Annotating a picture means adding a visible note, arrow, outline or label to explain something about the image. For client revisions, a useful annotation identifies which file, which detail and what change. A circle on its own leaves the retoucher guessing.
Start with a copy of the proof, mark only the areas that need attention, then save the marked image beside the clean version. Keep the client's decision in a message or review log that names that exact version. This guide uses documented Apple, Microsoft and Google controls; the credited example below comes from Apple, not a SendPhoto client session.
Choose a tool for your device
For a few changes, the app already on your device may be enough. Choose Preview on Mac for movable shapes and typed notes, Photos on Windows for pen or arrow marks, Photos Markup on iPhone for shapes and text, or Google Photos on Android for drawing and typed labels. The instructions below are platform-specific; an Android menu is not a promise about the web editor.
For tiny details such as a loose thread or product edge, work on a larger screen and zoom into the original proof. A screenshot of a gallery thumbnail may not contain enough detail. Keep an uncropped overview as well as any close-up, so the retoucher can locate the issue.
If a project needs several reviewers, assigned tasks or recorded sign-off, choose a review system that explicitly documents those features. Drawing tools alone do not provide that approval trail. For a small project, one marked copy and one agreed email thread can be easier to manage.
Annotate a copy on Mac or Windows
Mac: Preview shapes and text
- Open the proof in Preview. Choose File > Duplicate before marking it. Save the copy with a name such as Oak_014_v01_notes.jpg using File > Save. Apple's copying guide explains this separation.
- Show the Markup toolbar. Choose a shape, place it around the detail and resize it with its handles. Set an outline that stands out and avoid a fill that hides the detail.
- Choose Text, type a short numbered request and move it beside the marked area. Use the text controls to make it readable.
- Save the marked copy. To choose another format, use File > Export, select the format and save under a new name. See Apple's export instructions.
Apple warns that annotations on an image cannot be moved, edited or deleted after saving. Keep the clean file; if editable annotations are essential, Apple's Preview annotation guide recommends converting the image to PDF before annotating. A PDF review document is a separate deliverable from a gallery JPEG.
Windows: Photos pen and arrow marks
Open a separate copy of the proof in Microsoft Photos, choose Edit image (Ctrl+E), then Markup. Select a pen or highlighter and choose its color and size. Pen options include plain, single-arrow and double-arrow lines. Draw the mark, erase mistakes and use Save as copy to preserve a separate result.
These controls are shown in Microsoft's Photos editing guide. For longer instructions, put a handwritten number beside each mark and type the matching numbered notes in your review message; this workflow does not depend on a text-box feature in Windows Photos. Reopen the saved copy before sending it to check that the marks are visible.
Annotate on iPhone or Android
iPhone: duplicate, mark, then save
In Photos, open the picture and use More > Duplicate to protect the original, as described in Apple's duplicate-photo instructions. Open the duplicate, tap Edit, then Markup. Use the drawing tools or the Add (+) button for text and shapes. Confirm Markup with Done or its checkmark, then finish saving the edit.
Apple's Markup guide shows the controls and a genuine text annotation on a photo:
Apple text-markup example
Open the Apple example at full size. The selected label has visible handles and text-format controls. For revision feedback, use that text tool for a short instruction such as “1: brighten the bowl only,” with a separate outline or arrow identifying the bowl. That proposed review note is our example; it is not text shown in Apple's screenshot.
Android: Google Photos Markup
Open the photo in Google Photos and choose Edit > Markup; some versions use Edit > Tools > Markup. Choose Pen, Highlight or Text. Drag a text box to reposition it. Confirm with the checkmark, then choose Save as copy. Google's Android editing instructions describe these paths.
Open the saved copy and check the whole frame as well as the detail. If you share it through another app, inspect the received file too: the person editing needs readable notes, not a tiny chat preview. Keep the original available for another round of markup.
