Run it through Adobe Acrobat Professional (or convert it with a similar tool) and now it is a file that can be indexed and searched within Zotero. If you copy an article from a print source it will be an image file that is not searchable.
#Annotate pdf pdf
Converting non-PDF documents to PDF makes them searchable. To me, this is the real killer app for Zotero: it creates the database of you. Zotero can search inside attached files that are certain file types, notably OCR'd PDFs (note, you must install the PDF indexer in the Zotero preferences for this to work). Remember if you use a service that uploads your file to convert it, your file is stored on a strange server temporarily - so don't use it with anything that is private! Note: I have not vetted any of the tools below.
![annotate pdf annotate pdf](https://pdf.iskysoft.com/images/mobile-app/open-pdf.png)
Using Zotero: Adding and Working with Sources.Moving to and from Zotero Backing Zotero Up.Setting Up Your Zotero Library Preferences.