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I'm looking for a screenshot markup/annotation tool that attaches text to the origin of an arrow.

Screenshot markup/annotation apps usually allow you to add arrows that point to parts of the shot. They also allow you to add text, commonly to explain the problem.

Commonly for me I add an arrow that points to an issue then add some text at the arrow's origin. Often I end up needing to move the text around or because there's not enough room, it ends up on an unreadable background color, etc. When I do so, though, the arrow origin doesn't stick to the text so I'm constantly moving the text, then moving the arrow, then moving the text, then moving the arrow, etc.

Do you know of any tools that allow the text box to "stick" to the arrow's origin so I can more easily make changes this way?

(It might sound a bit of a nitpick but when I'm marking things up I can easily add 100 or more such annotations in a few-hour session.)

Edited to add: I realize that I might not have been clear enough. Here's an example using the app Napkin. It's the perfect app for this but it has other issues that make it not usable for me (and hasn't been updated in years):

visual example of sticky arrow origins

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    I note you've already got an answer, but thought it may be worth you adding to your question what you've already tried. Otherwise we may end up suggesting options you already know aren't suitable.
    – Monomeeth ♦
    Commented Jun 19, 2017 at 21:58
  • @Monomeeth I updated the question for clarity, in case you can think of anything.
    – Matthew Frederick
    Commented Jun 21, 2017 at 2:43

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If you open your images in Apple's Preview, you can use the toolbar to add arrows, and text: Toolbar and tools

Then you can command-click each of the elements to move them respective of each other's position. Multi-select

All of these annotations were done with Apple's Preview. You can do the same thing for PDFs as well.

And of course, taking screenshots are incredible easy in MacOS. cmd-shift-4 with a space bar afterwards lets you take pics of windows.

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  • I wasn't clear enough... Preview works well for what you've described, but I only want the arrow origin to move with the text. I'll add an example to the question. (And thanks for doing so much work, it's a great answer!)
    – Matthew Frederick
    Commented Jun 21, 2017 at 2:40

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