How do I…
Cloud an area and add words
Draw any shape or pen line with the cloud line, and put words beside it with a leader.
Where to find it: Annotations (left edge) › open one › the markup button › Cloud
The cloud line is a Line style, next to Dashed and Dotted. Whatever you draw keeps its own shape — a rectangle stays a rectangle, a Free shape keeps the outline you drew, a Pen line keeps its path — and only its line becomes a run of scallops.
Cloud an area
- Open an annotation session and choose Cloud on the markup button at the end of the tools: a rectangle with the cloud line already on. The button keeps showing the tool you chose last. Or pick any shape, or the pen, and choose Line style › Cloud.
- Drag over the area. For an area of your own shape choose Free shape, on the same button, and draw round it; it closes itself.
- After a closed shape with the cloud line the bar says Click where the words go — on an iPad, Tap where the words go. Click where they should sit and type. A new row starts on Enter; click away, or press ⌘ and Enter, to keep them. Skip or Esc leaves the cloud with no words, and a drag draws another shape instead.
The tool stays in hand, so the next cloud is one drag away.
Words on any mark
Select a shape, a line or a pen stroke and choose Words › Words beside it on the row above the drawing bar, or Beside under Words in Properties. A box opens beside the mark to type in. No words, or None, takes them off again, and Keyed note numbers the mark instead; see Add keyed notes.
Move and change them
- Drag the words and only the words move; the leader follows them.
- Drag the shape and only the shape moves; the words stay where they are and the leader follows.
- Move it together with other things, copy it or duplicate it, and the words go along.
- Click the selected shape again to retype its words. Properties › Words holds them too, with their Text size.
Clouds drawn before the cloud line existed look exactly as they did, and can take words as well.
Clouds and their words print and share like every other mark, and hiding the session hides them. See Style a mark and Add an annotation.