How Xournal++ Works With PDF Files

Xournal++ opens PDF files as a background layer you can annotate without altering the original document. You import a PDF, add handwriting, highlights, typed text, or shapes on top of its pages, and then export a new PDF that merges your annotations with the original content. This works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it is the core workflow behind the site's "PDF tools" and "Working With PDF Files" documentation sections.

The basic PDF workflow

  1. Open or import the PDF. Launch Xournal++ and open your PDF file. Xournal++ treats each PDF page as a background image rather than editable text.
  2. Annotate on top. Use the pen and highlighter tools to write or mark up the page, the selection and snapping tools to move or align elements, and the LaTeX tool if you need typeset math. Your marks live on a separate layer above the PDF.
  3. Organize if needed. Because the PDF is a background layer, you can add pages, reorder content, and keep your annotations grouped with the page they belong to.
  4. Export a new PDF. When you save or export, Xournal++ flattens your annotations onto the original pages and produces a new PDF. The source file is not modified in place.

The expected result is a single PDF that looks like the original with your notes baked in, which is why the site frames the tool around tasks like "solving a physics problem" or building a travel diary from existing documents.

What the PDF tools let you do

The documentation lists a dedicated PDF tools section alongside the pen, highlighter, eraser, selection, LaTeX, and geometry tools. In practice this means PDF handling is treated as a first-class editing mode, not a separate viewer:

  • Annotate existing PDFs with handwriting and highlights.
  • Fill in forms or add typed text over printed content.
  • Combine handwritten work with the original document in one export.
  • Keep the original PDF intact as the background.

Where to find the PDF documentation

The site's navigation points to two relevant areas:

Section What it covers
Guide → Working With PDF Files The end-to-end PDF workflow
Configuration → Tools and Editing → PDF tools The PDF-specific tool settings

Start with Working With PDF Files for the workflow, then check PDF tools under Tools and Editing if you need to adjust how annotations behave.

Common points to watch

  • The PDF is a background, not editable text. You cannot reflow or edit the original PDF's words; you can only add content on top.
  • Export creates a new file. Plan to save your annotated version separately from the source.
  • Tool availability varies by platform build. The site lists MacOS, Windows, and Linux as supported, but confirm your specific install includes the PDF features you need.

For exact menu locations and current options, follow the Working With PDF Files and PDF tools pages on xournalpp.github.io, since those reflect the version you are running.

xournalpp.github.io