Setting the Typewriter Text Color with FoxIt for Linux

This is mainly a note to my future self, but it might help someone else.

I use FoxIt for Linux to read, and sometimes fill in PDFs.

The Comment tool can be used on PDFs that are NOT fillable. This way you can add text anywhere on the PDF and it will be saved as part of the PDF. I’ve used it on application forms to fill in names, addresses, tick boxes, etc.

Unfortunately in Linux, the Typewriter tool has a preset list of colors, and black is not one of them, and there is no way to change the presets!

But there is a way to change the color.

Go to the ~/.config/Foxit Software/ directory and open the Foxit Reader.conf file.

Under the [Annotation] section look for a line that starts with Freetext\Format\TextColor. Change the number to the color you want, for black set it to 0.

[Annotation]
...snip
Freetext\Format\TextColor=0
...snip

Save the file and restart FoxIt. You should now have black text.

I hope this helps someone else.

Here is my full annotation section.

[Annotation]
Freetext\Format\Align=0
Freetext\Format\BKColor=16777215
Freetext\Format\Bold=0
Freetext\Format\BorderColor=0
Freetext\Format\CharSpace=0.000000
Freetext\Format\CrossOut=0
Freetext\Format\FontName=DejaVu Sans
Freetext\Format\FontSize=18.000
Freetext\Format\HorzScale=100
Freetext\Format\Italic=0
Freetext\Format\LineLeading=0.000000
Freetext\Format\NoBKColor=0
Freetext\Format\ScriptType=0
Freetext\Format\TextColor=0
Freetext\Format\UnderLine=0
Freetext\TextBox\Author=bryan
Freetext\TextBox\BorderStyle=1
Freetext\TextBox\Color=0
Freetext\TextBox\FillColor=16777215
Freetext\TextBox\HasSetting=1
Freetext\TextBox\LineStarting=None
Freetext\TextBox\Opacity=100
Freetext\TextBox\Subject=Textbox
Freetext\TextBox\Thickness=1
Freetext\TypeWriter\Author=bryan
Freetext\TypeWriter\Opacity=100
Freetext\TypeWriter\Subject=Typewriter