Want to Highlight/Edit PDF's in EVERNOTE IPAD and they Sync

[brucequinn 8]

In Evernote Windows, I have a folder called PDFs where each note holds a PDF. I can go to the note in Windows Evernote, open the PDF, edit it (for example, highlighting or comments) and when I close it, the edited PDF is inside EVERNOTE.

I can also replicate the same folder on IPAD. The IPAD EVERNOTE File.PDF will open by default in the IPAD PDF READER which cannot edit. However, I can reopen it in an IPAD PDF EDITOR and make highlights.

PROBLEM: However, the highlights will be stored in a new hidden file somewhere and will not change or update the real original file.PDF file inside EVERNOTE.

QUESTION: Is there a known PDF editor on an IPAD that will make the edits (highlights) in the EVERNOTE PDF file so they will SYNC? Easily? Like in Windows?

[brucequinn 8]

I got this note back from EVERNOTE SUPPORT:

We are sorry for any confusion in regards with your issue using your iPad. [They originally sent me a form email saying to reinstall windows.]

Unfortunately, the iPad employs a security feature called sandboxing which essentially "boxes" one app from another on an iOS device. What that means is that when you activate the "Open In" feature, it copies the PDF from Evernote to (in this case) your PDF reader and then any changes to that PDF are now made to that version of the file. You can sync it via a number of methods, but the version in your Evernote will remain unchanged until you replace it manually. This is not exclusive to Evernote, the same holds true for essentially for all apps on iOS devices.

We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

[Sugeeth Krish 473]

In Evernote Windows, I have a folder called PDFs where each note holds a PDF. I can go to the note in Windows Evernote, open the PDF, edit it (for example, highlighting or comments) and when I close it, the edited PDF is inside EVERNOTE.

I can also replicate the same folder on IPAD. The IPAD EVERNOTE File.PDF will open by default in the IPAD PDF READER which cannot edit. However, I can reopen it in an IPAD PDF EDITOR and make highlights.

PROBLEM: However, the highlights will be stored in a new hidden file somewhere and will not change or update the real original file.PDF file inside EVERNOTE.

QUESTION: Is there a known PDF editor on an IPAD that will make the edits (highlights) in the EVERNOTE PDF file so they will SYNC? Easily? Like in Windows?

I don't think there is a direct option for your request. However, there is a small work around. IAnnotate PDF app works and syncs smoothly with Dropbox, with permanent changes. Once you have completed all your pdf annotations, you can transfer your file from Dropbox to Evernote. I don't think there is a direct option of working with Evernote.

[C6REW 416]

Hi Bruce,

Just to clarify, there is not a method of doing exactly what you want in the iPad that I am aware of.

The idea of using Dropbox suggested by Panzerkampfwagen (phew that's a mouthful!) will work.

I use 'pdf expert' on the iPad, save, then copy or email that to Evernote.

Either method is cumbersome, but as Bruce has mentioned, there is no other way at this moment.

Best regards

Chris

[drnkusv 19]

It is not quite true that this is impossible on the iPad.

1. Evernote could enable this feature, with a little programming. If you notice, when you view a PDF in Evernote and then "open in" another PDF editor, the title of the document is a strange string of characters. Evernote can give the document a unique name that denotes its location within evernote. So it is possible to open a document in PDF Expert, annotate it, and then "open in" Evernote -- and Evernote could decipher the title of the document and put it back in its original location. I know this is possible because the DevonThink iOS app actually does it. If you store a PDF in DevonThink ToGo, you can open it in a PDF editor, annotate it, and the open it from there into DevonThink, and it will go back into its original location, fully annotate. Now, do I think the Evernote developers will actually make such a feature? I highly, highly, highly, highly doubt it because hundreds of us asked many, many, many, many months ago for a simple snippet or list view in the iPad app and we still don't have it. And that is an order of magnitude easier than this -- which is somewhat complex to design. So, it is possible, but it will never happen unless somehow Evernote decides to put someone in charge of iOS development that actually cares about making the product useful.

2. It is possible even today to do what the OP was asking, using PDF Pen for iPad. PDFPen has direct Evernote integration. You can annotate a PDF and then save the annotated version directly INTO an already EXISTING note. It's a useful and interesting feature, and I assume that they will refine it over time.

[Suydam 0]

I'm using GoodReader to dothis.]

 

It has an "OpenIn" feature (which shows Evernote in the list) and GoodReader is a great PDF annotation program.

 

As far as I can tell this creates multiple copies of PDFs on my iPad, so it's still clunky but it does allow me to efficiently edit the PDFs.

 

The biggest issue I can see is that every time I go back and forth (to add more annotations) it creates new versions and notes, so I've got many copies of the same PDF.

Meh.

[childay 2]

Yep there is no easy way, you end up duplicating notes in EN if you "open in" back and forth

 

 

There is a way to do it but you have to pay for a subscription sync service

 

See here:

http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/24919-pdf-markup/page-2#entry187996

 

Evernote needs to add in-app highlighting/annotation.  It seems like anyone using pdf's with EN would need this

[rjp 1]

I have the same problem with iAnnotate PDF. Evernote seem to be betting on their own acquisition of Skitch and providing general annotation tools inside Evernote. 

 

The thing is annotations in a PDF are not just one thing. They can be in metadata layers that can be changed later (after a save) or they can be "flattened" which fixes the annotations in place and disallows later edits. (You can always go back and add more to 'annotate' your annotations - but it gets messy).

 

iAnnotate does two things that are very important for me:

 

1) It saves PDFs with the annotation layer in tact so that I can go back later and edit them - When a PDF with an annotation layer is saved in Evernote it is preserved.

2) It can expert annotated (underlined etc) text and added notes from a PDF (including its page number location in the original) 

 

It would be great if iAnnotate could be connected directly to my Evernote notebooks. 

 

What I do now is use iAnnotate to email an annotated (layered) PDF directly to Evernote, and use a nice little setting in iAnnotate PDF that will include all the extracted notes in the body of the email as plain text.

 

If I am starting form Evernote that is a pain because then I have to reconcile the outgoing and incoming notes - but researching and using information in articles is the main use case so it takes precedence.

[Sinandgrin 2]

I too am a big fan and long-time user of iAnnotate and I would be very happy if either one of two things would happen.
 

 

1. iAnnotate adds direct Evernote integration into their product, similar to the various "Connections" that you can already establish with services like Dropbox, Box, Skydrive, ect... I think this would be the best solution and hope that others see the power of such a combination of Evernote and iAnnotate.

 

2. Evernote adds better PDF annotation tools directly into their product, with support for distinct metadata layers to allow for editing of PDF annotations made from a past event within Evernote or other programs like iAnnotate.

 

So that is my 2 cents and I'll throw in my vote for some type of integration soon.