Opening and arranging comment pop-ups in a PDF
Double-click a comment in PDF by Zaweba to open its note beside it with author, date, words and replies, then move, resize or edit it in place.
A comment mark on its own only tells half the story. The highlight shows where; the note says why. Pop-ups put that note on the page beside its comment, so you can read the remark and the text it refers to together.
In PDF by Zaweba, double-click a comment to open its pop-up. You can also use Comment > Open or close its pop-up, Open all pop-ups, or Close all pop-ups. The pop-up shows the author, the date, the words and any replies. Drag its title bar to move it, drag its corner to resize it and double-click the words to change them. A dashed line joins it to its comment, so you can see which note belongs to which mark.
Reading a review with pop-ups
Opening all pop-ups at once turns a page of marks into a page of conversations. Every note is visible next to its comment, and the dashed lines show which is which. It is the closest thing to holding a marked-up paper copy, with the remarks written in the margins.
On a crowded page, open pop-ups one at a time instead. Double-click a mark, read it, close it and move on.
Arranging pop-ups
Pop-ups can sit wherever is clearest. Drag them into the margin so they do not cover the text, and resize them so long notes are readable without being huge. The dashed line keeps the link to the comment, however far you move the pop-up.
On a page with several comments close together, spread the pop-ups out so their lines do not cross. That makes a busy page much easier to follow.
Editing in place
Double-click the words in a pop-up to change them. That is quicker than going through the Comments panel for a small correction, such as fixing a typo in your own note or adding a sentence.
Replies appear in the pop-up too, so you can follow a short conversation without leaving the page.
Pop-ups or the Comments panel
Both show the same comments; they suit different moments. The panel is best for managing a review: searching, filtering, sorting and setting status. Pop-ups are best for reading in context, where seeing the note beside the text makes it clearer.
A common rhythm is to read the document with pop-ups open, then use the panel to set status and filter out what is done.
Comment > Properties changes a comment's colour, author and other settings. Review history shows who set which status and when. Pop-ups focus on the words themselves, and the three together cover what most reviews need.
Tips for a tidy page
Close all pop-ups when you have finished reading them. Open pop-ups can get in the way when you are just reading the document.
Move pop-ups rather than resizing them very small. A tiny pop-up hides most of its words, which defeats the point.
Keep notes short. A pop-up is a note in a margin, not a letter. If a point needs a long explanation, it may belong in a separate document or a reply thread.
Crowded pages and other people's words
Leaving every pop-up open on a dense page makes it unreadable. Open them where you need them.
Changing someone else's words in their pop-up is another. If you disagree, reply instead, so the original remark stays as it was written.
Simple as they are, pop-ups make reviewing in PDF by Zaweba feel natural, with every note visible right beside what it is about.
