Mark up pdf and image files stored in Box using drawing features on the Web. Drawing your annotations – circling, underlining, crossing out, drawing arrows, and so on – goes beyond the standard text and image highlighting features, so you can be more specific and precise as to what you wish to annotate. You can:
- Use your mouse to write or draw in free hand.
- Choose from a range of colors.
- Erase your annotation.
- Add comments to your annotation to provide clarity and context.
- Automatically notify one or more collaborators via Box’s “@ mention” feature.
To annotate a file in Box, open the file in Box Preview. The annotation menu displays below the preview screen. Then click the annotation tool you want.
Document and image file formats you can annotate.
Annotating using text and image highlighting.
Notes
- As with all Box annotations, you can only share your annotations with people who are collaborated on the file.
- Box annotations essentially are an overlay in Box Preview – that is, they are not added to the actual file contents. If you open the file in its native application, your annotations do not display.
To draw an annotation:
- Open the file you want in Box Preview.
- The annotation toolbar displays at the bottom of the screen.
- Click the drawing icon; it looks like a scribble (
). The toolbar redisplays, now including a colored square that enables you to change the color of your drawing line.
- Press and hold to use your mouse or trackpad to begin drawing in freehand anywhere on the file preview.
- (Optional) The default drawing color is blue. To change it, click the colored box (
). When the color palette displays, click the color you want. - When you stop drawing (for example, by lifting your finger from the mouse button), the Comment toolbar displays.
- Add explanatory text. To do this, click Add Comment, and then click into the blank line. Then type your comment.
- In this way you can provide context, point out specific details, address one or more individuals directly, and so on.
- You cannot save your annotation until you add a comment.
- When you’re done, click Post.
Box saves your drawing, and displays your comment in the File Activity pane on the right. From there you can edit or delete your comment; to do this, click the ellipsis (...) to the right of the comment you wish to change.
Note
You can notify one or more individuals of your annotation by entering the @ symbol and then beginning to enter the person’s name. Box displays a list of names; click the name you want. They receive an email and an alert in their Box Notification Center.
When a collaborator previews the file with your annotations, any comments you have added to your drawing display in the collaborator’s File Activity sidebar. The drawing annotations themselves display as an overlay, directly on top of the document preview itself.
Modifying your drawing
You can change your mind, or alter your drawing, in the midst of an annotation session. To do this, click the eraser (
). Then erase any portion of your annotation. The eraser is best to clean up small mistakes and erase sections of your annotation.
Undoing an annotation
During an annotation session, you can undo any prior actions with the Undo tool. To do this, click Undo (
). Each time you click Undo you remove a segment of your annotation.
- A segment extends continuously from the time you begin drawing to the time you stop drawing and raise your finger. For example, you draw a single unbroken line in one segment. A dotted requires multiple segments.
You can undo multiple segments. However, you can only undo segments back until the last time you saved. For example, if you draw two circles, then save your annotation, then draw three more circles, you can only undo the second set of three circles.
To re-display an undone annotation, click Redo (
).