In Nebo, you can annotate imported PDF files using your pen or keyboard.
When you export an annotated PDF, you can choose whether to include your annotations in the exported document.
When performing a search within Nebo, your search results will include hits from within your PDF annotations, handwritten or typed.
Annotating PDFs
You can annotate PDFs by writing or drawing directly on the imported file. Alternatively, you can add one or more blank pages to accommodate your content.
Once you've opened a PDF file in Nebo, there are two ways to add a new page:
- Tap the ➕ icon or
in the upper right-hand corner, then select Blank page. It is currently not possible to change the background style of this page. - Long press anywhere on the screen to display a menu, then choose Insert blank page. You can rearrange any of the pages within a PDF by selecting Move page and then choosing Move up or Move down. To delete a page, access the same menu and select Delete page.
Using your pen or the keyboard
Use your pen to write within a PDF, just like you would on paper. You can convert your handwriting to typed text if needed. Find out more about converting handwritten annotations and drawing perfect shapes in PDFs in this article.
You can also type annotations using the keyboard. Tap the keyboard button in Nebo's toolbar or tap once anywhere in the PDF to activate the keyboard. If tapping once doesn't activate the keyboard, check this feature is activated by tapping the ⋯ button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, then choosing Advanced > Tap for keyboard.
When you type, your text will overlay the original PDF content as a separate text block that you can move, resize and realign as needed.
Deleting annotations
You can use the scratch-erase gesture to delete annotations one at a time.
To delete all annotations within a PDF in one go, tap the ⋯ button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and select Clear all annotations.
⚠️ Choosing Clear all annotations will not remove any pages you have added to your PDF.
Managing annotations
Use the lasso to select annotations or parts of annotations, then choose from the following actions:
- Move - Drag the selected annotation to move it around the PDF.
- Recolor - Tap the desired color in the toolbar to recolor the selected annotation.
When you select annotations with the lasso, an options menu automatically displays. This menu contains one or more of the following options, depending on the type of content selected:
- Cut - Removes your selection from the PDF, ready to paste.
- Copy - Copies your selection to the clipboard.
- Copy as - Copies your selection as Text, Sketch, Math or Diagram, ready to paste into another Nebo page or another app. If you copy an annotation as text, it will auto-convert when pasted into another app. If you copy an annotation as a diagram and paste it into PowerPoint, it will remain editable.
- Delete - Deletes your selection.
- Convert - Converts handwriting to typed text.
- Resize - Displays handles you can manipulate to resize the selected object.
Importing external content to a PDF
To import text, long press on the desired location within your document and select Paste. The text will appear as a separate block that you can freely move, resize and realign.
To import images, see Importing and managing images.
Marking up PDFs
To mark up a PDF, select the highlighter from the toolbar. You can tap the highlighter tool again to adjust the stroke width.
Use the color picker in the toolbar to change the color of your highlights. To remove highlights, select the non-color option in the color palette.
⚠️ The highlighter's smart mode is currently only supported for digital annotations, not for marking up the PDF's original content. For more information see Editing PDF annotations.