Free text annotation in TypeScript PDF Viewer control

18 Nov 201814 minutes to read

The PDF Viewer control provides options to add, edit, and delete free text annotations.

Add a free text annotation to the PDF document

Free text annotations can be added to the PDF document using the annotation toolbar.

  • Click the Edit Annotation button in the PDF Viewer toolbar. The annotation toolbar appears below it.
  • Select the Free Text Annotation button to enable free text annotation mode.
  • Add text anywhere on the pages of the PDF document.

When in pan mode, selecting free text annotation switches the PDF Viewer to text select mode.

Free text tool in the annotation toolbar

The following example switches to free text annotation mode using a button click.

<button id="addFreeTextAnnotation">FreeText</button>
import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";
pdfviewer.resourceUrl = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/31.1.23/dist/ej2-pdfviewer-lib";
pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');

let addFreeTextAnnotationButton = document.getElementById('addFreeTextAnnotation');
if (addFreeTextAnnotationButton) {
    addFreeTextAnnotationButton.addEventListener('click', function () {
        if (pdfviewer) {
            pdfviewer.annotationModule.setAnnotationMode("FreeText");
        }
    });
}
import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.serviceUrl = 'https://document.syncfusion.com/web-services/pdf-viewer/api/pdfviewer/';
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";
pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');

let addFreeTextAnnotationButton = document.getElementById('addFreeTextAnnotation');
if (addFreeTextAnnotationButton) {
    addFreeTextAnnotationButton.addEventListener('click', function () {
        if (pdfviewer) {
            pdfviewer.annotationModule.setAnnotationMode("FreeText");
        }
    });
}

Add a free text annotation programmatically to the PDF document

The PDF Viewer library allows adding a free text annotation programmatically using the addAnnotation() method.

Here is an example of adding a free text annotation programmatically using addAnnotation():

<button id="addFreeTextAnnotation"> Add FreeText Programmatically</button>
import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer, FreeTextSettings} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";
pdfviewer.resourceUrl = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/31.1.23/dist/ej2-pdfviewer-lib";

pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');

let addFreeTextAnnotation = document.getElementById('addFreeTextAnnotation');
if (addFreeTextAnnotation) {
    addFreeTextAnnotation.addEventListener('click', function () {
        if (pdfviewer) {
            pdfviewer.annotation.addAnnotation("FreeText", {
                offset: { x: 120, y: 80 },
                fontSize: 16,
                fontFamily: "Helvetica",
                pageNumber: 1,
                width: 200,
                height: 40,
                isLock: false,
                defaultText: "Syncfusion"
            } as FreeTextSettings);
        }
    });
}
import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer, FreeTextSettings} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.serviceUrl = 'https://document.syncfusion.com/web-services/pdf-viewer/api/pdfviewer/';
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";

pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');

let addFreeTextAnnotation = document.getElementById('addFreeTextAnnotation');
if (addFreeTextAnnotation) {
    addFreeTextAnnotation.addEventListener('click', function () {
        if (pdfviewer) {
            pdfviewer.annotation.addAnnotation("FreeText", {
                offset: { x: 120, y: 80 },
                fontSize: 16,
                fontFamily: "Helvetica",
                pageNumber: 1,
                width: 200,
                height: 40,
                isLock: false,
                defaultText: "Syncfusion"
            } as FreeTextSettings);
        }
    });
}

Change the content of an existing free text annotation programmatically

To change the content of an existing free text annotation programmatically, use the editAnnotation() method.

Here is an example of changing the content of a free text annotation using editAnnotation():

<button id="changeContent">Change Contect</button>
import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";
pdfviewer.resourceUrl = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/31.1.23/dist/ej2-pdfviewer-lib";

pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');

let changeContent = document.getElementById('changeContent');
if (changeContent) {
    changeContent.addEventListener('click', function () {
        if (pdfviewer) {
            for (let i = 0; i < pdfviewer.annotationCollection.length; i++) {
                if (pdfviewer.annotationCollection[i].subject === 'Text Box') {
                  pdfviewer.annotationCollection[i].dynamicText = 'syncfusion';
                  pdfviewer.annotation.editAnnotation(pdfviewer.annotationCollection[i]);
                }
            }
        }
    });
}
import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.serviceUrl = 'https://document.syncfusion.com/web-services/pdf-viewer/api/pdfviewer/';
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";

pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');
let changeContent = document.getElementById('changeContent');
if (changeContent) {
    changeContent.addEventListener('click', function () {
        if (pdfviewer) {
            for (let i = 0; i < pdfviewer.annotationCollection.length; i++) {
                if (pdfviewer.annotationCollection[i].subject === 'Text Box') {
                  pdfviewer.annotationCollection[i].dynamicText = 'syncfusion';
                  pdfviewer.annotation.editAnnotation(pdfviewer.annotationCollection[i]);
                }
            }
        }
    });
}

NOTE

The current version of the PDF Viewer does not edit existing document text. New free text annotations can be added and modified within the document.

Edit the properties of free text annotations

Font family, font size, styles, font color, text alignment, fill color, stroke color, border thickness, and opacity can be edited using the Font Family, Font Size, Font Color, Text Align, Font Style, Edit Color, Edit Stroke Color, Edit Thickness, and Edit Opacity tools in the annotation toolbar.

Edit font family

Edit the font family by selecting a font in the Font Family tool.

Change font family

Edit font size

Edit the font size by selecting a size in the Font Size tool.

Change font size

Edit font color

Edit the font color using the color palette in the Font Color tool.

Change font color

Edit text alignment

Align text by selecting an option from the Text Align tool.

Set text alignment

Edit text styles

Edit text styles by selecting options in the Font Style tool.

Change text styles

Edit fill color

Edit the fill color using the color palette in the Edit Color tool.

Change fill color

Edit stroke color

Edit the stroke color using the color palette in the Edit Stroke Color tool.

Change stroke color

Edit thickness

Edit border thickness using the range slider in the Edit Thickness tool.

Change border thickness

Edit opacity

Edit opacity using the range slider in the Edit Opacity tool.

Change opacity

Set default properties during control initialization

Default properties for free text annotations can be set before creating the control using FreeTextSettings.

After changing default values, the selected values are applied. The following example sets default free text annotation settings.

import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";
pdfviewer.resourceUrl = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/31.1.23/dist/ej2-pdfviewer-lib";
pdfviewer.freeTextSettings = { fillColor: 'green', borderColor: 'blue', fontColor: 'yellow' };
pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');
import { PdfViewer, Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer} from '@syncfusion/ej2-pdfviewer';

PdfViewer.Inject(Toolbar, Magnification, Navigation, Annotation, LinkAnnotation, ThumbnailView, BookmarkView, TextSelection, TextSearch, FormFields, FormDesigner, PageOrganizer);

let pdfviewer: PdfViewer = new PdfViewer();
pdfviewer.serviceUrl = 'https://document.syncfusion.com/web-services/pdf-viewer/api/pdfviewer/';
pdfviewer.documentPath = "https://cdn.syncfusion.com/content/pdf/pdf-succinctly.pdf";
pdfviewer.freeTextSettings = { fillColor: 'green', borderColor: 'blue', fontColor: 'yellow' };
pdfviewer.appendTo('#PdfViewer');