Skitch for Android - Add Notes to Photos

Skitch Arrives on Android: A Comprehensive Review

For Mac users, Skitch has long been recognized as a premier application for screenshot capture, modification, and distribution.

Following its acquisition by Evernote in August, Skitch is now available for Android devices for the first time.

Initial Interface and Capture Functionality

The Evernote branding is prominent within the application. The leftmost button initiates image capture, however, Skitch does not function as a standalone camera application.

Instead, this button simply activates your device’s pre-existing camera application.

Editing Features and Initial Observations

Upon capturing an image, the editing process can begin. The application’s interface is notably well-designed, representing a significant strength of the Skitch experience.

Initially, the captured image may display with an incorrect orientation. Unfortunately, a dedicated rotation feature is absent within Skitch itself; the top arrow icon controls Undo/Redo functions.

Image rotation can be achieved by physically rotating the phone, although the Skitch interface does not fully adapt to this change. The following image was originally taken in landscape mode:

Annotation Tools: Colors and Arrows

Let's examine the available editing tools. Selecting a color for annotations is a straightforward process.

Both color and line thickness can be easily adjusted, contributing to the application’s user-friendly feel. An arrow can be added to highlight specific elements, such as the Chicago Manual of Style.

While the length of a drawn arrow cannot be modified after creation, its color, width, and position are adjustable. The “finger” tool allows for selection and manipulation of the arrow.

Text and Highlight Tools

The text tool allows for the addition of textual annotations to the image.

Text size is adjusted using a pinch-to-zoom gesture, not necessarily within the text area itself. This same method applies to the square highlight tool.

This functionality is somewhat unintuitive, as the interface provides no explicit guidance. Discovering this method required experimentation.

Sharing and Integration

Once editing is complete, the annotated image can be shared through any sharing method supported by your device, extending beyond Evernote.

Notably, Skitch is not heavily reliant on Evernote. The application functions perfectly well even without Evernote installed, demonstrating a thoughtful design choice.

Navigation and Limitations

Returning to the app’s home screen reveals the remaining two buttons:

The middle button allows selection of an existing image from your gallery, while the right button initiates a blank canvas for freehand drawing.

A limitation is the lack of a direct save-to-gallery option, given the emphasis on image sharing. After editing, the image was not found within the device’s Gallery application. This is not a significant issue if the primary intention is immediate sharing.

A Concluding Assessment

Skitch has established itself as a prominent application for screen capture on macOS, and its popularity is readily understandable. While the Android iteration offers a more limited feature set, it compensates with a visually appealing design.

Should you require a tool to rapidly annotate maps with directions or provide visual feedback on images, Skitch presents itself as a commendable and freely available solution.

Key Strengths of Skitch

It excels at quickly adding visual notes to screenshots and images.
The application is particularly useful for marking locations on maps.
Skitch is offered at no cost to users.

Despite the Android version’s relative simplicity, its core functionality remains highly effective. It provides a streamlined experience for basic annotation tasks.

For users seeking a straightforward and aesthetically pleasing method of visual communication, Skitch is a worthwhile consideration. It effectively bridges the gap between simple capture and detailed annotation.