How to Do a Strikethrough in a PDF

Quick start: Use the annotator below to upload or drag-and-drop your PDF and apply strikethrough to the text you cross out.

The whole process takes just seconds, and you'll get crystal-clear PNG images ready for whatever you need them for. For multi-page PDFs, each page becomes its own PNG file—perfect for extracting specific graphics or creating image galleries from your documents.

Strikethrough formatting allows you to cross out text, indicating it should be removed or disregarded. Unlike deleting text, strikethrough is an annotation tool that crosses out words while keeping them visible and readable. It’s not a permanent edit—the original text remains unchanged in the document.

This feature is handy when reviewing or editing the content of a PDF. It’s commonly used in legal documents, academic papers, contracts, or presentations to mark outdated or irrelevant information. When collaborating digitally, strikethrough annotations allow multiple users to suggest edits without modifying the original file, streamlining the review process.

You can strikethrough text using various PDF tools—from free online editors to desktop software. Here are the most popular methods, starting with the quickest online solution.

1. Upload your PDF to our PDF Annotator.

2. Select the “Highlight” option from the toolbar.

3. Choose “Strikethrough” from the dropdown menu.

4. Drag your cursor over the text you want to strike through.

1. Right-click the PDF and choose “Open with,” and then “Google Docs.”

2. Highlight the text you want to strike through.

3. Go to the “Format” menu, then select “Text,” and “Strikethrough.”

4. When you’re done editing, save it as a PDF by clicking “File,” then “Download,” choosing “PDF Document (.pdf).”

1. Open your PDF in Preview.

2. Click the “Markup” icon (the pencil).

3. Select the “Text” tool and choose “Strikethrough” from the formatting options.

4. Drag your cursor over the text you want to strike through.

1. Click the PDF link or drag the file into Edge to open it.

2. Select the + or – buttons in the top right or use Ctrl + scroll wheel.

3. Select the pen or highlight icon, then select the text to mark.

4. Click the download icon or press Ctrl + S to save.

Quick diagnostic: Can you select text? Is the PDF locked? Is it a scanned document? Here are the most common issues and their solutions:

Issue: PDF document has restrictions that prevent editing, including strikethrough text. Use the Smallpdf Unlock PDF tool. First, upload the locked PDF, enter the required password, and download the unlocked PDF.

Issue: The PDF viewer or editor doesn’t support text annotations or strikethrough functionality. Go to Smallpdf and upload your PDF. Select the tools for text annotations or strikethroughs. If you’re using Smallpdf online, ensure you’re using a modern browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Clear your cache or try a different browser if the features aren’t working.

Issue: The Strikethrough tool is not visible in the toolbar. This might happen if you’re using the wrong tool, such as compress or convert. Go to the Edit PDF or PDF Annotator tool directly on the Smallpdf platform.

Issue: Text is embedded as an image or in a non-editable format. Use Optical Character Recognition software like Smallpdf PDF OCR to convert scanned images or non-editable text into selectable and editable text.

Issue: The strikethrough effect is not applied in the text. Make sure the text layer is showing correctly. Update your PDF viewer and try another one to see if the issue continues. Adjust the strikethrough settings, such as line thickness or color, if needed.

Issue: Changes aren’t saved due to improperly closed documents or software issues. Always save your document after making changes. If annotations are still not saved, try saving the document as a new file and check that your software supports saving annotations.

Issue: The Strikethrough line isn’t aligned correctly with the text, or there is a mismatch between the line and the characters. Manually adjust the line or use the text formatting tools in your PDF editor to fine-tune the alignment.

Removing strikethrough is simple: just select the crossed-out text and delete the annotation. Here’s how in each tool:

• Smallpdf: Click on the strikethrough text and press Delete or use the right-click menu to remove the annotation.

• Preview (Mac): Select the strikethrough annotation and press Delete or Backspace.

• Google Docs: Highlight the text and go to “Format,” “Text,” then “Strikethrough” to toggle it off.

Can’t strikethrough text in your PDF? It might be a scanned document. Scanned PDFs contain images of text rather than selectable text, so annotation tools won’t work directly.

• Solution: Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the scanned image into editable text. Try Smallpdf PDF OCR to make your scanned PDF text-searchable and annotatable.

• Alternative: Use drawing tools to manually draw lines over the text you want to cross out. Most PDF editors include basic drawing features for this purpose.

With Smallpdf, you can strikethrough, highlight, and annotate PDFs in seconds—no downloads required. Start your free trial to access all annotation tools and make PDF editing simple.