How do I markup an image on a Mac?

Open the image in Preview, press Shift ⌘ A for the Markup Toolbar. Add arrows, shapes, and text notes. The markup is baked in on save — for editable annotations, export as PDF first and annotate that instead.

How do I markup an image in Figma?

Paste the image into a blank Figma file. Use the Shape tool for rectangles, arrows, or callout boxes; add Text labels next to them. Figma keeps markup as editable vector layers — reposition without redrawing. Export as PNG when done. Best if you're already in Figma and doing the markup yourself, not asking a client to open Figma.

Can I markup an image without Photoshop or a paid tool?

Yes. Preview on Mac, Paint on Windows, and browser-based tools like Annotely are all free and need no account. For collecting feedback from a client, a shared link where they annotate directly removes the need for them to have any tool at all.

How do I let a client markup an image without sending them a file?

Share a link instead of a file. Your client opens the URL, clicks the spot they mean, and leaves a pinned note — no download, no install, no account. The notes land in a thread you can reply to, not a re-saved image you have to compare to the original.

What is the problem with emailing a marked-up image to a client?

The client gets a flat JPEG with your arrows baked in. They draw on top, rename it, and email back. Now you have two versions with layered arrows and no record of which comments are resolved. A shared link keeps everything in one thread on the original, with replies attached to each note.

How do I markup a Figma export for client review?

Export the frame as a PNG, then annotate it yourself in Figma or drop it into a review tool and share the link. If the client is marking it up, the review-link approach is more reliable — they don't need a Figma seat, and their notes land anchored to the element rather than as a re-saved file.

drafty

How to markup an image for client review

Quick answer

To markup an image for client review, export your design as a JPG or PNG, then either draw arrows and notes on it in Preview (Mac) or Figma and send the file — or share a link where your client clicks the exact spot they mean and pins a note without downloading anything. The link approach is the one worth using when you need the feedback in a specific, located form.

Step 1

Export your design and open in Preview or Figma

Export the frame or artboard as a JPG or PNG. On Mac, open it in Preview and press Shift ⌘ A — you get arrows, shapes, and text boxes. In Figma, paste the image into a blank file and draw on top. Both work for your own quick notes before a handoff call. The catch: once you draw and save, the markup is baked in. The client gets a JPEG with your arrows burned into it. If they mark up your markup, you're looking at two generations of arrows and trying to figure out what's still open.

Step 2

Use Snipping Tool or Paint on Windows

Open the image in Paint and use the Shapes and Text tools to add arrows, labels, and boxes — hold Shift while drawing a line to keep it straight. Snipping Tool captures a region and drops it into a basic pen-and-highlighter editor. Save your markup as a new file, not over the original. Same caveat as Preview: once you email it to a client, they save it, draw on it in some editor, and email back a new version. By round two you've got three JPEGs named 'logo_v2_FINAL_marked.jpg' and no record of what got resolved.

Step 3

Use a free browser-based annotator for quick one-shot markup

Tools like Annotely run entirely in a browser tab — no account, no install. Drag in the file, add numbered pins, arrows, or blur boxes, then download the result. Good for a single-pass markup you're sending once. The limit is the same as any flat-file approach: you get a marked-up image, not a conversation. Your client can't click your pin 3 and reply 'actually I want it larger.' They email you. The thread lives in email, not on the image.

Step 4

Share a review link so your client marks up the original

The alternative to sending a marked-up file is turning the image into a shared link your client annotates directly. They open it in their browser, click the logo, the corner, the button, and leave a note pinned to that exact spot — no downloading the file, no account, no Preview. You see every note on the same original, threaded in one place. When you push a revision, the link stays the same and they see the update in place.

The faster way

If you need the client's notes on the exact spot — not baking your arrows into a copy of the file — drop the image into Drafty and share the link. They click the headline they want shortened, the corner of the logo, the colour they mean, and a note pins right there. No re-emailed JPEG, no 'the thing near the top.' Every note lands in one thread on the same link.

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Questions

How do I markup an image on a Mac?: Open the image in Preview, press Shift ⌘ A for the Markup Toolbar. Add arrows, shapes, and text notes. The markup is baked in on save — for editable annotations, export as PDF first and annotate that instead.
How do I markup an image in Figma?: Paste the image into a blank Figma file. Use the Shape tool for rectangles, arrows, or callout boxes; add Text labels next to them. Figma keeps markup as editable vector layers — reposition without redrawing. Export as PNG when done. Best if you're already in Figma and doing the markup yourself, not asking a client to open Figma.
Can I markup an image without Photoshop or a paid tool?: Yes. Preview on Mac, Paint on Windows, and browser-based tools like Annotely are all free and need no account. For collecting feedback from a client, a shared link where they annotate directly removes the need for them to have any tool at all.
How do I let a client markup an image without sending them a file?: Share a link instead of a file. Your client opens the URL, clicks the spot they mean, and leaves a pinned note — no download, no install, no account. The notes land in a thread you can reply to, not a re-saved image you have to compare to the original.
What is the problem with emailing a marked-up image to a client?: The client gets a flat JPEG with your arrows baked in. They draw on top, rename it, and email back. Now you have two versions with layered arrows and no record of which comments are resolved. A shared link keeps everything in one thread on the original, with replies attached to each note.
How do I markup a Figma export for client review?: Export the frame as a PNG, then annotate it yourself in Figma or drop it into a review tool and share the link. If the client is marking it up, the review-link approach is more reliable — they don't need a Figma seat, and their notes land anchored to the element rather than as a re-saved file.

Keep exploring

How to annotate an image How to annotate a PDF How to markup a website

Stop emailing files back and forth.

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

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