Turn a mark into an actionable revision
Use an outline to identify an area, an arrow to locate a small detail and a rectangle to propose a crop. Add words explaining what each mark means. Color can help separate requests, but numbers and labels must carry the meaning too: a red circle should not mean both “remove this” and “keep this.”
Here is a proposed client-review example, using the food subjects visible in Apple's photo above. It is a writing template, not a record of work performed for that image:
- File: Snack_014_v01_notes.jpg, based on clean proof Snack_014_v01.jpg.
- Mark 1: outline the popcorn bowl without covering its contents. Note: “Brighten the popcorn slightly; keep the wood and chips unchanged.”
- Mark 2: draw a crop rectangle and label it “Option A.” Note: “Show this tighter crop as a separate option; keep the full bowl in frame.”
- Decision needed: “Is the closer crop preferred for the final use? Please choose A or the original framing before we finish.”
Put detailed explanations in a matching numbered message if they obscure the photo. Ask for one action per number. For skin, fabric or reflections, point to the exact area and state the intended result; “make it better” still is not an editing instruction.
Before sending, view the marked copy at the size the client will use. If a label covers the defect, move it. If the client needs a close-up, send both the full frame and a clearly named detail image. Mark a proposed crop without destructively cropping away the context needed to assess it.
Keep the clean file and the approval record
Use a stable image identifier through every round. A simple sequence is:
- Snack_014_v01.jpg: clean first proof.
- Snack_014_v01_notes.jpg: requests about that proof.
- Snack_014_v02.jpg: revised clean proof.
- Snack_014_v02_notes.jpg: any new requests about version 2.
Keep camera originals and editable masters in their normal archive. Store proof exports and marked copies in separate review folders. Do not rename an unapproved image “final” or overwrite the file that an earlier decision refers to.
Record the decision in a project note or email thread, alongside the filename, reviewer, date and remaining actions. For example: “Snack_014_v02.jpg: approve the brighter popcorn; keep original framing; no further changes requested.” Save the actual client's reply when it arrives. This sentence is a sample, not evidence that a client has approved anything.
Do not rely on hidden image metadata to carry the instructions between apps. The visible marked copy and the separate text record are easier for both people to check. Our client proofing workflow explains how to keep selections and confirmation tied to stable file identifiers.
Share exported proofs through SendPhoto
Create the annotations in your chosen editor, export the marked image, then upload that image as a proof. In this workflow, SendPhoto presents the exported photos; markup and written approval happen outside the gallery. Use names that distinguish the marked proof from the clean revision, and tell the client which version is ready to review.
The SendPhoto getting-started guide covers creating a gallery, uploading images and configuring its sharing settings. Apply the access settings appropriate to the project and share the gallery link with the intended reviewers. Send the corresponding filename-based revision list in your agreed communication channel.
A visible annotation is not copy protection. A recipient can save or capture a displayed image, and a flattened mark can be cropped or edited. Keep confidential information out of proof images, keep masters separately and do not treat a password or a review-only filename as a guarantee against copying.
Once the client confirms the clean revision, deliver that approved version without the review marks. Keep the marked proof and confirmation in your project archive so the final file has a traceable decision behind it.
Resolve unclear or conflicting requests
When “clean up the background” could mean removing an object, softening texture or replacing the background, ask which change the client wants before editing. Mark the uncertain area with a question and list the alternatives. For a crop decision, label two proposed options A and B and name the intended output, such as a portrait print or a website banner.
If a detail is blurred or hidden, ask whether another frame or a reference image is available. An annotation cannot reveal missing detail. Avoid promising a reconstruction simply because the client circled an area.
Agree on one person to consolidate feedback, a review deadline and how requests outside the agreed scope will be handled. If two reviewers contradict each other, record both requests and ask the designated approver to resolve them. A green check or silence should not replace an explicit decision about a named version.
For your next review, prepare a clean proof, a separate marked copy and a short revision list. Then create a SendPhoto gallery to present the exported images, while keeping the instructions and approval tied to their filenames.