How to annotate an asset with callouts

Callouts are numbered or lettered markers you place directly on an asset to identify individual components. Each callout auto-increments its label so you can work quickly without manually tracking the sequence.

This article uses a toaster as the example product. The following components will be identified: bread slots, lever, browning dial, second dial, body, and feet.

Before you begin

Open the Asset Annotation Editor with your asset loaded. If the canvas shows a "Waiting for image..." placeholder, the asset has not yet been attached to the document.

Step 1: Select the Callout tool

Click the Callout tab in the properties panel, or press C.

The Callout panel showing Callout Type, Start from, Shape, and Text Inside Callout options.

The Callout panel displays the following options:

Step 2: Choose your callout type and shape

Before placing callouts, set the label format and marker style that suits your document. For a toaster user manual, numeric labels with circle markers are a conventional choice for part identification.

1. Under Callout Type, select the label format for your document: numeric (1, 2), lowercase letter (a, b), uppercase letter (A, B), or Roman numeral (i, ii).
2. Under Shape, click Circle.

Step 3: Place callouts on the asset

Click anywhere on the canvas to place a callout at that position. The label is applied automatically and increments with each click.

Six callouts placed on the toaster asset identifying the bread slots (1), lever (2), browning dial (3), second dial (4), body (5), and feet (6)

For the toaster, click each component in sequence:

1. Click the bread slots at the top of the toaster — callout 1 is placed.
2. Click the lever on the right side — callout 2 is placed.
3. Click the browning dial — callout 3 is placed.
4. Click the second dial — callout 4 is placed.
5. Click the body of the toaster — callout 5 is placed.
6. Click the feet at the base — callout 6 is placed.

Step 4: Edit a callout label

If you need to change the text of an existing callout, for example to correct a label or use a custom value:

1. Press V or Esc to switch to the Select tool.
2. Double-click the callout on the canvas.
3. The label editor appears over the callout. Type the new label.
4. Press Enter to confirm, or Esc to cancel.

Note

For text-style callouts, the selection is cleared automatically after you commit a label edit. This ensures that any style changes you make next apply to new callouts rather than the one you just edited.

Step 5: Reposition a callout

1. Press V or Esc to switch to the Select tool.
2. Click the callout to select it. A selection ring appears around the marker.
3. Drag the callout to the new position.

To constrain movement to horizontal or vertical, hold Shift while dragging.

Step 6: Change callout appearance

Select a callout to display its properties in the properties panel. You can adjust the following:

Note

Callout font size stays constant regardless of label length. Two-digit and longer labels no longer cause the font to shrink to fit inside the marker.

Step 7: Delete a callout

1. Press V or Esc to switch to the Select tool.
2. Click the callout to select it, or hold Ctrl/Cmd and click to select multiple.
3. Press Delete or Backspace.

To remove all annotations from the canvas at once, click the trash icon in the bottom of the right toolbar. Confirm the action in the dialog before clearing all annotations. 

Step 8: Save your work

Click Save in the properties panel when you have finished placing and adjusting callouts. Your annotations are saved to the asset and reflected in your document.