How to annotate an image
To annotate an image, open it in a tool that lets you draw or add text — Preview on Mac, Snipping Tool on Windows, or the Drawing editor in Google Docs. Click where you want to add a note, pick an arrow or text box, and save. To collect annotations from someone else — a client or reviewer — share a link they can mark up in their browser without downloading anything.
On Mac with Preview
Open the image in Preview (double-click any JPG or PNG). Press Shift ⌘ A to show the Markup Toolbar. You get arrows, shapes, text boxes, and a freehand sketch tool. Click where you want to mark, pick a tool, type your note, then press ⌘ S. One catch: annotations are flattened into the file on save — you can't reposition them later. If you need editable notes, export as PDF first (File → Export as PDF) and annotate the PDF.
On Windows with Snipping Tool or Paint
Snipping Tool (Win + Shift + S) captures your screen and drops it into a basic editor — use the pen and highlighter, then Save. For more control, open the image in Paint: the Text tool adds labels, the Shapes tool draws arrows or rectangles. Hold Shift while drawing a line to keep it straight. Paint is on every Windows machine and saves your markup permanently into the file.
In Google Docs (shareable, browser-based)
Insert your image into a Google Doc (Insert → Image). Click the image, then click Edit — this opens the Drawing editor. Add text boxes, arrows, and shapes on top of the image, then click Save and Close. The Doc is shareable via link. One limit: annotations live in the drawing layer, not the raw file. To get a standalone PNG, download the drawing (File → Download → PNG).
With a free online tool (no software, any device)
Tools like Annotely and imageannotation.org run entirely in the browser — drag in your image, add arrows, boxes, blurs, or numbered pins, then download the result. No account required. The tradeoff: you get a flat image with the markup baked in. Your client can't reply to a specific annotation — they'll still email their response back to you.
When your client is the one annotating
The steps above work when you're doing the marking up. When you need a client to annotate — circle the thing they want changed, point at the paragraph that's wrong — the workflow breaks down. You email the file, they open it in whatever app they have, draw on it (or take a photo of their screen), and email a new version back. Now you have two copies and a guessing game about which "bit near the top" they meant. The cleaner path: share a link they can click and annotate in their browser, with their notes pinned to the exact element, on the same original.
If the goal is collecting client feedback on the exact spot — not baking arrows into a file — drop the image into Drafty and share the link. Your client clicks the icon, the paragraph, the corner they mean, and a note pins right there. No downloaded file, no re-emailing, no guessing which element they circled. Every note lands in one thread on the same link.
Open a live demoQuestions
- How do I annotate a JPEG image?
- On Mac, open the JPEG in Preview and use the Markup Toolbar (Shift ⌘ A) to add arrows, text, or shapes. On Windows, open it in Paint and use the Text and Shapes tools. Online, drag the JPEG into a browser-based annotator like Annotely — no install needed.
- How do I annotate an image in Google Docs?
- Insert the image into a Doc, click it, then click Edit to open the Drawing editor. Add shapes, text boxes, and arrows on top of the image, then Save and Close. The annotated image appears inside the document. You can download it as a PNG if you need a standalone file.
- Can I annotate an image for free?
- Yes — Preview on Mac, Snipping Tool and Paint on Windows, and Google Docs all annotate images at no cost. For browser-based options, Annotely and imageannotation.org are free with no account required.
- How do I annotate an image on my phone?
- On iPhone, open the image in Photos and tap Edit → the pencil icon (Markup). You get a pen, highlighter, text tool, and shapes. On Android, open the image in Google Photos, tap Edit → Markup. For a shared link your client can annotate from their phone without any app, a browser-based review tool is the easiest path.
- How do I share an annotated image with a client?
- The simplest way is to export the annotated image as a file and email it. The problem is the client can't respond to a specific annotation — they'll write back "which arrow?" A cleaner option: share a link to the image in a review tool where they can comment on the exact element and you see every note in one thread.
- How do I annotate an image so the client can reply to specific comments?
- Baking arrows into a flat image file doesn't support replies. You need a tool where annotations are threaded notes — the client can respond to each one, and you can mark them resolved. Most flat image editors (Preview, Paint) don't do this; review and feedback tools do.
Keep exploring
Stop emailing files back and forth.
Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.