Guide · Annotate
How to annotate a screenshot on Mac
A bare screenshot rarely makes the point. A couple of arrows and a text box turn it into something people understand instantly.
The macOS Screenshot app and Preview can do basic markup — draw, add a shape, highlight — but for real, share-ready annotations most people reach for a dedicated tool. The faster you can mark something up, the more likely you are to do it at all.
Basics you’ll use constantly
- Arrows to point at the thing that matters.
- Shapes & rectangles to frame regions.
- Text boxes (PowerPoint-style) for labels.
- Freehand brush for a quick circle or underline.
Hiding the sensitive stuff (most missed step)
Before sharing a screenshot, blur out anything private — names, emails, numbers, account details. In iShot, one drag applies a blur or redaction over whatever you need to hide, so you don’t post something you can’t un-post.
Annotating fast in iShot
Annotate right after you capture, then copy and paste — no separate editor round-trip. Holding Shift constrains shapes to perfect squares, circles, and 45° arrows, and ⌘Z reverts the last mark.
After annotating, you might want the whole thing as one image — see scrolling screenshots for long pages.