Writing comments and making notes on a PDF is fairly straightforward. But when you need to annotate a PDF on a more advanced level, things have a tendency to get a little more difficult.

This is why contractors and traders often endure the slow and drawn-out process of converting their PDF files into Word documents. A viable option when you need to markup a document, but far from the quickest or most convenient option.

When every member of your team can edit PDF files with no unnecessary complications, team collaboration and efficiency improve significantly. As for the good news – drawing on a PDF can be surprisingly straightforward, just as long as you have the right tools for the job.

Features to Look For in a PDF Markup Tool

There are several essential features your PDF editing tool must have, if it’s to be used for markups and quotations:

  • Highlighter – The classic highlighter function is used to draw attention to specific areas of importance in your PDF, or emphasise details that may otherwise go overlooked.
  • Drawing – You should also be able to draw on your PDF with ease, either by way of a broad range of pre-set shapes or by drawing freehand.
  • Sharing – Cloud-based PDF markup tools are essential when working on projects as part of the team, enabling all contributors to collaborate seamlessly and in real-time.
  • Commenting – Likewise, communication holds the key to effective collaborations, which is where a PDF tool’s commenting feature plays an important role.
  • Annotating – With an annotating feature, you can attach sticky notes to PDF files that only you can see, which can be useful for staying organised when working on multiple documents simultaneously.

In addition to the above, a simplified drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for everyone working on the project to collaborate – no technical skills required. The easier a PDF markup tool is to use, the bigger the benefits for everyone involved.

Use a Professional PDF Markup Tool?

There are plenty of generic PDF editing tools available on the mainstream software market, which can be great for general purposes. But for contractors, traders and businesses looking to mark up important project PDFs, it pays to bring a specialist software suite on board, like ZapQuote.

Here are just a few of the ways your projects (and your business) stand to benefit by switching to ZapQuote:

  1. Faster Review and Approval Process 

For project managers, an intuitive PDF markup tool can speed up the process of reviewing documents and approving plans/quotations. This can streamline and accelerate the entire project, while making it easier to get things up and running in the first place.

  1. Improved Collaboration

A user-friendly PDF markup tool promotes better teamwork by keeping everyone on the same page and empowering all contributors with the same ability to review, edit and amend PDFs. The easier a PDF markup tool is to use, the better.

  1. Productivity Increase

Last up, spending less time on document edits means having more time to focus on the essential logistics of the project. A common concern among contractors is spending too much time in the office, rather than overseeing their projects in a more hands-on capacity.