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Annotating a document

You can annotate images or PDF documents that are stored in COINS Document Management

Written by Sunil

Examples of annotation that can be added to files stored in Document Management are:

  • Add text notes

  • Draw lines, or shapes such as ellipses or rectangles

  • Highlight parts of the document

  • Add arrows

  • Place stamps on the document

  • Redact text so it is no longer visible

If you export an annotated document, it is converted to a PDF, so the annotation is exported with the document.

To annotate a document

  1. Do one of the following:

    1. Open the document.

    2. Click the “Edit the document with annotations” button at the top of the document.

      The annotations toolbar opens.

    Or:

    1. From the Card View, click the Create Annotations button at the bottom of the card.

      The document opens with the annotations toolbar active.

    You can move the toolbar by clicking the top and dragging it around the screen. To use smaller buttons, drag the toolbar to the top of the frame.

  2. Add the annotations (see Adding annotations for details).

  3. To save the annotations, either:

    • Click (Save annotation to draft) to store the annotations in the COINS database; they can be subsequently changed.

    • Click (Save permanently) to create a new revision of the document. This burns the annotation in.

By default, annotations are public: anyone who views the document can see them. If you want to make an annotation private so that only you can see it, click (Public/Private) in the toolbar before you add the annotation, or change its properties after you have added it.

Parameters

The following parameters affect annotations:

Parameter

Description

Setting

DM/ANNOTATE

Enable Annotation Functionality

Set this parameter to Y to enable the functionality which allows image documents to be annotated.

DM/PDFSTDVIEW

List of users/groups using the standard viewer

he standard coins PDF viewer is a simple and quickly-loaded viewer to show PDF Documents in COINS DM and this parameter sets whether it is used or not. By default it is not enabled.

This is a can-do list of users and/or user groups. If the current user is a member of a listed group, or explicitly listed as a user, then they will use the Standard PDF viewer to show PDF documents, otherwise it will use whatever PDF viewer is being used on the desktop.

While using the Standard PDF viewer, clicking on the PDF icon in the viewer will load the current document in the desktop viewer.

To use annotations, users must be using the standard viewer.

DM/RSDIR

Rubber Stamp Directory

The directory on the COINS server where rubber stamp images are stored. Rubber stamps are used during annotation.

If the path set in RSDIR does not exist, or is empty, the default one shipped with Coins is used.

DM/STAMPWATERMARK

Format for stamp watermark ($USER $DATE $TIME $KCO $DATA)

A list of tokens that determine which information to include on a stamp (if watermark is enabled). This can include:

  • the user ID ($USER),

  • the date and time ($DATE, $TIME),

  • and the current company ($KCO).

  • If the list includes the token $DATA, the watermark also includes text that the user enters when the stamp is added.

DM/STDRS

Comma-separated list of Standard Rubber Stamps to use

A comma separated list of the standard Rubber Stamps which it is possible to use when Annotating a document. Enter * to enable all of these.

The possible values are:

1 - Approved

2 - Assigned

3 - Checked

4 - Copy

5 - Draft

6 - Extended

7 - Fax

8 - Faxed

9 - Important

10 - Invoice

11 - Notice

12 - Official

13 - On File

14 - Paid

15 - Passed

16 - Pending

17 - Processed

18 - Received

19 - Rejected

20 - Release

21 - Sent

22 - Shipped

23 - Top Secret

24 - Urgent

25 - Void

26 - Secret

27 - Confidential

28 - Client Attorney Privilege

Adding annotations

The table below shows the types of annotations you can add to a document in Document Management, and the buttons you use to add them.

Button

What you can do

Text box

Type text in a box on the document.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. Click the place on the document where you want to add the text.

  4. Click the text box.

  5. Type your text.

Speech bubble

Type text that appears when the reader moves the mouse pointer over the bubble icon.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. Click the place on the document where you want to add the speech bubble.

  4. Click the text box (where it says Enter Text!).

  5. Type your text.

Freehand line

Draw a line on the document with the mouse.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. At the place on the document where you want to start drawing the line, click and hold down the mouse button, and move the pointer to draw the line.

Signature

Write a signature with the mouse and place it on the document.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

    A signature box appears.

  3. If necessary, use the setting below the box to change the Scale for the signature. For example, if you set it to 4:1, the signature on the document will be a quarter of the size you write.

  4. Using the mouse, write your signature. If it doesn't look right and you want to start again, click the CLEAR button below the box.

  5. When you have finished the signature, click the SAVE button below the box.

    The signature is placed onto the document.

  6. Click the signature and move it to where you want it.

Redact

Cover parts of the document with a black rectangle so they cannot be read.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. At the top left of the area you want to redact, click and hold down the mouse button, and drag the pointer over the area you want to redact, then release the button.

