How do I add text or arrows to a screenshot?

On Mac, open in Preview, press Shift+⌘+A for the Markup Toolbar, then use the Text (T) and arrow-shape tools. On Windows, open in Paint and use the Text and shape tools. For something more polished, paste the screenshot into Figma or Canva and use their annotation layers — easier to reposition and layer multiple notes.

How do I let someone else comment on my screenshot?

If you send the screenshot as a file, they annotate their own copy and send it back — now you have two files to reconcile. A cleaner path: upload the screenshot to a review tool and send a link. They comment by clicking the exact spot in their browser, no account or download required, and every note lands in one place.

What is the best free tool to annotate a screenshot?

Preview on Mac and Snipping Tool on Windows are both free and built in. For sharing and collecting comments from others, browser-based tools like Canva (free tier) work well for personal annotation. For client review where you need the other person to comment without installing anything, a dedicated review-link tool is more reliable than emailing the annotated file back and forth.

How do I share an annotated screenshot with a client?

Export the annotated image as a PNG (not PDF — annotation compatibility varies across viewers) and attach it to an email or message. Reference the specific numbered comments in your message. For anything involving more than three changes, a shared review link where the client can leave their own comments is usually faster than the attachment loop.

Why do clients keep commenting on the wrong version of my screenshot?

Because files pile up — feedback_v2.png, feedback_v2_revised.png, feedback_FINAL.png — and clients often reply to the wrong attachment. Sharing one review link that updates when you push a new version removes this problem entirely: there's only one link, and it always shows the current design.

Can I comment on a screenshot on my phone?

On iPhone, open the screenshot in Photos, tap Edit, and use the Markup icon (pen nib) to add text and arrows. On Android, open in Google Photos or Samsung Gallery and use their built-in markup tools. For collecting comments from a client on their phone, a browser-based review link is easier than asking them to mark up a screenshot on a small screen.

drafty

How to comment on a screenshot

Quick answer

To comment on a screenshot, open it in Preview on Mac or Paint on Windows and add text boxes or arrows over the area you mean. To collect comments from someone else — a client, a stakeholder — share a link they open in a browser and click the exact spot they're referring to. The screenshot method works for a single note; a shared review link keeps every comment anchored to the design and out of your email inbox.

Step 1

On Mac with Preview

Open the screenshot in Preview (double-click the PNG or JPG). Press Shift+⌘+A to reveal the Markup Toolbar. Click the Text (T) button, then click anywhere on the image to place a text box — drag it to the area you mean and type your note. For arrows, click the shape dropdown and pick the arrow tool, then drag from your note to the element. Save with ⌘+S. One thing most people miss: when you export to send (File → Export), choose PNG or JPEG, not PDF — otherwise the recipient gets a PDF where your annotations may behave differently across viewers. If you have a long thread of back-and-forth screenshots, the v3-with-arrows.png → v3-revised-arrows.png → v3-final-arrows.png chain is a real pattern. A shared link avoids it.

Step 2

On Windows with Paint or Snipping Tool

Open the screenshot in Microsoft Paint (right-click → Open with → Paint). Click the Text button in the toolbar, click a spot on the image to create a text box, and type your comment. Use the pencil or shape tools to draw arrows. For something cleaner, use Snipping Tool (Windows Key + Shift + S) — after capturing, click the Edit button to open the annotation toolbar, which gives you a pen, highlighter, and text tool. Save and send as PNG. The same stale-screenshot trap applies on Windows: each revision round means a new file with a new filename. Clients who don't follow the naming convention will reply to the wrong version.

Step 3

Upload to a web-based markup tool

Browser tools like Canva, Figma (paste the image into a frame), or dedicated annotators let you upload a screenshot and add comments, arrows, and shapes without downloading extra software. Drag your screenshot in, use the text or arrow tools, and download the annotated version to send. These are cleaner than Paint for multi-element screenshots — you can layer arrows, number the feedback points, and add longer notes without the image looking cluttered. The catch: you're still sending a static file. When the design changes, your annotated screenshot describes a version that no longer exists and your client may re-send the same feedback on the old one.

Step 4

Share a link your client can comment on directly

This is where screenshot-based feedback consistently breaks down: a client annotates the screenshot you sent, saves it as 'feedback.png', and emails it back. Now you're reconciling two image files, a few WhatsApp messages, and a Loom where they say 'the thing in the top right corner.' The alternative is to share the design as a review link — your client opens it in their browser, clicks the exact element they mean, and leaves a note pinned to that spot. No download, no account, no screenshot. When you push a revised version, the comments stay in place and you can mark each one resolved. Works for mockups exported from Figma, v0 screenshots, and any image you've uploaded.

The faster way

If your client is the one commenting on the design — not you making personal notes — skip the screenshot entirely. Drop the design into Drafty and send the link. Your client clicks the exact element they're referring to and leaves a note pinned right there, no account, no downloaded file. Every comment lands anchored to the spot in a single thread you can reply to and resolve. When you push a revised version, the link stays the same.

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Questions

How do I add text or arrows to a screenshot?: On Mac, open in Preview, press Shift+⌘+A for the Markup Toolbar, then use the Text (T) and arrow-shape tools. On Windows, open in Paint and use the Text and shape tools. For something more polished, paste the screenshot into Figma or Canva and use their annotation layers — easier to reposition and layer multiple notes.
How do I let someone else comment on my screenshot?: If you send the screenshot as a file, they annotate their own copy and send it back — now you have two files to reconcile. A cleaner path: upload the screenshot to a review tool and send a link. They comment by clicking the exact spot in their browser, no account or download required, and every note lands in one place.
What is the best free tool to annotate a screenshot?: Preview on Mac and Snipping Tool on Windows are both free and built in. For sharing and collecting comments from others, browser-based tools like Canva (free tier) work well for personal annotation. For client review where you need the other person to comment without installing anything, a dedicated review-link tool is more reliable than emailing the annotated file back and forth.
How do I share an annotated screenshot with a client?: Export the annotated image as a PNG (not PDF — annotation compatibility varies across viewers) and attach it to an email or message. Reference the specific numbered comments in your message. For anything involving more than three changes, a shared review link where the client can leave their own comments is usually faster than the attachment loop.
Why do clients keep commenting on the wrong version of my screenshot?: Because files pile up — feedback_v2.png, feedback_v2_revised.png, feedback_FINAL.png — and clients often reply to the wrong attachment. Sharing one review link that updates when you push a new version removes this problem entirely: there's only one link, and it always shows the current design.
Can I comment on a screenshot on my phone?: On iPhone, open the screenshot in Photos, tap Edit, and use the Markup icon (pen nib) to add text and arrows. On Android, open in Google Photos or Samsung Gallery and use their built-in markup tools. For collecting comments from a client on their phone, a browser-based review link is easier than asking them to mark up a screenshot on a small screen.

Keep exploring

How to comment on an image How to annotate a PDF How to comment on a website Review a website

Stop emailing files back and forth.

Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.

Open a live demo