How do I change the highlighter color in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC permanently?

Question

I downloaded the latest version of Acrobat Reader and cannot figure out how to permanently change the highlighter color for all future uses. In the version I have on another computer, I can simply right click on the highlighter icon and select the color and transparency I wish to use.

Is this still possible in the new version? I don't like the harsh yellow that is the default and it's not practical to change the color of every highlight I make.

mine is set to green and I have no idea how to change it. It used to be simple and intuitive to change the color in previous versions and in DC it seems to be impossible. :( — Brian D, Jun 01 '16 at 18:55

Brian D · Answer 1 · 2021-03-15T18:47:51.677

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You can change the highlight color using the Highlight Text tool, which is available from the (rather hard to find) Comment Toolbar like this:

Go to View > Tools > Comment > Open to enable the Comment Toolbar
Click on the Highlight Text tool button
The Color Picker button now turns from greyed-out (disabled) to blue (enabled)
Two options here:

Option 1. Click on the Color Picker button and select the color you want your Highlight Text tool to be (limited colors).
Option 2. Ctrl+E (Windows) or command ⌘+E (Mac) to open the Tool Properties menu (broader selection of colors, as others have pointed out).

Go forth and Highlight text

Screenshot for context:

Adobe Highlighting Options

edited Mar 15 '21 at 18:47

answered Jun 01 '16 at 19:15

Brian D

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Terrible, terrible interface. Thank you so much! – Avi Aug 18 '16 at 08:30
Can't, however, get the same shade of yellow as before - [See this image](https://snag.gy/KMQI2S.jpg): Good old on "point out", Bad New on "from the" – Avi Aug 18 '16 at 08:47
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@BrianD, I set em up, you knock em down! :) – KyleMit Apr 03 '17 at 13:59
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Also +1 @KyleMit for use of freehand circles – Brian D Dec 20 '17 at 16:37
nicely explained. – Vishrant Jan 10 '18 at 19:12

score 10 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 14 '18 at 19:54

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Here's the easiest way: Ctrl + E

(If the "Highlight text" tool is not selected, select it first by clicking on it.)

Now you can choose your favorite color from color panel at left corner box

edited Oct 14 '18 at 19:54

Ulrich Stern

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answered Sep 22 '17 at 19:34

Mohammad Heydari

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It was way easier... btw. Works on mac os.. use `cmd + e` – Lamda Dec 19 '17 at 16:16
More important, this is the only way to set a "No color", for example when filling ovals. – Samo Jul 21 '18 at 01:12
Nice thing about this solution is that it gives more color options than Brian's answer. – Ulrich Stern Oct 14 '18 at 19:45

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 25 '16 at 15:14

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Yes it is still possible. Go to the Highlight tool and right click, and then click on tool default properties. This is where you can select the new colour.

*I tested this on Version:

2015 Release: Version 2015.009.20069

Version File Version: 15.009.20069.28170

answered Feb 25 '16 at 15:14

nktsamba

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I wasn't able to find "tool default properties" but I did find "Show properties toolbar" and that worked perfect. I think part of my problem was that I was also using Reader on only half my computer screen and the smaller window hides some of the functions. Thanks for you help though! – struggleBus Feb 25 '16 at 17:32
Right clicking on the highlight tool in Acrobat Reader DC (Windows 7, 2015 Release: Version 2015.016.20041) does not open a menu that contains a "tool default properties" option. – Brian D Jun 01 '16 at 18:56

flen · Answer 4 · 2016-09-21T06:59:27.553

I haven't tested it in Reader, but this works on Acrobat Pro DC:

If you need to change an annotation's color on the fly, you can click on it and then press CTRL + E (CMD + E for a Mac). After you chose the color, click "More..." and check "Make Properties Default" to permanently store your prefered color as the new highlight color.

This is almost the same as right-clicking a comment and choosing "Properties", but the interface is nicer and it's quicker to change properties this way.

An observation: if you press CTRL + E and, without having selected any specific comment, click on a comment tool (Highlight, Underline, etc.) and change its properties in the new interface opened by CTRL + E, it will make those properties the default properties for that comment tool, but only for this session of Acrobat. That is, as soons as you close all Acrobat instances and start the program again, it will revert to the "default properties" you've set as "default" through the "Make Properties Default" method above mentioned.

This works in Adobe Reader DC too :) And it's much neater than the longer way described above. — Ambidextrous, Nov 25 '17 at 19:16

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Nov 04 '16 at 16:52

TO change the highlighter color in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (2016 on Mac) 1) Select the document's tab 2) Double-click on the comment tool in the right pane -- this will open a 'comment' toolbar below the 1st toolbar. (View -> tools -> comment -> open also achieves this.) 3) Click on the paint bucket icon, and pick a new color That color will be applied to future comments / highlights. Hopefully this is what you mean by "permanently".

Ayushi Jha · Answer 6 · 2016-12-08T07:42:03.897

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For me, there were 3 ways:

Right Click on Highlight button -> Show Properties Bar. A small bar named Highlighter Tool Properties would be added on screen.
Right Click on the highlighted area, click on Properties....
Press Ctrl + E, it opens the same toolbar as in pt. 1.

I tested it on the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, 2015 Release, Version 2015.020.20042 (Windows).

edited Dec 08 '16 at 07:42

answered Dec 08 '16 at 07:24

Ayushi Jha

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How do I change the highlighter color in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC permanently?

6 Answers6