Where to find the highlight color tool in your Adobe app

The location of the highlight color control depends on which Adobe app you're using. In Adobe Acrobat, the highlight tool sits in the markup toolbar — look for a marker icon or open the Tools panel and select "Markup." In Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator, highlight color is part of the fill and stroke controls in the toolbar on the left side of your screen. In Adobe Photoshop, you'll adjust highlight color through the foreground color selector or by using layer blend modes and adjustment layers.

If you don't see the tool you need, the toolbar may be customized. Right-click on your toolbar and select "Reset Toolbar" to restore the default layout, or look in the Window menu to open panels you may have closed.

Key Takeaways

  • Highlight color location varies by Adobe app — check the markup toolbar in Acrobat, the fill/stroke controls in InDesign and Illustrator, and the foreground color in Photoshop.
  • Double-click the color square in your toolbar to open the color picker and choose a new highlight shade.
  • In Acrobat, you can save custom highlight colors as presets so you don't have to reset them each time you open a document.
  • Some Adobe apps let you change highlight opacity and blend mode to control how the color appears over existing content.

Changing highlight color in Adobe Acrobat

Open the document you want to mark up and select the highlight tool from the markup toolbar. If the toolbar isn't visible, go to Tools > Markup and look for the highlighter icon. Click the small arrow or dropdown next to the highlight tool to reveal color options.

Click the color swatch to open the color picker. Choose from the preset colors shown, or click "Other" to access the full color palette. Once you've selected your color, close the picker — your next highlight will use the new color. The color stays active until you change it again, even if you close and reopen the document.

To save a custom color as a preset for future use, select your color, then right-click on the highlight tool and choose "Add to Favorites" or a similar option (exact wording varies by Acrobat version). This saves time if you regularly use the same highlight shade across multiple documents.

Changing highlight color in Adobe InDesign

In InDesign, highlight color is controlled through the fill color, not a dedicated highlight tool. Select the text or object you want to highlight, then locate the fill color square in the toolbar on the left. The fill square is usually shown as two overlapping squares — one for fill (front) and one for stroke (back).

Double-click the fill square to open the color picker. Choose your highlight color from the swatches, or create a custom color by entering RGB or hex values. Click OK to apply the color. If you want to highlight text specifically, make sure you've selected the text frame first, then apply the fill color to the text itself rather than the frame.

You can also adjust the opacity of your highlight by selecting the object and using the Opacity slider in the Properties panel on the right. Lower opacity makes the highlight more transparent, which is useful if you want to see content underneath.

Changing highlight color in Adobe Illustrator

Select the object or text you want to highlight, then look at the toolbar on the left side of your screen. You'll see the fill color square (usually in front) and the stroke color square (usually behind). Double-click the fill square to open the color picker.

Choose your highlight color from the available swatches or create a new one using the color sliders. Click OK to apply it. If you're highlighting text, select the text first, then change the fill color — this ensures the color applies to the text itself and not just the text box.

To make your highlight more subtle, select the highlighted object and adjust the Opacity setting in the Appearance panel. You can also change the blend mode (also in the Appearance panel) to control how the highlight color interacts with layers beneath it — try "Multiply" or "Screen" to see different effects.

Changing highlight color in Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop doesn't have a built-in highlight tool like Acrobat does, but you can create highlights using the foreground color and painting tools. Click the foreground color square in the toolbar (the larger of the two overlapping squares) to open the color picker. Select your highlight color and click OK.

Use the Paintbrush or Highlighter tool to paint the color onto your image. If you want a more controlled highlight, create a new layer first (Layer > New > Layer), paint your highlight on that layer, then adjust the layer's opacity and blend mode to get the effect you want. This approach lets you edit or remove the highlight without affecting the original image.

For text highlights in Photoshop, select the text layer and use the foreground color to change the text color itself, or create a separate shape layer beneath the text and fill it with your highlight color.

Adjusting opacity and blend modes for highlights

Most Adobe apps let you control how transparent your highlight appears and how it blends with content underneath. In InDesign and Illustrator, select your highlighted object and look for the Opacity slider in the Properties or Appearance panel. Lowering opacity from 100% makes the highlight more see-through, which is especially useful when you need to read text beneath the color.

Blend modes change the way the highlight color mathematically combines with the colors below it. Common blend modes for highlights include "Multiply" (darkens the underlying content) and "Screen" (lightens it). Try different modes to find the look that works for your document. These controls are usually in the same panel as opacity.

Saving and reusing custom highlight colors

If you use the same highlight color repeatedly, save it as a swatch or preset so you don't have to recreate it each time. In InDesign and Illustrator, after you've created your color, drag it into the Swatches panel on the right side of the screen. Name it something clear like "Review Red" or "Editor Yellow" so you can find it quickly in future projects.

In Acrobat, custom colors can be saved as favorites through the markup tool menu. In Photoshop, you can save your foreground color as a preset by clicking the foreground color square, selecting your color, then saving it in the color picker dialog. Once saved, your custom colors appear at the top of your color options in future sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't my highlight color show up when I print?

Highlights with very low opacity may not print visibly. Increase the opacity to at least 50% before printing. In Acrobat, some highlight colors are set to print transparently by default — check the markup tool settings to ensure "Print" is enabled for your highlight.

Can I change the highlight color after I've already applied it?

Yes. In Acrobat, select the highlight with the selection tool, then change the color through the properties panel. In InDesign and Illustrator, select the highlighted object and change the fill color. In Photoshop, you'll need to paint over it with a new color or undo and redo with the correct color.

How do I remove a highlight color completely?

In InDesign and Illustrator, select the object and set the fill to "None" using the fill color controls. In Acrobat, select the highlight and press Delete. In Photoshop, use Edit > Undo or paint over the highlight with the original color.

What's the difference between highlight color and text color?

Highlight color is a background shade applied behind text or objects. Text color is the color of the text itself. In most Adobe apps, you control these separately — highlight uses the fill color, while text color is set through character formatting or the text color option.