PDF and Drawing Review in zipBoard: Complete Guide
To review a PDF or drawing in zipBoard, upload the PDF to a project, open it in the review view, and mark it up with annotation, shape, stamp, signature and measurement tools. Reviewers can comment from a share link without signing up, and you track, filter, resolve and export the feedback in the same place. This guide summarizes each part of the workflow and links to the detailed article.
How do I upload a PDF to zipBoard?
Add the PDF from the +Add menu in your project, then click Start Reviewing to open your review session. You can pick files manually or drag and drop them.
- Select +Add.
- Choose PDF from the drop-down menu.
- Click Choose files or drag and drop your PDF files.
- Click Start Reviewing.
How do I share a PDF for review without requiring a login?
Create a share link for the PDF and choose its permissions: view all boards/reviews, add new boards/reviews, or both. Guests open the link in any modern browser, enter their name if prompted, and can comment without installing software or signing up.
Read more: How to Share PDFs Without Login or Signup and How to Review a PDF via a Share Link
What markup and drawing tools can I use on a PDF?
The PDF viewer groups tools into tabs: Annotate (highlight, free text, rectangle, free hand, underline, strikeout, squiggly, note, hyperlinks), Shapes (ellipse, arc, polygon, cloud, line, polyline, arrow), Insert (signature, stamp, image, callout) and Fill and Sign (cross, tick, dot, calendar stamp). You can change color, opacity, stroke thickness and text style for each annotation. The upgraded PDF viewer loads automatically for all users and also lets you detect words under highlights or underlines, remove or insert text, and add callouts.
Read more: How to Draw on a PDF in zipBoard, Streamlining PDF Collaboration with our Latest Tools, The Upgraded zipBoard PDF Markup Experience and What are the Annotation Tools in zipBoard?
Which PDF annotations create tasks?
Markups (highlight, underline, strikeout, squiggly, note), shapes, lines and free hand tools automatically create a task when you save the annotation, and a task panel opens where you can assign an owner, set priority and add instructions. Free Text, inserts (signature, rubber stamp, image) and Fill and Sign tools are visual only and do not create tasks.
Read more: Creating Tasks from PDF Annotations
How do I add stamps and signatures?
An organization Admin adds stamps under Manage Org > Stamps; reviewers then pick a stamp from the review toolbar and drag it into place. To sign, upload an image of your signature from the signature icon in the review toolbar, then select it and drag or resize it on the page or onto a stamp.
Read more: How do I add and use stamps on a PDF? and How do I add and use my signature on a PDF?
Can I attach files to PDF comments?
Yes. In the PDF review view, open a comment thread, click the attachment icon in the reply box and submit the reply to pin the file to that comment. Attachments must be under 5 MB, and guest reviewers can download them without logging in.
Read more: Can I attach Files Inside the PDF Document Review View?
How do I jump to a specific annotation?
Each PDF annotation creates a linked task in the project task list. From that task, click Review / View Annotation and the PDF opens with that exact annotation highlighted.
Read more: Quickly Navigate to the Right Annotation in PDF Reviews
How do I resolve comments in the sidebar?
The review sidebar splits feedback into Active Comments and Resolved Comments, with search and filter menus. Click Resolve to move a comment to the resolved tab and hide its annotation; click it again to reopen. You can also open the task, edit, delete or reply from either list.
Read more: How to Use Comment Resolution and the New Sidebar in zipBoard
How do I filter PDF comments by task status?
Open the filter menu in the review view, select statuses on the Task tab, check Filter document and comments panel, and click Apply. While any filter is active, the Filter button is highlighted with a blue border, even after you close the menu. In the project task list, you can also filter tasks by status and combine it with filters such as owner or priority.
Read more: How to Filter Task Status in Review View, How Do I Know a Filter Is On in the PDF Review View? and How to Streamline Your Workflow Using Status Filters
How do I measure drawings and set the scale?
Open the Measure tab, calibrate the scale (paper unit and display unit, or two points of a known dimension), then use the Distance, Area, Perimeter, Arc, Rectangle, Ellipse or Count tools. Each measurement keeps its own scale, custom scales are saved for reuse, and guest reviewers can measure without logging in. Measurements are saved on the document as annotations in the comments panel but do not create tasks, and there is no project-wide measurement table or spreadsheet export today.
- How to Measure Distance, Area, and Perimeter in zipBoard
- How to Calibrate Scale for Accurate Measurements
- How to Use Multiple Scales in One Drawing Set
- How to Measure a Document Using Arcs
- How to Measure an Area and Angle on a Document?
- How to Count Measurements on a Document
- Are My Measurements Saved to My Project?
How do I compare PDF versions and manage revisions?
Upload a revision with Upload a New Version on the file; zipBoard keeps all versions in a timeline, and a new version resets previous approvals and moves the file back to "Needs my review" for reviewers. With at least two versions, choose Compare Versions from the Version dropdown (or the Compare switch in the review view) to see two versions side by side, with optional synchronized scrolling via Start Sync.
Read more: How to Compare Two PDF Versions Side by Side, How to Compare Two Document Versions Side by Side and How Document Version Control Works in zipBoard
Can I import comments already in a PDF?
Not automatically. Comments embedded by Adobe Acrobat or other tools stay visible in the PDF's own comment list but do not become zipBoard comments. To track them in zipBoard, re-create each one with the annotation tools.
Read more: How do I migrate comments embedded in an existing PDF into zipBoard?
How do I download a PDF with its annotations?
Open the PDF in the review view, click the Settings icon at the top right, and select Download PDF. The file includes the annotations and comments, which display in PDF readers that support annotations, such as Chrome or Adobe Acrobat.
Read more: How to Download PDFs with Annotations and Comments in zipBoard
How do I work through a large number of comments?
When a review has dozens or hundreds of comments, combine status filters, annotation focus, the resolution sidebar and task assignment to work through them in order.
Read more: Working through a large number of comments
Related guides
- Enhancing PDF Collaboration: How to Draw on a PDF in zipBoard
- New & Improved: The Upgraded zipBoard PDF Markup Experience
- How to Share PDFs Without Login or Signup (No Software Needed)
- Creating Tasks from PDF Annotations
- Streamlining Large-Scale File Uploads with Bulk Upload in zipBoard