Callout Tool
Click Callout to add callout annotations to documents:
Figure 1. Comment Tab, Callout Tool
Callout annotations are used to highlight specific locations in documents. They are composed of a text box that features a linked arrow annotation, which is used to highlight areas of importance in the document.
When the Callout Tool is enabled, click to add callout annotations. The position of the pointer when the mouse is clicked determines the initial position of the arrowhead in the callout arm. The image below details callout annotations at three stages of editing:
Figure 2. Callout Tool Examples
•The upper image is how a callout annotation appears when it is first inserted into a document. Enter the desired text using the keyboard. Press Enter to start new lines. Note that text style options are enabled in the Format Tab when text is being entered.
•The central image is how a callout annotation appears when text is being entered. Right-click text boxes to view/select text editing options, as detailed here.
•The lower image is how a callout annotation appears when it is completed and subsequently selected.
•Click and drag the control points to resize callout annotations and/or reposition the callout arrow.
•Click and drag callout annotations to reposition them.
•Click and drag the green control point to rotate callout annotations. Hold down Shift to rotate at increments of fifteen degrees.
•Use the arrow keys to reposition callout annotations. Hold down Shift to move at an increased increment.
•Use the editing aids detailed here to assist in the precise placement of callout annotations.
•Right-click callout annotations for further options. See here for an explanation of these options.
•Press Ctrl+' to open the Properties pane for selected callout comments and view/edit properties:
Figure 3. Callout Tool, Callout Properties Pane Enabled
•Subject is the name of the callout comment, as referenced in the Comments pane.
•Author is the name of the user that created the callout comment.
•Name is the unique name of the callout comment, as referenced within the application.
•Created is the date and time at which the callout comment was created.
•Modified is the date and time at which the callout annotation was last modified.
•Read Only is the read only status of the callout annotation. If this property is enabled then users cannot interact with the comment. Please note that it is necessary to use JavaScript to change the value of this property.
•Printable is the print status of the callout annotation. If this property is enabled then the comment is printed with the document. If this property is not enabled then the comment is not printed.
•Locked is the locked status of the callout annotation. If this property is enabled then the comment cannot be deleted and its properties (including its position and size) cannot be modified by users.
•Layer determines the optional content layer to which the callout annotation belongs. Further information about layers is available here.
•Fill Color determines the color of the callout annotation.
•Stroke Color determines the border color of the callout annotation.
•Border Style determines the border style of the callout annotation
•Border Width determines the border width of the callout annotation.
•Opacity determines the level of transparency in the callout annotation.
•Blend Mode determines how the callout annotation blends with overlapping content, as detailed here.
•Rotation determines the degrees of rotation of the callout annotation.
•End determines the line ending used for the arm of the callout annotation.
•End Scale determines the size of the line ending in relation to the rest of the callout annotation.
Note that when the Callout Tool is enabled, the Format tab is available and can be used to customize the default properties of callout annotations:
Figure 4. Format Tab, Callout Tool
•Click options in the Shape Style group to select alternative default callout box styles.
•Click Keep Selected to keep the Callout Tool enabled and add multiple callout annotations to the document. If this option is not enabled then PDF-XChange Editor will revert to the designated default tool immediately after creating one callout annotation.
•Click Exclusive Mode to enable exclusive mode, which simplifies the process of using the Callout Tool. When Exclusive Mode is enabled, the pointer ignores all interactive elements of documents other than base content. This makes it possible to create callout annotations on areas that overlap with other content without the risk of accidentally selecting undesired items. When Exclusive Mode is disabled, the pointer recognizes and interacts with all underlying elements in the usual manner.
•Click Properties to open the Properties pane and view/edit Callout Tool properties, as detailed above. Note that when the tool is enabled but no comments are selected, there are additional options available in the Properties pane:
•Text Color determines the default text color for callout annotations.
•Font determines the default font for callout annotations.
•Font Size determines the default font size for callout annotations.
•Text Alignment determines the default text alignment for callout annotations.
•When callout annotations are selected, the Style Tools dropdown menu is available in the Format tab. It contains the following options:
•Click Copy Comment Style to copy the style properties of comments.
•Click Apply Copied Comment Style to apply a copied comment style to selected comments, including the text properties.
•Click Apply Copied Comment Appearance to apply copied comment styles to selected comments.
•Click Apply Copied Text Style to apply copied text styles to selected comments.
•Click Make Current Properties Default to set the properties of the selected comment as the default properties for subsequent comments.
•Click Apply Default Properties to apply the default comment properties to selected comments.
•Click Make Current Text Format Default to set the text format of selected comments as the default format for subsequent comments.
•Click Apply Default Text Format to apply the default text format to the text of selected comments.
•When callout annotations are selected, the Arrange tab is also available and can be used to manipulate comments as detailed here.
Note that the the Comment Styles Palette can be used to edit and save customized callout annotation styles for subsequent use, and the Commenting preferences can be used to view/edit preferences for all comments.
Note that to select text in an annotation after it has been completed, it is necessary to click to select the annotation and then click again to select the text. This is because PDF-XChange Editor must recognize annotations and the text that annotations contain as separate items as they feature different editing options. Text editing options are detailed here.