How to Draw on a PDF for Free: Freehand Sketch and Markup
Quick summary: To draw on a PDF for free on Mac, open it in Preview, click the Markup Toolbar icon, select the pen (draw) tool, choose a color and thickness, and draw directly on the page with your mouse or trackpad. On Windows, use Microsoft Edge’s built-in “Draw” button. On iPhone or iPad, open the PDF in Files, tap the Markup pencil icon, and draw with your finger or Apple Pencil.
Drawing on a PDF means adding freehand pen or pencil marks — circling a paragraph, drawing an arrow to point something out, sketching a diagram, or marking up a blueprint — as opposed to typing text or highlighting existing words. Every method below is a built-in tool, no paid software required. You can also upload the finished PDF to our free AI PDF reader to summarize or ask questions about its content.
How to draw on a PDF on Mac (Preview)
- Open the PDF in Preview.
- Click View → Show Markup Toolbar (or click the toolbox icon in the toolbar).
- Click the pen/draw tool — it looks like a squiggly line or pencil icon.
- Choose a color and line thickness from the options that appear.
- Click and drag on the page to draw freehand.
- Save with Cmd + S.
Tip: Hold Shift while dragging to draw a straight line instead of freehand — useful for underlining or pointing to something precisely.
How to draw on a PDF on Windows (Microsoft Edge)
- Open the PDF in Microsoft Edge (drag and drop, or right-click → Open with → Edge).
- Click the “Draw” button in the PDF toolbar at the top (pencil icon).
- Choose a color and pen thickness from the options that appear.
- Draw directly on the page with your mouse, touchscreen, or stylus.
- Press Ctrl + S to save.
Edge also includes an eraser tool right next to Draw, so you can remove a stroke without undoing your whole drawing.
Drawing with a stylus or touchscreen on Windows
If your device supports pen input (Surface, touchscreen laptop), Edge’s Draw tool responds to pressure and tilt on supported styluses for more natural sketching — no extra setup needed, it works the same as mouse-based drawing.
How to draw on a PDF on iPhone or iPad
- Open the PDF in the Files app.
- Tap the file to open it in Quick Look.
- Tap the Markup icon (pencil tip in a circle) in the top-right corner.
- Select the pen or pencil tool from the toolbar at the bottom.
- Draw directly on the page with your finger.
- Tap Done → Save File.
Drawing with Apple Pencil (iPad)
If you have an Apple Pencil, Markup responds to pressure and tilt for natural, pressure-sensitive strokes — thicker lines with more pressure, thinner with a light touch. On supported iPads, simply touching the Apple Pencil to the screen while viewing a PDF in Files can open Markup automatically.
How to draw arrows and shapes on a PDF (not just freehand)
For straighter, more precise markup than freehand drawing:
Preview (Mac): In the Markup Toolbar, next to the pen tool, click the Shapes icon — choose a line, arrow, rectangle, oval, or speech bubble, then drag on the page to place it.
Files app (iPhone/iPad): Tap the + button in the Markup toolbar → choose Shape → select a shape → drag to resize and position.
Edge (Windows): Edge’s Draw tool is freehand-only; for straight lines, hold Shift while dragging, similar to Preview.
How to change pen color and thickness while drawing
| Platform | How to adjust |
|---|---|
| Preview (Mac) | Click the pen tool again to reopen color/thickness options, or use the color swatches next to the tool |
| Edge (Windows) | Click the small arrow next to the Draw button to expose color and thickness sliders |
| Files (iPhone/iPad) | Tap the selected pen tool a second time to open color and line-width options |
How to erase a drawing or fix a mistake
- Preview (Mac): Select the drawn stroke (click it) and press Delete, or use Cmd+Z to undo immediately after drawing.
- Edge (Windows): Click the Eraser tool next to Draw, then drag over the stroke to remove it.
- Files (iPhone/iPad): Tap the eraser icon in the Markup toolbar, then drag over the mark to erase it, or shake the device (if enabled) to undo.
How to draw on a scanned PDF
Drawing works the same on a scanned (image-based) PDF as on a text-based one — since drawing adds a new layer on top of the page rather than interacting with the underlying text, it doesn’t matter whether the page has a real text layer or is just an image. This makes drawing tools useful for marking up scanned blueprints, forms, and photographed documents.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I draw on a PDF without downloading any app?
Yes — a free online PDF editor in any browser typically includes a draw/pen tool. Search for “draw on PDF online free,” upload your file, use the pen tool, and download the result. For sensitive documents, prefer the built-in Preview, Edge, or Files methods above since they work entirely offline.
Does drawing on a PDF permanently change the file?
Only once you save. In Preview, drawings remain a movable annotation layer until you flatten the PDF or export it in a way that merges everything into the page — see how to flatten a PDF for free to lock drawings in permanently.
Can I draw on a PDF with a mouse if I don’t have a touchscreen or stylus?
Yes — every method above works with a standard mouse. Freehand drawing with a mouse is less precise than with a stylus or finger, but perfectly usable for circling content, underlining, or rough sketches.
How do I draw a straight line on a PDF instead of freehand?
In Preview on Mac, hold Shift while dragging with the pen tool. In the Files app on iPhone/iPad, use the Shapes → Line tool instead of the freehand pen for a perfectly straight line.
Can I draw on a PDF and then remove my drawings later without affecting the text?
Yes, as long as the PDF hasn’t been flattened — drawings are stored as a separate annotation layer. Open the Markup toolbar, click the drawn stroke, and press Delete. The underlying page content is untouched.
What’s the difference between drawing and highlighting on a PDF?
Drawing uses a freehand pen to create new marks anywhere on the page — arrows, circles, sketches — independent of the existing text. Highlighting specifically colors over existing selectable text to emphasize it. See how to highlight in a PDF for free for the text-highlighting workflow.
Related guides
- How to annotate a PDF for free — the broader markup toolkit, including comments and stamps
- How to add a signature to a PDF for free — draw a signature specifically
- How to add an image to a PDF for free — insert a photo or logo alongside your markup
- How to redact a PDF for free — permanently black out content instead of circling it