Limelight
What is a Callout?
A callout is an on-screen annotation, often an arrow, label, shape, or box, that points to a specific element and draws attention to it.
A callout is a marker added on top of content to single out a particular element and, often, to explain it. Common forms include arrows, circled areas, text labels, and boxes with a connecting line. The shared purpose is to say this, here and optionally add a short note about it.
A callout differs from a plain highlight box, which is just the enclosing frame, by frequently adding a pointing arrow or label. It differs from a spotlight, which emphasizes through light rather than annotation, and from a magnifier, which enlarges. A callout is fundamentally an added explanatory marker.
Callouts fit tutorials, demos, documentation screenshots, and live presentations where viewers need to be pointed to a precise spot. Limelight, a macOS menu-bar app, supports callout-style annotation through its freehand drawing tool (⌃⌥3): you can draw arrows, circles, or shapes over any app to point things out, clearing them with ⌃⌥C, all visible to any recorder or call.
Why Limelight
- ▸An annotation that points to and often labels a specific element
- ▸Common forms include arrows, circles, labels, and boxes
- ▸More explanatory than a plain highlight box or spotlight
- ▸Limelight supports freehand callout drawing via ⌃⌥3
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FAQ
- What is the difference between a callout and a highlight box?
- A highlight box is mainly the frame around content, while a callout usually adds a pointing arrow or label to explain the element.
- How do I make a callout in Limelight?
- Use the freehand drawing tool with ⌃⌥3 to draw an arrow, circle, or shape pointing to any element, then clear it with ⌃⌥C.