> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.epicollect.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.epicollect.net/mobile-application/draw-on-photos.md).

# Draw on Photos

With Draw you can scribble, circle or highlight parts of a photo directly in the Epicollect5 mobile app — for example, to mark a specimen, a damaged plant or a location on a map photo.

{% hint style="info" %}
Draw is currently a **beta** feature and is available on the **mobile app only** (Android and iOS). It does not work in the web browser version of Epicollect5.
{% endhint %}

### Before you start

* You need a **photo question** in your project.
* You need to **add a photo** to that question first — Draw always opens on top of an existing photo.

### How to draw on a photo

1. Open an entry with a photo question that already has a photo, then tap **Edit** (or add a new entry and add a photo).
2. Tap the photo question label (the question text at the top of the card). A menu opens with the available options for that photo.
3. Tap **Draw** (shown with a brush icon) at the top of the menu. The drawing screen opens with your photo filling the canvas.
4. Draw on the photo with your finger or stylus.
5. Use the controls in the bottom bar:
   * **Undo** — removes the last line you drew. Tap it repeatedly to step back.
   * **Clear** — removes all your lines at once. Your photo is never deleted, only the drawings on top of it.
   * **1x** (thickness) — opens the pen settings so you can make the line thicker or thinner (1x to 10x).
   * **Coloured dot** — opens the pen settings so you can pick a different pen colour.
6. To change the pen, tap either the thickness label or the colour dot. Pick a colour from the grid and/or slide the thickness slider, then tap **Save** to apply, or **Cancel** to keep your previous pen settings.

   The new colour only applies to lines you draw from now on — lines you already drew keep their colour.
7. When you are happy with your drawing, tap **Save** (tick) in the top right corner. The annotated photo replaces the photo in your entry.

### Discarding a drawing

Tap **Cancel** (X) in the top left corner. If you have drawn anything, the app asks you to confirm with **"Discard drawing?"**:

* **Confirm** — closes Draw and your drawing is lost. The original photo stays as it was.
* **Cancel** — returns you to the drawing screen.

### Tips

* Rotate your device while drawing: your lines stay in the right place on the photo.
* Save is disabled for a moment while a large photo is loading — wait for the photo to appear before saving.
* Draw replaces the photo stored in the entry. If you want to keep the untouched original, take or pick the photo again afterwards.
* You can draw on a photo as many times as you like: each time you open Draw, you start from the photo as it currently is in the entry.

### Troubleshooting

* **I cannot see the Draw option.** Make sure you are using the mobile app (not a browser), the question is a photo question, and a photo has been added. The option does not appear in the PWA/web version.
* **Nothing happens when I press Save.** The photo may still be loading. Wait until the image is fully shown, then tap Save again.
* **The drawing screen closed by itself.** This happens if the existing photo could not be loaded. Check that the photo is still there in the entry, then try again.