Maybe you thought we were done promoting Edge… Well guess again! Here is another blog post highlighting a really powerful (and very useful) way to use Edge!

Reading PDF Files in Edge

Now unfortunately when you open a PDF file in Edge, you don’t have full access to the full Immersive Reader toolbox, but you do have access to the Read Aloud tool (that is a part of Immersive Reader). This will allow you to have a PDF file read aloud to you, allowing you to multi-task and listen to your textbook while doing the dishes, it may help improve reading comprehension by allowing you to listen to content not only at your own pace, but many of us retain information more meaningfully when listening rather than reading ourselves. There are also many different natural-sounding voices to choose from, and different accents available!

Notetaking on PDF files in Edge

Yes, you read that right. Let’s talk about how to take notes directly on the PDF in Edge!

• Hand-drawn notes: using a stylus on a touchscreen computer, or a mouse on a non-touchscreen computer, you are able to hand draw notes onto the PDF file (Microsoft refers to this as “inking”). This is a great tool to allow you to underline, circle, or even draw images directly onto your PDF!
• Highlighting: using your mouse (or trackpad), click and drag your cursor over the text you want highlighted (just as you would highlight in a physical textbook). And don’t worry, for those color-coding fans out there, you have 5 different colors to choose from!
• Adding text notes: you can also add text notes with your own typing directly onto the PDF. Think of this feature like a digital post-it note!
• Save your work: don’t forget to save a new file with all of your notes and highlights!

Resources:

• Video: How to draw and Read Aloud on PDFs with Microsoft Edge
• Video: Top 10 Microsoft Edge Features (9 minutes and 27 seconds into this video is a demo of reading and annotating PDF files in Edge)
• Webpage: How to Annotate and Highlight PDFs in Microsoft Edge
• Tech Tips Blog Post: Immersive Reader