Markup Annotations using Python

This article shows how to work with markup annotations in PDF documents using Aspose.PDF for Python via .NET.

The example script demonstrates three common annotation workflows:

  • text annotations for note-style comments
  • caret annotations for insertion markers
  • replace annotations for text replacement markup

Text Annotations

Add Text Annotations

This example creates a text annotation on the first page and links it to a popup window. Text annotations are useful for sticky-note style comments in review workflows.

Open the source PDF

document = ap.Document(infile)

Create and configure the text annotation

Define the annotation rectangle and set its title, subject, contents, display flags, color, and icon.

text_annotation = ap.annotations.TextAnnotation(
    document.pages[1],
    ap.Rectangle(299.988, 613.664, 428.708, 680.769, True),
)
text_annotation.title = "Aspose User"
text_annotation.subject = "Sticky Note"
text_annotation.contents = (
    "This is a text annotation added by Aspose.PDF for Python via .NET"
)
text_annotation.flags = ap.annotations.AnnotationFlags.PRINT
text_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue
text_annotation.icon = ap.annotations.TextIcon.HELP

Create the popup annotation

Create a popup window and connect it to the text annotation.

popup = ap.annotations.PopupAnnotation(
    document.pages[1],
    ap.Rectangle(428.708, 613.664, 528.708, 713.664, True),
)
popup.open = True

text_annotation.popup = popup

Add the annotation and save the PDF

document.pages[1].annotations.add(text_annotation, consider_rotation=False)
document.save(outfile)

Complete example

def text_annotation_add(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)

    text_annotation = ap.annotations.TextAnnotation(
        document.pages[1],
        ap.Rectangle(299.988, 613.664, 428.708, 680.769, True),
    )
    text_annotation.title = "Aspose User"
    text_annotation.subject = "Sticky Note"
    text_annotation.contents = (
        "This is a text annotation added by Aspose.PDF for Python via .NET"
    )
    text_annotation.flags = ap.annotations.AnnotationFlags.PRINT
    text_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue
    text_annotation.icon = ap.annotations.TextIcon.HELP

    popup = ap.annotations.PopupAnnotation(
        document.pages[1],
        ap.Rectangle(428.708, 613.664, 528.708, 713.664, True),
    )
    popup.open = True

    text_annotation.popup = popup

    document.pages[1].annotations.add(text_annotation, consider_rotation=False)
    document.save(outfile)

Get Text Annotations

To inspect existing text annotations, filter the annotations collection on the first page and keep only items whose type is TEXT.

Load the document and collect text annotations

document = ap.Document(infile)
text_annotations = [
    annotation
    for annotation in document.pages[1].annotations
    if annotation.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.TEXT
]

for annotation in text_annotations:
    print(annotation.rect)

Complete example

def text_annotation_get(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    text_annotations = [
        annotation
        for annotation in document.pages[1].annotations
        if annotation.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.TEXT
    ]

    for annotation in text_annotations:
        print(annotation.rect)

Delete Text Annotations

This workflow removes all text annotations from the first page and saves the modified PDF.

Find text annotations to remove

document = ap.Document(infile)
text_annotations = [
    annotation
    for annotation in document.pages[1].annotations
    if annotation.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.TEXT
]

Delete the annotations and save the file

for annotation in text_annotations:
    document.pages[1].annotations.delete(annotation)

document.save(outfile)

Complete example

def text_annotation_delete(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    text_annotations = [
        annotation
        for annotation in document.pages[1].annotations
        if annotation.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.TEXT
    ]

    for annotation in text_annotations:
        document.pages[1].annotations.delete(annotation)

    document.save(outfile)

Caret Annotations

Add Caret Annotations

Caret annotations are used to mark insertion points in review scenarios. This example adds a caret annotation with an attached popup note.

Open the document and get the target page

document = ap.Document(infile)
page = document.pages[1]

Create and configure the caret annotation

caret_annotation = ap.annotations.CaretAnnotation(
    page, ap.Rectangle(299.988, 713.664, 308.708, 720.769, True)
)
caret_annotation.title = "Aspose User"
caret_annotation.subject = "Inserted text 1"
caret_annotation.flags = ap.annotations.AnnotationFlags.PRINT
caret_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue

Attach the popup and save the document

caret_annotation.popup = ap.annotations.PopupAnnotation(
    page, ap.Rectangle(310, 713, 410, 730, True)
)
page.annotations.append(caret_annotation)

document.save(outfile)

Complete example

def caret_annotations_add(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    page = document.pages[1]

    caret_annotation = ap.annotations.CaretAnnotation(
        page, ap.Rectangle(299.988, 713.664, 308.708, 720.769, True)
    )
    caret_annotation.title = "Aspose User"
    caret_annotation.subject = "Inserted text 1"
    caret_annotation.flags = ap.annotations.AnnotationFlags.PRINT
    caret_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue
    caret_annotation.popup = ap.annotations.PopupAnnotation(
        page, ap.Rectangle(310, 713, 410, 730, True)
    )
    page.annotations.append(caret_annotation)

    document.save(outfile)

Get Caret Annotations

To inspect caret annotations, iterate through the page annotations and filter by the CARET annotation type.

Load the document and page

document = ap.Document(infile)
page = document.pages[1]

for annot in page.annotations:
    if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.CARET:
        print(annot.rect)

Complete example

def caret_annotations_get(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    page = document.pages[1]

    for annot in page.annotations:
        if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.CARET:
            print(annot.rect)

Delete Caret Annotations

This workflow collects caret annotations first, deletes them one by one, and then saves the updated file.

