Annotating images (Photoshop)

You can attach note annotations (notes) and audio annotations to an image in Photoshop. This is useful for associating review comments, production notes, or other information with the image. Because Photoshop annotations are compatible with Adobe Acrobat, you can use them to exchange information with Acrobat users as well as Photoshop users.

To circulate a Photoshop document for review in Acrobat, save the document in Portable Document Format (PDF) and ask reviewers to use Acrobat to add notes or

audio annotations. Then import the annotations into Photoshop.

Notes and audio annotations appear as small nonprintable icons on the image. They are associated with a location on the image rather than with a layer. You can hide and show annotations, open notes to view or edit their contents, and play audio annotations. You can also add audio annotations to actions, and set them to play during an action or during a pause in an action. (See “Setting playback options (Photoshop)” on page 490.)

Adding notes and audio annotations

You can add notes and audio annotations anywhere on a Photoshop image canvas. When you create a note, a resizable window appears for entering text.When you record an audio annotation, you must have a microphone plugged into the audio-in port of your computer.

You can import both kinds of annotations from Photoshop documents saved in PDF or from Acrobat documents saved in PDF or Form Data Format (FDF).

To create a note:

1Select the notes tool .

2Set options as needed:

•Enter an author name. The name appears in the title bar of the notes window.

•Choose a font and size for the note text.

•Select a color for the note icon and the title bar of note windows.

3Click where you want to place the note, or drag to create a custom-sized window.

4Click inside the window, and type the text. If you type more text than fits in the note window, the scroll bar becomes active.

Edit the text as needed:

•You can use the standard editing commands for your system (Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Select All). In Windows, right-click in the text area and choose the commands from the context menu. In Mac OS, choose the commands from the Edit and Select menus. You can also use standard keyboard shortcuts for these editing commands.

•If you have the required software for different script systems (for example, Roman, Japanese, or Cyrillic) installed on your computer, you can switch between the script systems. Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) to display the context menu, and then choose a script system.

5 To close the note to an icon, click the close box.

To create an audio annotation:

1Select the audio annotation tool .

2Set options as needed:

•Enter an author name.

•Select a color for the audio annotation icon.

3Click where you want to place the annotation icon.

4Click Start and then speak into the microphone. When you’re finished, click Stop.

To import annotations:

1Choose File > Import > Annotations.

2Select a PDF or FDF file that contains annotations, and then click Load. The annotations appear in the locations where they were saved in the source document.

Opening and editing annotations

A note or audio annotation icon marks the location of an annotation on an image. When you move the pointer over an annotation icon and pause, a message displays the author name. You use the icons to open notes or play audio annotations. You can show, hide, or move the icons, and edit the contents of notes.

Note: Resizing an image does not resize the annotation icons and note windows. The icons and note windows keep their locations relative to the image. Cropping an image removes any annotations in the cropped area; you can recover the annotations by undoing the Crop command.

To open a note or play an audio annotation:

Double-click the icon:

•If you are opening a note, a window appears, displaying the note text.

•If you are playing an audio annotation and have a sound card installed, the audio file begins to play.

To show or hide annotation icons:

Do one of the following:

•Choose View > Show > Annotations.

•Choose View > Extras. This command also shows or hides grids, guides, selection edges, target paths, and slices.

To edit annotations:

Do any of the following:

•To move an annotation icon, move the pointer over the icon until it turns into an arrow, and then drag the icon.You can do this with any tool selected. Moving a note icon does not move its note window.

•To move a note window, drag it by the title bar.

•To delete a selected annotation, press Delete.