How to Draw on a PDF on iPad

If you want to draw or write on a PDF on your iPad, the built-in tools make it simple. Paired with Apple Pencil, the iPad becomes a precise annotation device. Here’s how to use Preview and Notes, and when switching to PDFgear offers a smoother, more powerful experience.

How to Draw on a PDF on iPad Using Preview

With iPadOS 26, Apple introduced a dedicated Preview app for iPad, bringing the familiar macOS PDF experience to mobile users. Because it is pre-installed and entirely free, Preview is ideal for quick tasks such as highlighting, sketching, circling important information, or jotting down short handwritten notes.

Steps to Draw on PDF with iPad Preview

1. Open the Preview app, or tap a PDF in the Files app to open it directly in Preview.

2. Tap the Markup icon at the top of the screen.

3. Choose a drawing tool such as a pen, marker, or pencil.

4. Double-tap the tool to adjust thickness and opacity, and use the color palette to pick a stroke color.

5. Draw or write on the PDF using your Apple Pencil or finger.

6. Tap the Markup icon again to save the annotated document.

Preview provides eight brush types, from Fineliner Pen to Pencil to Crayon and Airbrush, making it more versatile than most built-in PDF tools. You can also add a sticker, text, signature, shape, or loupe while drawing.

The main limitation is performance: complex drawings or dense sketches can create larger file sizes and occasional lag, especially on older iPads.

How to Draw on a PDF on iPad Using Notes

Notes remains an excellent option for iPads that haven’t been upgraded to iPadOS 26 or for users who prefer mixing PDFs with other content. The Markup tools in Notes are identical to those in Preview, but the environment is far more flexible. You can combine handwriting, typed text, images, checklists, and attachments within the same note, allowing you to build study guides, research notes, lecture highlights, or brainstorming pages around the PDF itself. Many users prefer Notes for long-form reading or academic work because it feels like attaching a PDF to an expandable digital notebook.

How to Use Notes

1. Open a new or existing note.

2. Tap the Insert (or Attachment) icon and select Attach File to insert your PDF.

3. Tap the Markup icon.

4. Choose to draw with a pen, marker, or pencil. Double-tap the tool to adjust thickness and opacity, and pick a stroke color in the color palette.

5. Tap the Markup icon again to save the annotated note.

Compared with drawing on an iPad in Preview, the Scribble feature in Notes is especially helpful when you want handwritten input converted into text within form fields. And because each note can expand as much as you need, it becomes a convenient “sticky pad” attached to the document.

How to Draw on a PDF on iPad Using Free PDFgear

PDFgear is a fully featured PDF editor designed specifically for iPadOS and optimized for both touch and Apple Pencil. Unlike many professional PDF tools, PDFgear is completely free, ad-free, and requires no login. It offers a larger toolkit than Preview, including extensive brush styles, customizable shapes, sticky notes, precise partial-stroke erasing, and improved object controls.

For users who want room to revise their markings, erase freely, and annotate deeply, PDFgear provides a more powerful solution.

Steps to Draw on a PDF in PDFgear

1. Download PDFgear from the App Store. Open the PDFgear app.

2. Tap the Plus button in the lower-right corner to add your PDF from Files to PDFgear. Then tap on the PDF in PDFgear to open it.

3. Tap the Edit button to go to the Annotation mode.

4. Tap the Pen tool or Marker tool on the toolbar. Then choose your preferred stroke color, thickness, and whether you need to draw in a straight line.

5. Write or sketch using your finger or Apple Pencil.

6. Tap a drawn stroke and drag it to move it.

7. Tap Done to save the file, with all strokes remaining fully editable for later revisions.

For tasks that require a larger canvas or more precise zooming, you may prefer drawing on a PDF with PDFgear on a Mac or on Windows.

Unlike Preview, PDFgear allows you to modify drawings after they’re created. You can select any stroke to change its thickness or color, reposition it, and resize standard shapes.

If you want to explain or label your drawings, PDFgear lets you attach a text comment to any individual shape or stroke. Tap the speech-bubble icon, then tap anywhere around a drawn object to add a label or comment. This feature is especially useful for teachers grading assignments, designers annotating drafts, or collaborators sharing feedback.