Load the document and collect caret annotations

document = ap.Document(infile)
page = document.pages[1]

caret_annotations = [
    annot
    for annot in page.annotations
    if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.CARET
]

Delete the annotations and save the document

for annot in caret_annotations:
    page.annotations.delete(annot)

document.save(outfile)

Complete example

def caret_annotations_delete(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    page = document.pages[1]

    caret_annotations = [
        annot
        for annot in page.annotations
        if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.CARET
    ]

    for annot in caret_annotations:
        page.annotations.delete(annot)

    document.save(outfile)

Replace Annotations

Add Replace Annotations

Replace annotations combine a caret annotation and a grouped strikeout annotation. This pattern marks text that should be replaced and links the replacement note to the crossed-out content.

Open the document and get the page

document = ap.Document(infile)
page = document.pages[1]

Create the caret annotation for replacement text

caret_annotation = ap.annotations.CaretAnnotation(
    page, ap.Rectangle(361.246, 727.908, 370.081, 735.107, True)
)
caret_annotation.flags = ap.annotations.AnnotationFlags.PRINT
caret_annotation.subject = "Inserted text 2"
caret_annotation.title = "Aspose User"
caret_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue
caret_annotation.popup = ap.annotations.PopupAnnotation(
    page, ap.Rectangle(310, 713, 410, 730, True)
)

Create the grouped strikeout annotation

Define the strikeout area, assign quad points, and link it to the caret annotation through in_reply_to and reply_type.

strikeout_annotation = ap.annotations.StrikeOutAnnotation(
    page, ap.Rectangle(318.407, 727.826, 368.916, 740.098, True)
)
strikeout_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue
strikeout_annotation.quad_points = [
    ap.Point(321.66, 739.416),
    ap.Point(365.664, 739.416),
    ap.Point(321.66, 728.508),
    ap.Point(365.664, 728.508),
]
strikeout_annotation.subject = "Cross-out"
strikeout_annotation.in_reply_to = caret_annotation
strikeout_annotation.reply_type = ap.annotations.ReplyType.GROUP

Add both annotations and save the PDF

page.annotations.append(caret_annotation)
page.annotations.append(strikeout_annotation)

document.save(outfile)

Complete example

def replace_annotations_add(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    page = document.pages[1]

    caret_annotation = ap.annotations.CaretAnnotation(
        page, ap.Rectangle(361.246, 727.908, 370.081, 735.107, True)
    )
    caret_annotation.flags = ap.annotations.AnnotationFlags.PRINT
    caret_annotation.subject = "Inserted text 2"
    caret_annotation.title = "Aspose User"
    caret_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue
    caret_annotation.popup = ap.annotations.PopupAnnotation(
        page, ap.Rectangle(310, 713, 410, 730, True)
    )

    strikeout_annotation = ap.annotations.StrikeOutAnnotation(
        page, ap.Rectangle(318.407, 727.826, 368.916, 740.098, True)
    )
    strikeout_annotation.color = ap.Color.blue
    strikeout_annotation.quad_points = [
        ap.Point(321.66, 739.416),
        ap.Point(365.664, 739.416),
        ap.Point(321.66, 728.508),
        ap.Point(365.664, 728.508),
    ]
    strikeout_annotation.subject = "Cross-out"
    strikeout_annotation.in_reply_to = caret_annotation
    strikeout_annotation.reply_type = ap.annotations.ReplyType.GROUP

    page.annotations.append(caret_annotation)
    page.annotations.append(strikeout_annotation)

    document.save(outfile)

Get Replace Annotations

To identify replace annotations, find strikeout annotations that are grouped as replies to another annotation. The sample casts each strikeout annotation before checking its relationship fields.

Load the document and iterate through annotations

document = ap.Document(infile)
page = document.pages[1]

Filter grouped strikeout annotations

for annot in page.annotations:
    if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.STRIKE_OUT:
        sa = cast(ap.annotations.StrikeOutAnnotation, annot)
        if (
            sa.in_reply_to is not None
            and sa.reply_type == ap.annotations.ReplyType.GROUP
        ):
            print(f"Replace annotation rect: {sa.rect}")

Complete example

def replace_annotations_get(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    page = document.pages[1]

    for annot in page.annotations:
        if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.STRIKE_OUT:
            sa = cast(ap.annotations.StrikeOutAnnotation, annot)
            if (
                sa.in_reply_to is not None
                and sa.reply_type == ap.annotations.ReplyType.GROUP
            ):
                print(f"Replace annotation rect: {sa.rect}")

Delete Replace Annotations

This workflow collects strikeout annotations used for replace markup, removes them from the page, and saves the output PDF.

Load the document and collect replace annotations

document = ap.Document(infile)
page = document.pages[1]

replace_annotations = [
    cast(ap.annotations.StrikeOutAnnotation, annot)
    for annot in page.annotations
    if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.STRIKE_OUT
]

Delete the annotations and save the document

for annot in replace_annotations:
    page.annotations.delete(annot)

document.save(outfile)

Complete example

def replace_annotations_delete(infile, outfile):
    document = ap.Document(infile)
    page = document.pages[1]

    replace_annotations = [
        cast(ap.annotations.StrikeOutAnnotation, annot)
        for annot in page.annotations
        if annot.annotation_type == ap.annotations.AnnotationType.STRIKE_OUT
    ]

    for annot in replace_annotations:
        page.annotations.delete(annot)

    document.save(outfile)
Shape Annotations via Python Media Annotations in PDF