upload_file Getting Started
Click the Open button or drag and drop a file onto the upload area to begin
annotating. LanaPDF supports PDF, PNG, JPEG, and TIFF files.
draw Drawing Tools
- pan_tool Select &
Move: Click this tool to select any annotation and drag it to a new position.
You can also highlight and copy embedded PDF text directly on the page (then Ctrl/Cmd+C to
copy).
Double-click text annotations to edit them. Selected shapes show resize handles for easy
resizing.
- stylus Pen: Draw
freehand lines and sketches. Click and drag across the document to create custom drawings.
- ink_highlighter
Highlighter: Create semi-transparent highlighting effects. Perfect for
emphasizing important text or sections.
- ink_eraser Eraser:
Remove unwanted annotations. Click on individual items or drag across multiple annotations
to erase them.
- text_fields Text:
Add text annotations anywhere on the document. Click to place a text box, type your content,
and click outside or press Escape to confirm.
- rectangle Rectangle
(Hollow): Draw rectangular outlines. Click at one corner and drag to the
opposite corner. Resize by selecting and dragging the blue handles.
- magnification_large
Rectangle (Solid): Create filled rectangles for covering or emphasizing
areas. Resize by selecting and dragging the blue handles.
- circle Circle:
Draw circles by clicking at the center and dragging outward to set the size. Resize by
selecting and dragging the blue handles.
- east Arrow: Draw
directional arrows. Click at the starting point and drag to the endpoint. Resize by
selecting and dragging the blue handles.
- horizontal_rule
Line: Draw straight lines between two points. Resize by selecting and
dragging the blue handles.
- counter_1 Numbered
Bubble: Create numbered circles (1, 2, 3, etc.) for sequential marking. The
counter automatically increments with each bubble.
- content_cut Cut &
Move: Draw a dotted rectangle around any content (PDF text, images, or
annotations),
cut it out, and place it anywhere on the document. Like old-school MS Paint! The selected
area
shows animated "marching ants" while selecting.
- delete_sweep Clear
Page: Remove all annotations from the current page only. Other pages remain
unaffected.
palette Customizing Your Annotations
- Colors: Choose from preset colors or use a custom color picker for text and
shapes. The active color is shown as a swatch in the Color dropdown button.
- Brush Size: Adjust the thickness of pen, highlighter, and shape outlines
using the slider (1-20px).
- Opacity: Control transparency of your annotations (10-100%). Lower values
create more subtle marks.
- Text Settings: Customize font size (8-72px), font family (40+ Google Fonts
+ web safe fonts), and apply bold, italic, or underline formatting.
- Numbered Bubbles: Adjust bubble radius (15-50px) and manually set or reset
the counter as needed.
- Active Tool Indicator: The Tools dropdown button shows the name of your
currently selected tool (e.g., "Select", "Pen", "Rectangle").
zoom_in Navigation & Viewing
- Page Navigation: Use the arrow buttons or page dropdown in the right panel
to move between pages.
- Zoom Controls: Click the zoom in/out buttons or use +/- keys for 20% zoom
steps.
For fine control, use Ctrl/Cmd+Scroll (5% steps). Hold Space and drag to pan the document
(both horizontally and vertically when zoomed in).
- Pages View: Click the "Pages" button to see all pages as thumbnails. You
can reorder pages by dragging and dropping them.
- Thumbnails: The right panel shows small previews of each page for quick
navigation.
more_horiz Additional Actions
- Undo: Revert the most recent action. Works across all pages and keeps a
history of up to 50 actions.
- Redo: Restore an action that was undone. Available immediately after using
Undo.
- Print: Print the current page with all annotations included.
- Clear All: Remove all annotations from all pages in the document. This
action can be undone.
save Saving Your Work
Click the Save button when you're finished annotating. Enter a filename (or use
the auto-generated name) and click Save. Your annotated document will be downloaded as a PDF
with all annotations permanently embedded.
tips_and_updates Tips & Tricks
- Hold Shift while drawing shapes to constrain proportions (perfect circles and squares).
- Use the Select tool to reposition annotations without redrawing them.
- Adjust opacity before drawing to create layered effects.
- The numbered bubble counter can be reset or manually adjusted at any time.
- Text boxes can be resized by dragging the resize handle before typing.
- Double-click text annotations with the Select tool to edit their content.
- Use the Pages modal to reorder pages in multi-page documents.
- Drop Images: Drag and drop an image file from your desktop directly onto
the PDF canvas to add it as an annotation. You can then move and resize it like any shape.
- Shape Resizing: Select any rectangle, circle, arrow, or line with the
Select tool to see blue resize handles. Drag any handle to resize the shape from any
direction.
- Toolbar Indicators: Check the Tools and Color dropdown buttons to see your
currently active tool and selected color.
- Return Home: Click the LanaPDF logo in the header to return to the file
upload page. You'll be prompted to confirm since unsaved work will be lost.
keyboard Keyboard Shortcuts
Tool Selection:
- S: Select & Move tool
- P: Pen tool
- H: Highlighter tool
- E: Eraser tool
- T: Text tool
- C: Cut & Move tool
- R: Rectangle tool
- F: Solid Rectangle tool
- O: Circle tool
- A: Arrow tool
- L: Line tool
- N: Numbered Bubble tool
Actions:
- Ctrl/Cmd+C: Copy highlighted PDF text
- Ctrl/Cmd+Z: Undo last annotation
- Ctrl/Cmd+Y or Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z: Redo last undone annotation
- Escape: Deselect current tool, cancel drawing, or close modals
- Delete/Backspace: Remove selected annotation (in Select mode)
- + / =: Zoom in (20% steps)
- -: Zoom out (20% steps)
- Ctrl/Cmd+Scroll: Fine-grained zoom in/out (5% steps for precise control)
- Space+Drag: Pan/scroll the document (hand tool)
- Arrow Keys: Navigate between pages