Can I annotate a flyer 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 (tap the pencil icon on any PDF in Files or Safari) is also free. All three save annotations embedded in the file.

How do I share a flyer so my client can leave notes without installing anything?

Export the flyer as a PDF or PNG, then share it via a review link rather than an email attachment. The client opens the link in their browser, clicks the element they mean, and pins a note — no app, no account. Email attachments require the client to have annotation software and produce a version-control mess when they email a marked-up copy back.

How do I annotate a flyer on my phone?

On iPhone: open the PDF or image, tap the share icon, then Markup. Use the pen and text tools to circle and label what you mean, then share the annotated version. On Android: open the PDF in Google Drive and use the comment tool, or open the image in Google Photos and use the drawing tool. For anything more than one or two quick marks, a shared review link on desktop is easier — phone annotations often get small and hard to read.

What is the best way to annotate a flyer for client approval before printing?

A shared link where the client pins text notes to specific elements produces the clearest feedback — they can type exactly what they mean instead of drawing an arrow that loses context in a screenshot. For print jobs, ask the client to call out specific text to fix, not just visual impressions, since 'make it brighter' can't go on the print order. Threaded, pinned comments keep the feedback auditable if there's a dispute about what was approved.

How do I annotate a flyer image (not a PDF)?

Open the PNG or JPEG in Preview on Mac (Shift ⌘ A for markup), Snipping Tool on Windows (Edit → Draw), or iOS Markup on iPhone. Use text callouts with arrows pointing at the specific element — vague circles without labels produce the same confusion as vague emails. Flatten the annotations by saving or exporting a new copy before sending.

Can multiple people annotate the same flyer at once?

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

drafty

How to annotate a flyer

Quick answer

To annotate a flyer, open the PDF in Preview on Mac or Microsoft Edge on Windows — press Shift ⌘ A or use the toolbar — and pin text notes to specific spots. If the flyer is a PNG or JPEG, use Preview or Snipping Tool. To let a client annotate without downloading anything, share a link they open in any browser and click the exact element they mean.

Step 1

Annotate a flyer PDF in Preview (Mac) or Edge (Windows)

On Mac, double-click the PDF in Preview, then press Shift ⌘ A for the Markup Toolbar. Pin text notes to specific areas — the headline font, the phone number, the logo placement — and use the circle tool to ring what you mean. Save with ⌘ S; annotations stay embedded. On Windows, open it in Edge and use the comment pin; save via Print → Save as PDF. One gotcha with print-ready flyers: CMYK PDFs with bleed can render washed-out in browser viewers — open in the desktop app for accurate colour before you annotate.

Step 2

Mark up a flyer image (PNG or JPEG) directly

If the designer shared an image export rather than a PDF, open it in macOS Preview (Shift ⌘ A → markup toolbar) or in Windows Snipping Tool. Use arrows and text callouts to point at the specific element you mean — 'move the date to the top third', 'this blue feels dark, match it to the logo'. For phone review, iOS Markup (open the image, tap the pencil icon in the share sheet) gives you shapes, text, and a magnifier. Screenshot annotations work fine for a single round of notes; they break down fast when the designer sends revision 3 and you have to re-annotate a fresh image from scratch.

Step 3

Use Canva's comment layer (if the flyer lives in Canva)

If the designer built the flyer in Canva and shared an editable link, open it and click the Comment icon in the top bar (the speech bubble). Click anywhere on the canvas to pin a comment. Canva's comment layer is visible to anyone the file is shared with — but sharing an editable Canva link means the client can accidentally move elements, not just comment. The safer pattern for client sign-off is to export a PDF or PNG and share that for annotation, keeping the editable source in Canva separately.

Step 4

Share a link so your client annotates without downloading anything

The most common breakdown in flyer approval: the designer emails a PDF, the client opens it in whatever app their phone defaults to, leaves a scribble that gets mangled in compression, and emails back a half-legible photo. The cleaner path is a link the client opens in their browser — they click the exact spot they mean (the body copy, the incorrect date, the logo that's too small) and pin a text note right there. No download, no email attachment, no hunting for which annotation belongs to which element. You get a threaded comment anchored to the exact point on the flyer, visible from your end the moment they post it.

The faster way

If your client is the one annotating — not you — skip the PDF email loop. Drop the exported flyer (PDF or PNG) into Drafty, share the link, and they click the exact element and leave a pinned note. No account, no download. Every note lands anchored to the spot in one thread; reply, resolve, and push a corrected version to the same link. Useful for print jobs specifically: you get auditable, text-based feedback instead of a scribbled photo that goes to press wrong.

Open a live demo

Questions

Can I annotate a flyer 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 (tap the pencil icon on any PDF in Files or Safari) is also free. All three save annotations embedded in the file.
How do I share a flyer so my client can leave notes without installing anything?: Export the flyer as a PDF or PNG, then share it via a review link rather than an email attachment. The client opens the link in their browser, clicks the element they mean, and pins a note — no app, no account. Email attachments require the client to have annotation software and produce a version-control mess when they email a marked-up copy back.
How do I annotate a flyer on my phone?: On iPhone: open the PDF or image, tap the share icon, then Markup. Use the pen and text tools to circle and label what you mean, then share the annotated version. On Android: open the PDF in Google Drive and use the comment tool, or open the image in Google Photos and use the drawing tool. For anything more than one or two quick marks, a shared review link on desktop is easier — phone annotations often get small and hard to read.
What is the best way to annotate a flyer for client approval before printing?: A shared link where the client pins text notes to specific elements produces the clearest feedback — they can type exactly what they mean instead of drawing an arrow that loses context in a screenshot. For print jobs, ask the client to call out specific text to fix, not just visual impressions, since 'make it brighter' can't go on the print order. Threaded, pinned comments keep the feedback auditable if there's a dispute about what was approved.
How do I annotate a flyer image (not a PDF)?: Open the PNG or JPEG in Preview on Mac (Shift ⌘ A for markup), Snipping Tool on Windows (Edit → Draw), or iOS Markup on iPhone. Use text callouts with arrows pointing at the specific element — vague circles without labels produce the same confusion as vague emails. Flatten the annotations by saving or exporting a new copy before sending.
Can multiple people annotate the same flyer at once?: Not with emailed files — each person marks up their own copy and you end up reconciling four versions. A shared review link solves this: everyone annotates the same artifact, their comments appear in one place, and the designer sees all notes without having to merge anything.

Keep exploring

How to annotate a PDF How to annotate an image 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.

Open a live demo