Can I annotate a brochure PDF for free?

Yes. Preview on Mac and Microsoft Edge on Windows both annotate PDFs at no cost — no Adobe subscription needed. On mobile, iOS Markup (open the PDF in Files, tap the pencil icon in the share sheet) is also free.

How do I let my client annotate a brochure without installing anything?

Share the brochure as a review link rather than an email attachment. The client opens the link in their browser, clicks the panel they mean, and pins a text note — no app, no account. Email attachments require the client to have annotation software; most don't, so you get a screenshot instead.

How do I annotate a tri-fold brochure so the feedback is clear?

Name the panel in every note: 'back cover', 'inside left', 'inside right'. A circle with no label is ambiguous across six panels. Text callouts that name the panel first — 'Inside right: change the phone number to the 1800 number' — can go directly on a print order without a follow-up call.

What is the best way to get client sign-off on a brochure before printing?

A shared link where the client pins text notes to specific panels produces the clearest feedback. For print jobs, ask the client to call out specific text changes rather than visual impressions — 'make it pop' is not a print instruction. Threaded, anchored comments also give you a written record of what was approved if the printer produces something unexpected.

Can multiple people annotate the same brochure at once?

Not with emailed files — each person marks up their own copy and you end up reconciling four annotated PDFs. A shared review link solves this: everyone annotates the same artifact, comments appear in one thread, and the designer sees all notes without merging conflicting versions.

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How to annotate a brochure

Quick answer

To annotate a brochure, open the PDF in Preview on Mac (Shift ⌘ A for the markup toolbar) or in Microsoft Edge on Windows, then pin text notes to the exact panel you mean — the back fold, the pricing block, the photo caption. To let a client annotate without downloading or installing anything, share a link they open in any browser and click the spot directly.

Step 1

Annotate the brochure PDF in Preview (Mac) or Edge (Windows)

On Mac, double-click the PDF — Preview opens it. Press Shift ⌘ A for the Markup Toolbar, then click the panel you want to annotate. For a tri-fold or Z-fold brochure, panels sit side by side in the PDF; use the text callout tool and name the panel in every note ('inside left: change the tagline') so there is no ambiguity. Save with ⌘ S — annotations embed. On Windows, open the PDF in Edge, use the comment pin, save via Print → Save as PDF. One gotcha: print-ready brochure PDFs with bleed marks and CMYK profiles often render colours incorrectly in browser viewers. Open in the desktop app for accurate colour before you annotate.

Step 2

Mark up a brochure image export (PNG or JPEG)

If the designer shared a flattened image, open it in macOS Preview (Shift ⌘ A) or Windows Snipping Tool (Edit → Draw). Use arrows and text callouts — keep notes text-based rather than freehand scribbles so the designer can read them on a small screen. The problem with image annotations: when revision 2 arrives with a shifted panel layout, you re-annotate a fresh export from scratch and lose the thread of what was approved. That version-tracking breakdown is where a shared review link beats emailed images.

Step 3

Use the source file comment layer (Canva, InDesign, Illustrator)

In Canva, click the speech-bubble comment icon and click anywhere on the canvas to pin a note. Caveat: sharing an editable Canva link means the client can accidentally move elements, not just comment. The safer handoff for sign-off is to export a PDF or PNG and share that for annotation, keeping the editable source separate. For InDesign, export as PDF — clients with free Adobe Reader can add sticky notes and drawing markups without InDesign installed.

Step 4

Share a link so your client annotates without downloading anything

The most common failure in brochure approval: the designer emails a PDF, the client opens it on their phone, leaves a vague highlight, and sends back a compressed screenshot. For a multi-panel brochure — where 'the bit on the right' could mean three different panels — vague feedback is the rule. The cleaner path: a link the client opens in any browser. They click the exact panel (the wrong phone number on the back, the photo that needs replacing on the inside left) and pin a text note anchored to that spot. No download, no email attachment, no re-exporting to figure out which version they marked up.

The faster way

If your client is the one annotating — not you — skip the PDF email loop. Drop the exported brochure (PDF or PNG) into Drafty, share the link, and they click the exact panel and leave a pinned note. No account, no download. Every note lands anchored to the element in one thread; you reply, resolve, and push a corrected version to the same link. For a multi-panel print job where 'the right bit' could mean six different spots, anchored comments are the only feedback that goes to the printer without a follow-up call.

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Questions

Can I annotate a brochure PDF for free?: Yes. Preview on Mac and Microsoft Edge on Windows both annotate PDFs at no cost — no Adobe subscription needed. On mobile, iOS Markup (open the PDF in Files, tap the pencil icon in the share sheet) is also free.
How do I let my client annotate a brochure without installing anything?: Share the brochure as a review link rather than an email attachment. The client opens the link in their browser, clicks the panel they mean, and pins a text note — no app, no account. Email attachments require the client to have annotation software; most don't, so you get a screenshot instead.
How do I annotate a tri-fold brochure so the feedback is clear?: Name the panel in every note: 'back cover', 'inside left', 'inside right'. A circle with no label is ambiguous across six panels. Text callouts that name the panel first — 'Inside right: change the phone number to the 1800 number' — can go directly on a print order without a follow-up call.
What is the best way to get client sign-off on a brochure before printing?: A shared link where the client pins text notes to specific panels produces the clearest feedback. For print jobs, ask the client to call out specific text changes rather than visual impressions — 'make it pop' is not a print instruction. Threaded, anchored comments also give you a written record of what was approved if the printer produces something unexpected.
Can multiple people annotate the same brochure at once?: Not with emailed files — each person marks up their own copy and you end up reconciling four annotated PDFs. A shared review link solves this: everyone annotates the same artifact, comments appear in one thread, and the designer sees all notes without merging conflicting versions.

Keep exploring

How to annotate a PDF How to annotate a flyer How to annotate a design Design feedback tool

Stop emailing files back and forth.

Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.

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