How to Draw on a PDF on iPad Using Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a familiar choice for professional environments and provides a streamlined interface modeled after the desktop version. It offers reliable annotation tools, signature features, and optional cloud syncing. Drawing and basic commenting are available for free, while document editing, cloud storage, and advanced markup options require an Acrobat Pro subscription.

Steps to Draw on a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader

1. Open the Adobe Acrobat Reader app. Go to Files to open the PDF.

2. Tap the pencil icon to activate drawing mode.

3. Select a color and stroke thickness.

4. Draw or annotate using your Apple Pencil or finger.

5. Use Smart Shapes if you want the app to automatically smooth your lines or convert rough sketches into clean shapes.

6. Tap the pencil icon again to save your changes.

Acrobat’s free drawing tools are limited. The app offers only one stroke style, preset colors, and no partial eraser, which makes complex or artistic annotation more difficult. PDFgear, by comparison, delivers full customization, multiple shapes, sticky notes, and precise erasing with no subscription required, giving users much more freedom for creative or detailed PDF markup.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Apple Pencil When Drawing on PDFs

Drawing on a PDF is smoother when you let the Apple Pencil’s hardware features work for you. Soft pressure produces fine, controlled strokes, while firmer pressure adds bold emphasis. Keeping palm rejection enabled helps prevent accidental marks so your hand can rest comfortably on the screen. When filling out forms or adding structured notes, combining Scribble with Markup lets you convert handwriting into clean, typed text.

But these features are available only in apps that integrate Apple’s PencilKit framework, meaning that when you edit the PDF in Chrome or Safari, you cannot use them.

FAQs

How to draw on downloaded files on iPad?

When you download a PDF from email, Safari, or another app, it usually saves to the Downloads folder in the Files app by default. Open Files and navigate to On My iPad > Downloads or iCloud Drive > Downloads, depending on where your file was saved. Tap the PDF to open it. From there, you can use the built-in Markup tools by tapping the pen icon at the top, or open the PDF in PDFgear for more advanced editing.

How to write on PDF on iPad with Apple Pencil?

To write on a PDF on iPad with Apple Pencil, open the PDF in Preview, Notes, or PDFgear. Tap the Markup or Annotate icon, select a pen or pencil tool, adjust thickness and color if needed, then write naturally on the PDF. Save to keep your edits.

What’s the best app to draw and write on a PDF on an iPad for free?

The best fully free option is PDFgear. It offers more drawing and annotation features than the built-in apps and avoids subscriptions, ads, and account requirements. With brush customization, multiple shapes, sticky notes, and precise erasing, it provides the most complete free editing environment on iPad.

How do I make my drawings permanent so they don’t move or get deleted?

The simplest way is to “Print to PDF” from Preview, Notes, or PDFgear, which flattens annotations onto the page. PDFgear also offers a reliable PDF flattener tool to merge drawings into the PDF, ensuring they won’t shift and can no longer be edited, while keeping the document searchable.

How do I draw on a PDF on an iPad for free without Adobe Acrobat?

You can use Preview, Notes, or PDFgear. Among these, PDFgear offers the most comprehensive editing tools without requiring payment or sign-in.

Do Apple Pencil features work in all PDF apps?

Most iPad apps that support Apple’s PencilKit framework, such as PDFgear, Preview, Notes, Acrobat, GoodNotes, or Notability, can make full use of the Apple Pencil’s pressure, tilt, and palm rejection. Web-based PDF editors opened in Safari or Chrome cannot access Pencil APIs and treat the Pencil as a basic stylus.

Conclusion: The Best Way to Draw on PDFs with Apple Pencil

Preview and Notes offer quick, dependable markup options for everyday use, but users who want deeper control will benefit from using a dedicated PDF editor. PDFgear provides a wide range of free tools, with natural Apple Pencil support, customizable brushes, shape tools, and advanced annotation features without any subscription.

If you want the smoothest drawing experience, try your next annotation project using PDFgear’s free iPad PDF editor, built for precision, clarity, and effortless Apple Pencil writing.