Annotating ACP Charts
Last updated
Last updated
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StockChartsACP includes several tools for annotating charts. These tools allow you to draw trendlines and other traditional line studies, highlight areas of the chart, and add text notes.
Annotations can be saved to your chart for later study. Once an annotated chart has been saved, its annotations will automatically be repositioned as new data is added to the right side of the chart.
You can annotate your charts from the StockChartsACP platform. First, create the chart you want to annotate. Before annotating the chart, make sure your chart's settings are correct. Then click the Annotate (pencil and ruler) icon in the Chart Design menu to begin annotating.
The annotations panel that opens on the left lists the annotation tools, grouped into categories: Line Tools, Text Tools, Shape Tools, and Line Study Tools.
When you click on a tool, it opens the Edit Annotation panel, from which you can change its properties.
When you're done annotating, close the Annotations panel by clicking on the Annotation (pencil and ruler) icon again.
Let's dive into how to use the annotation panel and specific annotation tools.
Select an annotation tool from the menu in the Annotation Panel.
When you select an annotation tool, a panel that allows you to change the settings will open.
To add the new annotation, click and drag it on your chart. The example below shows the annotation for a trendline. You can click and drag the trendline on the chart.
Note: While most annotations are added by clicking and dragging, a few use a different method. These exceptions are described in the instructions for each specific annotation tool.
Annotations are positioned relative to the price bars. For example, when you add a trendline to a daily chart, it may extend from February 5th to April 19th. As new price bars are added to the right side of the chart, the price bars for February 5th to April 19th will shift to the left to make room for the new price bars on the right. The annotation will stay with the price bars it was originally attached to.
Note: For some annotations, if part of the annotation moves off-screen, the entire annotation will not be visible. In this situation, you can resize the chart and/or reposition the annotation to make it visible again.
After you add an annotation to a chart, you can edit the annotation's properties. Here's how.
Hover your mouse over the annotation.
Select the annotation by clicking on it.
When you select an annotation, you'll see small circles called “handles” on the outside edges of the annotation. You can click and drag on these handles to change the size and orientation of the annotation.
When you select an annotation, the Edit Annotation panel will open. In this panel, you can change the annotation properties.
In the above example, the trendline annotation is selected so the panel that opens up has settings specific to trendlines. On the Edit Annotation panel, you can change the line color and opacity, modify the line width and style, add an arrowhead to the line, and lock the line in either a horizontal or a vertical position.
There are three ways to duplicate an annotation:
Select the annotation, then click the blue Duplicate button at the bottom of the Edit Annotation panel. When you mouse over the chart, a duplicate copy of the annotation will be “stuck” to your mouse. Click the mouse to place the duplicate annotation on the chart.
Select the annotation, then press CTRL+D (CMD+D on a Mac). When you mouse over the chart, a duplicate copy of the annotation will be “stuck” to your mouse. Click the mouse to place the duplicate annotation on the chart.
Hold down the CTRL key (CMD on a Mac), then click on the annotation and drag your mouse. Release the mouse button to place the duplicate annotation on your chart.
Once an annotation is selected, you can delete it by pressing the “Backspace” (or “Delete”) key on your keyboard. You can also delete the selected annotation by clicking the red trash can icon at the bottom of the Edit Annotation panel.
If you want to remove all annotations from a chart, click the red “X” icon at the bottom of the Annotations panel. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to delete all annotations.
The “Undo” button (grey with a reverse arrow), available at the bottom of the main Annotations panel and all Edit Annotations panels, allows you to undo your most recent change to the annotations on the chart. You can undo several changes by clicking the “Undo” button multiple times. Pressing CTRL+Z (CMD+Z on a Mac) also undoes the most recent annotation change. Please note that there is no “Redo” capability - once the change is “undone,” it is gone forever.
When you select an annotation, click and drag the handles (the small circles at the edges) to resize the annotation. To reposition the annotation, click on the center of the annotation (away from the handles) and drag.
You can also change various properties of the selected annotation in the Edit Annotation panel. The options that you can change vary depending on the annotation selected. They include:
Color and Opacity. Set the color of the annotation and how transparent the annotation is. This color picker works just like the one used to set the colors of indicators.
Line Thickness and Style. Choose from five line widths and three line styles.
Lock Horizontally/Vertically. Many of our line annotations allow you to lock the line into a perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal position.
Font Size and Style. Choose the font size and whether the text should be bold and/or italicized.
Fill Mode. Toggle between two different approaches for filling shapes: unfilled or filled with a semi-transparent color of your choice.
Display All Values. Choose to display additional information labels on the annotations.
Note: Some annotations have additional settings that are specific to that tool. Those settings are described in the instructions for each specific annotation tool.
When you save a chart to a ChartList in StockChartsACP, annotations are saved.
The green Save Annotations button at the bottom of the Annotations panel allows you to save new annotation changes as you work on the chart. The process is identical to saving a chart without annotations.
If the chart has not been saved to a ChartList before, you will be prompted to select a ChartList and provide a name for the chart you are saving.
If you attempt to leave a chart with unsaved annotations, you will be allowed to save it before moving on to the new one.
Non-members cannot save annotated charts to their account (since they do not have one).
The annotation tools in StockChartsACP are grouped into the following categories: Line Tools, Text Tools, Shape Tools, and Line Studies. Click on the appropriate link to learn more about using each group of tools.
Line tools are annotation tools that create lines on your chart and/or allow you to measure on your chart. These include trendlines, vertical and horizontal lines, channels, parabolas, auto support/resistance lines, and measurement tools such as average and percent change. Learn more about using these tools in our Support Center article on StockChartsACP Line Tools.
Our text annotation tools, which include text notes and callout boxes, allow you to add text to your chart. Learn more about using these tools in our Support Center article on StockChartsACP Text Tools.
Our shape tools allow you to create filled or hollow shapes on your chart. These tools include rectangles, ellipses, triangles, arrows, checkmarks, and stars. Learn more about using these tools in our Support Center article on StockChartsACP Shape Tools.
We also offer additional line study annotation tools. These tools include Fibonacci-based line studies (retracements, arcs, fans, and time zones), cycle studies (cycle lines, cycle circles, and sine waves), and other popular line studies such as Harmonic Patterns (XABCD), Raff Regression Channels, Andrews' Pitchforks, Quadrant Lines, and Speed Resistance Lines. Learn more about these tools in our Support Center article on StockChartsACP Line Study Tools.