Highlight

Mark parts of the document with a coloured marker.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

    1. To change the highlight colour, first hold the pointer over the button, then click the colour you want to use.

  3. At the place on the document where you want to start highlighting, click and hold down the mouse button, and move the pointer to add the highlight.

Stamp

Place one of a pre-defined selection of stamps, such as “Paid” or “Cancelled”, on the document.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. Click a stamp and hold down the mouse button to drag it to the place on the document where you want to add it.

  4. If necessary, resize the stamp.

Sticky note

‘Pin’ a colored note to the document and type on it.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

    1. To change the note color, first hold the pointer over the button, then click the color you want to use.

  3. Click the place on the document where you want to add the note.

  4. Click the text box (where it says Enter Text!).

  5. Type your text.

Straight line

Draw a straight line on the document.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. Click the place on the document where you want to start the line.

  4. Hold down the mouse button and move the pointer to where you want the line to end.

Rectangle

Draw a rectangle or square on the document.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. At the place on the document where you want to add the rectangle, click and hold down the mouse button, and move the pointer to change the size of the rectangle.

    1. You can fill the rectangle with a colour by changing its properties.

Ellipse

Draw an ellipse or a circle on the document.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. At the place on the document where you want to start the ellipse, click and hold down the mouse button, and move the pointer to change the size of the ellipse.

    1. You can fill the rectangle with a colour by changing its properties.

Arrow

Draw an arrow on the document.

  1. If you are using the toolbar with large buttons, hold the pointer over the (Select the type of annotation) button.

  2. Click the button.

  3. At the place on the document where you want to start the arrow, click and hold down the mouse button, and move the pointer to where you want the arrow to end.

Adding multiple annotations

You can add more than one annotation of the same type, without having to select it every time. You can also copy an existing annotation.

To add more than one annotation of the same type

When using large buttons:

  1. Hold the pointer over (Select the type of annotation).

  2. Click the button for the annotation you want to add.

    The “Select the type of annotation” button changes to show the annotation type you selected.

  3. Click the annotation type button.

    A border is displayed around the button.

  4. Each time you click the document, it adds a new annotation of the same type.

  5. To change to a different type of annotation, click the button again, then add a new annotation in the normal way.

When using small buttons, the type of annotation remains selected until you click a different button.

To copy an annotation

  1. Click the annotation you want to copy.

  2. Click the (Copy) button.

    A copy of the annotation is created.

  3. Click the copy and drag it to where you want it.

Modifying annotations

You can change the appearance of an annotation after you have added it by changing its properties. You can also set some default properties for new annotations.

Changing properties

After you have added an annotation to a document, you can change its properties. For example, you can change the pen colour, the size of text, the background colour, and the transparency.

  1. Click the annotation to select it (or click the button and drag the mouse pointer to draw an outline round the annotation).

  2. Click the (Show/Hide the properties window) button.

    The properties you can change differ depending on the annotation.

    • Title: Give the annotation a name. You can then use this to select the annotation using the drop-down in the Properties panel.

    • Annotation: Select whether the annotation is public (anyone who views the document can see it) or private (only you can see it).

    • Locked: Select whether the annotation is free (can be modified) or locked (cannot be modified).

    • Font size: Use the slider to change the size of text.

    • fontFamily: Select the font for a text annotation.

    • Fill: Check the checkbox to fill the shape with a colour; use the colour picker to change the colour. “Fill” is also the text colour on a text box or sticky note.

    • Stroke: Use the colour picker to change the colour of a line.

    • Paper Colour: Use the colour picker to change the background colour of a text box or sticky note.

    • Width: Use the slider to change the width of the line.

    • Rounded: Use the slider to change how rounded the corners of a rectangle are.

    • Opacity: Use the slider to change how transparent the annotation is.

Changing defaults

To change the annotation defaults:

  1. Click the (Change the default annotation settings) button.

  2. To change the pen color or the background color, click the colored circle:

    and select the colour using the colour picker.

  3. To change the pen width, or the transparency of the background, use the sliders.

    These settings are used, if applicable, for any new annotations you add.

Viewing annotation text

If a document has any text-based annotations (that is, text, speech bubble or sticky note), you can see the text without opening the document.

On the Browse Document tab, click the button at the right of the row.

This displays a frame containing a browse that lists the annotations for that document.

Deleting annotations

To delete a single annotation

  1. Click the annotation.

  2. Click the Delete button at the top right corner of the annotation.

  3. At the confirmation prompt, click OK.

📌Note: To bypass the confirmation prompt, press the Shift key when you click the Delete button.

To delete multiple annotations

  1. Click the (Select an object to edit) button.

  2. Click and hold the mouse button, and drag the pointer to draw an outline round the annotations you want to delete.

  3. Click the Delete button at the top right of the outlined area.

  4. At the confirmation prompt for each annotation, click OK.

📌Note: To bypass the confirmation prompt, press the Shift key when you click the Delete button.

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