# How to read a PDF and take notes side by side on a Mac Source: https://ribbonformac.com/pdf-and-notes-side-by-side-mac Updated: 2026-10-29 Open the PDF in Preview or Skim, open your notes app, and put them side by side: on macOS 15 and later, Fn⌃← for one and Fn⌃→ for the other. On a small screen, halves are cramped, so give the PDF more room than the notes and set it to fit the page width. ## Pick a PDF reader - **Preview** (built in): highlights, text notes, shapes, signatures. **View → Single Page** or **Continuous Scroll**, and ⌘- / ⌘+ to zoom. Enough for most reading. - **Skim** (free, open source): made for academic reading. Notes sit alongside the PDF in a panel and can be exported as text. - **Zotero** (free): if the PDF is a source you'll cite, open it in Zotero's built-in reader so highlights and notes stay with the reference. - **PDF Expert** or **Acrobat** (paid): if you need editing, forms or heavy annotation. ## Side by side on a MacBook On a 13- or 14-inch screen, a PDF at half width is small. Three things help: 1. **Fit to width.** In Preview, **View → Zoom to Fit** after resizing the window, or zoom until the text column fills the window. Two-column papers are easier if you zoom into one column at a time. 2. **Uneven split.** Give the PDF about two thirds and notes one third. macOS's own tiling only does halves; Rectangle, Raycast or a window manager give you thirds. 3. **Hide the chrome.** Hide the sidebar in Preview (**View → Hide Sidebar**) and the toolbar if you don't need it. See [more screen space on a MacBook](https://ribbonformac.com/more-screen-space-macbook). ## With an external monitor Put the PDF on a monitor in portrait orientation if you can: a rotated monitor shows a full page at a readable size. See [vertical monitor on a Mac](https://ribbonformac.com/vertical-monitor-mac). Notes go on the laptop screen. ## Two PDFs and your notes Comparing two papers, or reading a paper alongside its supplementary material, means three windows. On a laptop that's too many for side by side. Options: - Open both PDFs as tabs in one Preview window (**Window → Merge All Windows** after opening them) and switch with ⌃Tab. - Use a [three-window split](https://ribbonformac.com/split-screen-three-windows-mac) on a larger screen. - Use a strip that scrolls (below). ## A strip for reading sessions A scrolling window manager is good at reading: every window gets its own column on a horizontal strip, and the strip scrolls. In [Ribbon](https://ribbonformac.com/): - Put your notes in a column a third wide. - Put the paper beside it at two thirds. - Open the second paper and it goes into its own column to the right. Swipe across to it, read, swipe back; the notes don't move. - Stack two PDFs in one column (⌃⌥]) to have one above the other, or turn the column into tabs with ⌃⌥⇧T. [Try the strip in the live demo](https://ribbonformac.com/#demo); Ribbon is [$9.99 once](https://ribbonformac.com/#pricing) for macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon. ## Getting highlights into notes - **Copy with the source:** select text in the PDF, ⌘C, paste into notes, add the page number. - **Skim** exports notes and highlights as text or RTF. - **Zotero** can turn annotations into a note attached to the reference. - **Apple Notes:** drag a PDF in to keep it with your notes, or use **Share → Notes** from Preview. ## FAQ ### How do I view a PDF and a document side by side on a Mac? On macOS 15 and later, press Fn⌃← on one window and Fn⌃→ on the other. On older versions, use Split View from the green button. ### What's the best free PDF reader for taking notes on a Mac? Preview is built in and handles highlights and notes. Skim is free and built for academic reading, with exportable notes. ### How do I read a two-column paper on a laptop? Zoom in so one column fills the window and scroll down it, then move to the next column. A portrait external monitor helps more than anything. ## Keep reading - [MacBook setup for students](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-setup-for-students) — Notes, references, flashcards, backups, settings, and a study layout for a small screen. - [Notes during a video call](https://ribbonformac.com/take-notes-during-video-call-mac) — Shrink the call, put it beside your notes, share safely, and make it work on a laptop. - [Split screen into three](https://ribbonformac.com/split-screen-three-windows-mac) — The built-in three-window layout, equal thirds, and what happens when a fourth window opens. - [Vertical monitor on a Mac](https://ribbonformac.com/vertical-monitor-mac) — Rotating the display, arranging it, what suits portrait, and fitting several windows. - [Mac setup for data analysts](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-setup-for-data-analysts) — Python, Jupyter, SQL clients, spreadsheets, BI tools that do and don't run, and window layout.