How to strike through in PDF files.

Learn how to use the Strikethrough Text tool to cross out words, sentences, or whole paragraphs within PDF documents.

Strikethrough Text is a handy editing tool for today’s online documents, but there’s nothing modern about it. Centuries ago, scribes first used the strikethrough method as a way to indicate incorrect information when writing sacred texts by hand on vellum or parchment. With a few easy clicks, you can make these marks in your documents, too — although perhaps without the same satisfaction of brushing lines of ink across a rustling page.

What does it mean to strike through PDF text?

To strike through text in a PDF file means to cross out words, sentences, or whole paragraphs within PDF documents.

You may use this tool when collaborating and showing others which words you think should be removed. In general, people primarily use the strikethrough tool to mark text that contains errors or needs to be removed or corrected. This enables readers to see the original version of the text for transparency. In some contexts, a strikethrough that is shown is sometimes used ironically.

Step by step: how to strike through in PDF files.

Sometimes when editing or proofreading a PDF document, you may need to delete unnecessary text from the document without actually removing the paragraphs or words. This is when the strikethrough tool comes in handy and allows you to cross out the words while still leaving them readable.

This guide will outline how to use this tool with Adobe Acrobat online services.

How to strike through text in PDF with the Strikethrough Text tool.

When using the Strikethrough Text tool, you’re simply drawing lines through text. It’s a great way to edit documents. Use it to cross out incorrect or outdated information, to remove lines or paragraphs that feel redundant, to make way for improved copy — any time one or more words need to go, for whatever reason. Here’s how to use the Strikethrough Text tool on a PDF file:

1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat online services.
2. Select Tools, then Comment. This will bring up the Comment Toolbar.
3. Choose the tool. The “T” with a line through it indicates the Strikethrough Text tool. Click to select.
4. Apply. Drag your cursor over the text you want to mark.

When you finish with the Strikethrough tool, you can simply deselect it from the menu to stop using it. Then you can add comments pertaining to your markups, or you can edit the PDF to make any necessary changes. When you’re all set, download a copy for safekeeping or share it with others.

Strike through a PDF with an Adobe Acrobat alternative.

If you prefer using Word to strike through a PDF file, you can convert the file to a Microsoft Word document to cross out the text.

1. Convert the PDF file to a Word document here.
2. After you have converted the file, open your document in Word.
3. Highlight the text you want to strike through.
4. Click the strikethrough button on the toolbar that looks like “ab.”
5. Your highlighted section will be crossed out with a horizontal line straight through the text.
6. You can also simply click the strikethrough button on the toolbar and begin typing. This will add a strikethrough to everything you write until you click the button again to toggle it off.
7. After you’re done editing your Word document, you can convert it back to a PDF file here.
8. The new PDF file will keep the edits, including the crossed-out text you added.

Can I remove a strikethrough in PDF text easily?

Once a strikethrough is added, you can remove it later by following these simple steps:

1. Choose the text with a strikethrough.
2. Click the text.
3. Press Delete on the keyboard to remove it.
4. Save the new file by clicking File > Save As.

If I strike through text on paper and scan it to PDF, what happens?

When you do a manual strikethrough on paper, and then scan it to PDF using Adobe Scan, the OCR software in the app will recognize the strikethrough. You will not be able to remove this element when editing in Acrobat or Reader, so your best option is to edit and strike through text after you have scanned the paper.

More resources to work with your PDFs.

Now that you’ve learned how to strike through in PDF files, here are additional ways to edit or work with document files:

• Have multiple PDFs? Try our tool to merge PDFs.
• Using Word? Learn how to strike through in Word.
• How to redline documents in Word.
• Learn how to turn PDF from landscape to portrait.

Discover everything you can do with Acrobat online services to edit, share, and send important documents to your colleagues, employees, students, and more.