How to Draw a Line on PDF[4 Simple Methods]

PDFs play a vital role in sharing all kinds of PDF documents. Adding lines to PDFs isn’t just a visual enhancement, it’s a practical way to convey complex ideas.

This guide explores 4 easy methods for drawing lines in PDFs, making your documents more reader-friendly and informative.

👉 The best option is using PDFgear, the best PDF markup software for Windows, Mac, and iOS.

How to Draw Lines in PDF Using PDFgear

PDFgear is a powerful PDF markup app with drawing tools for you to draw shapes on PDF including straight lines, circles, and rectangles.

Equipped with advanced AI tech, PDFgear is now the top free AI PDF editor. Whether you’re reading, converting, or editing PDF files, just tell PDFgear what you need, and it’ll handle the rest for you. Here is how to draw a straight line on PDF using PDFgear:

Step 1. Open a PDF in PDFgear

Free to download and install PDFgear on your Mac or Windows PC. Launch PDFgear and open your PDF document.

Select the “Annotate” tab from the toolbar, and you will see the shape-drawing tools under the tab.

Step 2. Draw a Straight Line in PDF

Choose “Line” from the available shapes.

Click and drag your mouse to draw the line where you want it. You can also move the line and place it anywhere.

Step 3. Customize the Line

Customize the line’s color and thickness as needed.

Save your edited PDF when you’re finished.

How to Draw a Straight Line in Adobe Acrobat

As a professional and widely used PDF editing tool, Adobe Acrobat offers various annotation and drawing tools. If you’ve already got Adobe Acrobat installed, then follow these instructions to learn how to draw a line in Adobe Acrobat:

Step 1. Start by opening your PDF in Acrobat. Go to ‘File’ and click ‘Open.’

Step 2. Access the commenting tools by selecting ‘Comment’ on the right-hand bar. Then choose ‘Drawing Tools’ and pick ‘Line.’

Step 3. Draw a line on your document. For a straight line, hold down the Shift key while drawing.

Step 4. To change the color, thickness, and opacity, use the icon with four lines in the Comment toolbar.

However, please note that Adobe Acrobat is not free and requires a subscription or a one-time purchase. It might have a steeper learning curve for beginners.

How to Add a Line in PDF Online for Free

If you prefer not to install software to draw lines on your PDF, PDFgear’s online tool is just what you need. All PDF editing features are free on the web browser, allowing you to add text, drawings, notes, highlights, and more to PDFs.

No sign-up, registration, or ads, simply follow these steps to add lines to your PDF documents.

Step 1. You can add your PDF file by clicking the upload button, or simply drag and drop your PDF files into PDFgear online PDF editor.

Step 2. Open the editing tools from the top toolbar, and select the shape tools in the drop-down.

Step 3. You can adjust the line color, thickness, and transparency according to your preferences. Now, draw a line or lines on the document.

Step 4. After you’re finished, download your edited PDF.

How to Draw a Line on PDF in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge’s built-in PDF editing features are relatively basic compared to dedicated PDF editing software. You can draw lines, add text, and make simple annotations, but more advanced features might not be available.

Step 1. Firstly, right-click on your PDF file and choose “Open with” followed by “Microsoft Edge.”

Step 2. When your file opens in Microsoft Edge, access the toolbar and click on the “Draw” icon. From there, pick your line’s color and thickness through the options in the “Draw” menu.

Step 3. You’re now all set to draw on your PDF. You can use the “Erase” icon to remove any unwanted markings when you make a mistake.

Step 4. After finishing your edits, simply click on the “Print” icon to save your edited PDF file at a specific location with a new name.

Conclusion

That’s all about the 4 methods to draw a line on a PDF, and they all work for you. Adobe Acrobat is a good option, but it requires a subscription for access to its drawing tools. When using Microsoft Edge as a PDF viewer on a Windows PC, it only offers basic annotation tools.

In contrast, PDFgear allows you to draw lines both online and offline using its free PDF editor. PDFgear provides more than just shape drawing tools, it also offers a wide range of advanced markup tools and editing tools.