How to Add a Text Box in Adobe Acrobat and Illustrator

Adding a Text Box in Adobe Acrobat

In Adobe Acrobat, you add a text box by opening the Tools panel on the right side, selecting the "Add Text" tool (marked with an "A" icon), and clicking anywhere on your PDF where you want the text to appear. A box will form at that spot, and you can type immediately. The text box expands as you type, or you can drag the corners to set a fixed size before you start.

To find the Add Text tool if it is not visible, click Tools in the top menu, then select "Annotate," and the Add Text option will appear in the right panel. Once you have added text, you can change the font, size, and color by selecting the text and using the formatting options that appear above the text box or in the right panel.

Key Takeaways

In Acrobat, the Add Text tool is in the Tools panel on the right side, marked with an "A" icon, and lets you click anywhere to place a text box.
In Illustrator, the Text tool is in the left toolbar and works by clicking once to create a point text box or dragging to create a paragraph text box.
Text boxes in Acrobat are annotations that do not change the original PDF file unless you save over it.
In Illustrator, text boxes are part of the document and move or resize with other design elements.

Adding a Text Box in Adobe Illustrator

In Adobe Illustrator, you add a text box using the Text tool, which is the "A" icon in the left toolbar. Click the Text tool once, then click on your canvas where you want the text to appear. This creates a point text box that expands as you type. If you want a box with a fixed width that wraps text automatically, click and drag to draw a rectangle instead of just clicking once.

After you place the text box, you can type immediately. To edit the text later, select the Text tool again and click inside the box. To move the text box, switch to the Selection tool (the arrow at the top of the left toolbar) and drag the box to a new location. You can resize it by dragging the corners or edges while the Selection tool is active.

Formatting Text in Both Programs

In Acrobat, select the text you want to change, then use the Character panel on the right to adjust the font, size, color, and alignment. You can also right-click the text box and choose "Properties" to access more detailed formatting options like line spacing and text rotation.

In Illustrator, the Character panel appears automatically when you select text with the Text tool. You can also open it manually by going to Window in the top menu and selecting "Character." Both programs let you change font, size, color, and style (bold, italic, underline) from this panel. Illustrator also offers paragraph formatting options like indentation and line spacing in the Paragraph panel, which you can access the same way.

Deleting or Editing Text Boxes

In Acrobat, click the text box with the Add Text tool selected to edit it, or switch to the Selection tool (arrow icon) and click the box to select it for deletion. Press Delete or Backspace to remove the entire text box. You can also right-click the box and choose "Delete" from the menu.

In Illustrator, use the Selection tool to click the text box, then press Delete or Backspace. If you want to edit the text inside without deleting the box, select the Text tool and click inside the box to place your cursor. You can then add, remove, or change any text without affecting the box itself.

Saving Text Boxes in Your Document

In Acrobat, text boxes are annotations that sit on top of the PDF without changing the original file. If you close the document without saving, the text boxes disappear. To keep them, go to File and select "Save" or "Save As." Saving over the original file makes the annotations permanent; saving as a new file leaves the original unchanged.

In Illustrator, text boxes are part of the document itself, so they save automatically when you save the file. You do not need to take any extra steps. If you want to save the document in a different format (like PDF or PNG), go to File, choose "Export As," and select your format.

Moving and Resizing Text Boxes

In Acrobat, switch to the Selection tool (the arrow icon in the Tools panel) to move or resize a text box. Click and drag the box to move it, or drag the corners and edges to change its size. The text inside will reflow to fit the new dimensions.

In Illustrator, use the Selection tool from the left toolbar to click and drag the text box to a new location. To resize it, drag the corner handles (small squares) at the edges. If you have a point text box (created by clicking once), dragging a corner will move the box, not resize it; you must convert it to a paragraph text box first by dragging to draw a rectangle around it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a text box to a PDF in Acrobat Reader instead of the full version?

Acrobat Reader has limited annotation tools. You can add comments and highlights, but the full Add Text tool is only available in Adobe Acrobat (the paid version). If you need to add permanent text boxes to a PDF, you will need Acrobat or another PDF editor.

Why does my text box disappear when I switch tools in Illustrator?

If you created a point text box by clicking once, it may appear to vanish because it is very small. Switch back to the Text tool and click in the same area to see it again. If you want a more visible text box, use the Text tool to click and drag instead, which creates a larger paragraph text box.

How do I change the background color of a text box in Acrobat?

Right-click the text box and select "Properties." In the Appearance tab, you can set the fill color (background) and stroke color (border). Choose your colors from the dropdown menus and click OK to apply the changes.

Can I rotate a text box in Illustrator?

Yes. Select the text box with the Selection tool, then click it again (not double-click) to enter rotation mode. The corner handles will change to curved arrows. Drag any corner to rotate the box. You can also right-click and choose "Transform" to enter a specific rotation angle.

What is the difference between point text and paragraph text in Illustrator?

Point text is created by clicking once and expands as you type in any direction. Paragraph text is created by dragging a rectangle and wraps automatically within the box boundaries. Use point text for short labels and paragraph text for longer passages that need to fit in a specific area.

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