ShottieTo add an arrow to an image, open it above, keep the Arrow tool selected, and drag from where the arrow should start to what it should point at. The arrow tapers from a thin tail to a bold head, and you can change its colour and size before downloading a full-resolution PNG.
How to add an arrow to an image
- Open, drop or paste your image.
- With Arrow selected, press where the tail goes and drag to the target; release to place it.
- Pick a colour and a size (S, M or L). Sizes scale with the image, so M looks the same on a phone screenshot and a 5K capture.
- Undo with ⌘Z if it's off, then Download PNG or Copy.
Where to point an arrow
- Stop just short of the target. An arrowhead that covers the button it points at hides the thing it's about.
- Come in from empty space. Start the tail over a quiet part of the image so the arrow doesn't cross text.
- One arrow, one idea. If you need three arrows, you probably need numbered steps instead.
- Pick a colour that exists nowhere else in the image. Red is the default because interfaces rarely use it; on a red interface, use blue or yellow.
Arrow, box or numbered step?
| Use | When |
|---|---|
| Arrow | There's one thing to look at and it's small, like a button, a setting or an icon. |
| Box | The thing is an area: a panel, a paragraph, a group of fields. |
| Numbered steps | There's an order. Put 1, 2, 3 on the controls in sequence. |
| Highlight | The thing is text, and you want it read, not just found. |
Other ways to add an arrow
On a Mac, Preview can do it: open the image, show the Markup toolbar, and choose an arrow from Shapes. It works, though the arrows are thin, uniform lines. Photoshop and Canva have arrow shapes too, but both mean opening a full design app for a two-second job. The tool on this page is for when you just want a clean arrow and a PNG.
Sharing a screenshot with private details in it? Blur them before you download.
Why this arrow tapers
The arrow is thin at the tail and bold at the head, like a brush stroke, rather than a uniform line with a triangle on the end. The taper carries the eye toward the point, so the arrow reads as a direction instead of a connector. The head is sized from the stroke width, so a small arrow still has a clear point and a long one doesn't get a giant head.
Arrows on photos
On a photo there's rarely an empty patch of flat colour, so contrast matters more than on a screenshot. White arrows work on dark or busy photos, and every arrow gets a soft drop shadow, which keeps its edge readable over detail. If one arrow isn't enough to explain the picture, switch to numbered steps and a short note.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add an arrow to a picture online for free?
Open the picture on this page, drag with the Arrow tool from where the arrow should start to the target, then click Download PNG. No sign-up or watermark.
Can I change the arrow colour and thickness?
Yes. Pick one of the colour swatches and a size: S, M or L. Sizes scale with the image so arrows look consistent at any resolution.
Can I move an arrow after drawing it?
Not yet. Undo with ⌘Z (Ctrl+Z) and draw it again, which is usually quicker than dragging handles.
Does the arrow reduce my image quality?
No. The arrow is drawn onto your image at its original resolution, and the result downloads as a lossless PNG.