A Review of DocHub by Dana Landry

       DocHub is a PDF annotation chrome extension. It is available for free in the chrome store. This extension allows for the the user to add text boxes, highlight, draw, etc. on top of an already existing PDF. In the past we have reviewed other similar extensions such as Kami. Though both are fantastic I prefer DocHub because the process seems more streamlined.

 Some features of DocHub seem to work in the same or a very similar way to those of Kami. These features are equally useful in both extensions. The eraser, comments, and zoom features are examples of these similar features. I see little difference between DocHub and Noteable for these and believe both work very well. Comments are slightly different in each extension but I do not believe one is any better than the other. The comment simply appears in a different location for each extension. The saving of the file is also very similar. It allows for the user to save a copy of the PDf with the changes to google drive which can be reopened and saved later.

      Though many features I believe are the same there are some aspects of DocHub which I like better. These include the grid option, which puts everything that is placed on the PDF (such as check boxes, text boxes, etc) in a grid pattern. This is useful when trying to organize a set of added objects or when creating something that needs to be in a straight line.  It also features a “Fields” section, which is conveniently located on the left side toolbar. This is where one can access categories such a checkbox, textbox, paragraph,etc. to input them into the document. This is very useful if the PDF is going to be printed for later use. I find it very helpful for study guides as well.

      Though DocHub has the upper hand on those features Notable has a few superior ones as well. One of the biggest examples of these is the highlighting feature. In Kami the highlight function detects the text on the PDF and gives you the option to highlight it by simply selecting that area. With Dochub one must fit a rectangle around the area and resize it to get an accurate highlight. This is a slightly more difficult task then it is with Dochub.

A more complete list of features can be found below.

Text:

The text feature for Dochub works amazingly well. When the text box feature is selected (this is done by clicking on the “A” icon), an orange rectangle appears to preview where the text box will be placed. When you click on the document a text box appears in the same location as this orange preview. You can then begin typing without needing to press anywhere else. The box will automatically expand downward to fit the text. The orange preview will not disappear and you do not need to press anything else to add another text box.

To format a text box one must simply click on the icon that looks like a mouse, then drag the square on the right side of the text box. To delete the box you would follow similar steps but click on the “X” in the upper right corner of the text box instead of dragging the square. If nothing is put into the text box it is automatically deleted.

Text itself can be formatted by selecting the mouse icon then clicking on the text. A variety of options appear in the toolbar when this is done.The options that appear (from left to right) are fontsize, font style, text color,text alignment (left, center, right), bold, italics, and finally line spacing. All of these features work the same as a program such as google docs or microsoft word.

Highlight

places a square Shaped highlight over any area. Can feel more difficult than it has to be especially if the area being highlighted is larger but it works well overall

Draw

This works fairly well but it should not be used if accuracy is the main concern. It is best suited for a matching activity or other such use. It allows the user to change the color and erase each line individually.

Whiteout

This feature allows the user to create a white rectangle that can be resized to cover any area of the PDF that the user desires. I don’t particularly like this feature because it is rarely used and a text bot cannot be placed on top of it to replace something that was covered.

Comment

This feature is useful and allows the user to leave a comment similar to how one would on a google document. This is ideal for group work or a teacher’s comments on a student’s work.

Zoom

This feature works the same as post other programs, Clicking on the zoom button zooms into or out of an area. The mouse or scroll bar can be used to maneuver around the page.

Modification

This allows for a user to review recent modifications. This is ideal for checking progress by the teacher or student. It also allows the user to see when the modifications took place which is especially helpful to teachers.

Sign

This feature allows the user to sign their name once then stamp it into the PDF in any area. This has little to no potential for classroom use.

Fields (Checkbox, paragraph, text, signature, initial)

This feature allows the user to add spots for somebody to check a checkbox, write a paragraph, sign or initial a document by putting in a stamp to prompt this action. This is useful for study guides in my experience. The snap to grid puts all of these fields into straight lines. this helps to keep a page organized.

Sharing

This allows students and teachers to have access to the same document. This is ideal for group work but also helps the teacher grade and look at the progress of students.

I hope that this review gives you an idea of DocHub and its positives and it’s shortcomings.