Use

 

pdf

on the menu when looking at a document to download a PDF file annotated with all the comments using standard PDF markup (icons and overlaid panels).

You can choose to have the comment panels open or closed to start with (or indeed not to include comments at all), by choosing the appropriate option.

For some browsers you also have to option to download the file or display it in the browser window.

In Internet Explorer because of the inflexibility of its download blocker, it only ever shows the file inside the browser, but you can always then save the file for viewing in Acrobat Reader if you want.

In Google Chrome, the file is only ever downloaded because Chrome (at least version 8 and later) isn't able to display comments in its own display of PDF files and cannot properly save the file in order to keep it or see the comments in Acrobat Reader.

iPad and iPod users have no means of viewing the comments at all as none of the PDF readers on those platforms display annotations.

Currently only text files can be converted to downloadable annotated PDFs. This includes plain and formatted text, Microsoft Word files, RTF, Microsoft Powerpoint files, Open Office files and PDF originals.

In principle, pictures could also be exported in this way. These require more conversion, however, so are not yet available. Working on it!

Files that are not displayed at all are also not exportable as PDF (e.g. Spreadsheets, InDesign files, Audio files). Actually, audio files could be handled in the future if there is demand.

The PDF file is generated on request so that it is completely up to date with all the comments. This can sometimes take a while. The processing is queued along with other page generation requests (e.g. when a new file is uploaded), so if it takes longer than usual, this will be often be why.

The comment icons and panels in the PDF are "highlighter pen yellow" for most comments. However, those that have a status other than "new" are shown in the same colour as used for the status of the most recent comment (as shown).