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Bower includes a built-in drawing editor powered by Excalidraw. Use it to:
  • Annotate images — draw on existing images to highlight, label, or mark up
  • Create diagrams — build flowcharts, sketches, and system diagrams from scratch
Annotations and diagrams are saved as a separate layer so you can edit them later without losing the original.

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Annotating inline images

  1. Click an image in the note editor to select it.
  2. In the floating toolbar that appears, click the draw icon (Annotate).
  3. The full-screen annotation editor opens with your image as the background.
  4. Draw your annotations, then click Save.
  5. The annotated preview replaces the inline image immediately.
To edit existing annotations, click the image and tap the draw icon again. Your previous drawings will be loaded so you can modify them.

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Annotating image attachments

  1. Open an image attachment (from the Artifacts list or a note’s attachments).
  2. Click the Annotate button in the header bar, or find it in the more options (three-dot) menu.
  3. Draw your annotations and click Save.
  4. The attachment preview updates to show your annotations.

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Creating diagrams

  1. In the note editor, type /diagram (or find “Diagram” in the slash command menu), or click the draw icon in the fixed toolbar above the editor.
  2. The full-screen drawing editor opens with a blank canvas.
  3. Draw your diagram using shapes, arrows, text, and freehand tools.
  4. Click Save — the diagram appears as an inline image in your note.
To edit an existing diagram, click it and tap the draw icon in the floating toolbar. Your previous drawing will be loaded so you can modify it.

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Drawing tools

The annotation editor provides a full set of drawing tools:

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Styling annotations

When you select a shape, style controls appear on the left side of the editor:
  • Stroke colour — change the outline colour
  • Background colour — fill the shape
  • Stroke width — thin, regular, or bold
  • Stroke style — solid, dashed, or dotted
  • Opacity — make elements semi-transparent
  • Edge style — sharp or rounded corners

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Science shape libraries

When you open the diagram editor, a curated set of scientific shape libraries is automatically loaded into the Library panel (book icon, top-right). These include pre-made shapes you can drag onto the canvas: To use a library shape, open the Library panel, find the shape you want, and click it to place it on the canvas. You can resize and style it like any other element.

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Saving and exporting

  • Save — stores your annotations and updates the image preview. The original image is preserved and can be restored.
  • Export (download icon) — downloads a flattened PNG with your annotations baked into the image.
  • Cancel (X icon) — if you have unsaved changes, you’ll be asked to confirm before discarding.

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Copying annotated images and diagrams

When you duplicate an annotated image or diagram using the copy button in the floating toolbar:
  • A new independent copy is created
  • Annotations or diagram content are copied to the new version
  • You can edit either copy without affecting the other

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Tips

  • The original image is never modified — annotations are a separate overlay
  • Annotations are preserved when you reload the page
  • Use Cmd+Z to undo and Cmd+Shift+Z to redo while drawing
  • Hold Shift while drawing to constrain shapes to squares/circles
  • Double-click text to edit it
  • The lightbox (click to zoom) shows the annotated version of images
  • Images with transparent backgrounds (PNGs) preserve their transparency
  • Annotated images are visible on publicly shared pages

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Limitations

  • Only one person can annotate an image at a time
  • Only image files can be annotated (not PDFs, audio, or other file types)