How can I draw lines, arrows and shapes?
There are several different shapes you can create and customize with the Annotation Toolbar.
TIP: The Annotation Toolbar will shrink and expand depending on screen orientation or device. If you press and hold on any tools that have a small caret next to the icon, a flyout menu will be displayed and you can access additional tools.
After selecting a shape tool, touch or click the Style Palette icon in the Annotation toolbar to customize the colors, opacity, line thickness, line style, and other attributes of the shape:
Once you have your style selected, use your Apple Pencil, finger or mouse to touch / click and drag your shape to the right size and dimensions.
With your shape created, touch or click the shape (or two-finger tap on a Mac trackpad) for a palette with additional options.
Move -- touch or click and hold the shape to drag it elsewhere on the page;
Resize -- drag the bounding points;
Cut / Copy -- to cut or copy the shape; touch or click anywhere on the page to display the Paste command to move or copy the shape to this location;
Select More... -- add other shapes to a group for a batch command;
Inspector -- for style adjustments;
Save -- to make the shape a Saved Annotation;
Layer -- to move or copy this shape to a different Layer:
Note -- to add an Attached Note;
Trash -- to delete this shape.
Touch or click (or two-finger tap on a Mac trackpad) the shape to display the palette and select the Note icon:
After typing, copy / pasting, using Siri or Scribble to enter your note, tap Done:
On the shape, there's now a Note icon that contains your note:
To open the note, touch or click the annotation to display the palette and touch or click the Note icon.
TIP: The contents of Attached Notes are also searchable in the Annotation Outline.
How do I use the Style Palette?
What are Saved Annotations and how do I use them?
How do I Free Write or Draw?
TIP: The Annotation Toolbar will shrink and expand depending on screen orientation or device. If you press and hold on any tools that have a small caret next to the icon, a flyout menu will be displayed and you can access additional tools.
Setting a Shape's Style
After selecting a shape tool, touch or click the Style Palette icon in the Annotation toolbar to customize the colors, opacity, line thickness, line style, and other attributes of the shape:
Drawing the Shape
Once you have your style selected, use your Apple Pencil, finger or mouse to touch / click and drag your shape to the right size and dimensions.
Modifying the Shape / Additional Shape Features
With your shape created, touch or click the shape (or two-finger tap on a Mac trackpad) for a palette with additional options.
Move -- touch or click and hold the shape to drag it elsewhere on the page;
Resize -- drag the bounding points;
Cut / Copy -- to cut or copy the shape; touch or click anywhere on the page to display the Paste command to move or copy the shape to this location;
Select More... -- add other shapes to a group for a batch command;
Inspector -- for style adjustments;
Save -- to make the shape a Saved Annotation;
Layer -- to move or copy this shape to a different Layer:
Note -- to add an Attached Note;
Trash -- to delete this shape.
Adding Notes to Shapes
Touch or click (or two-finger tap on a Mac trackpad) the shape to display the palette and select the Note icon:
After typing, copy / pasting, using Siri or Scribble to enter your note, tap Done:
On the shape, there's now a Note icon that contains your note:
To open the note, touch or click the annotation to display the palette and touch or click the Note icon.
TIP: The contents of Attached Notes are also searchable in the Annotation Outline.
What's Next
How do I use the Style Palette?
What are Saved Annotations and how do I use them?
How do I Free Write or Draw?
Updated on: 10/04/2025
Thank you!