNob, which supports advanced editing, batch processing, and lets you change highlight color in PDF editor with just a few clicks.

5. Software Version Is Outdated

Older PDF software might lack essential features or have bugs.

Fix: Update your software to access the latest tools, including better highlighting controls and improved saving functions.

Conclusion:

When you're preparing for a big presentation or reviewing a lengthy report, and you need to organize your thoughts clearly. Knowing how to change highlight color in PDF can make all the difference. Color-coding key points helps you absorb and recall information faster.

While tools like Adobe Acrobat and Preview on Mac offer basic options, for a smoother and more advanced experience, Tenorshare PDNob stands out. With its easy interface and powerful features, including flexible highlight customization, it's a great solution for anyone looking to manage their PDF documents more efficiently.

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• Instantly read, summarize, and extract insights from PDF
• Convert PDF to 30+ formats like Word, Excel, and images
• Edit text, images, watermarks, links, and backgrounds for PDF
• 99% OCR precision for making scanned PDFs editable and searchable

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