Recogito Tutorial: Annotating Images

Annotating images in Recogito is conceptually very similar to annotating text, the only differences are those related to the different nature of the document. To create an annotation, you use basically the same pop-up interface that is used in the annotation of texts, with one addition: a field called “transcription”. We need this extra field because Recogito cannot read text in image format: in order to generate the list of appropriate gazetteers matches, it needs the user to type the placename. Besides, exactly how a place-name is spelt could vary from map to map and might be important information to capture, After you have entered a name to be searched, Recogito behaves as when creating place annotations in text files.

As in other applications, you can manipulate the image using your mouse or keyboard: To zoom the image in or out: use either your mouse wheel / trackpad or the plus and minus keys on your keyboard; To rotate the image: hold the “alt” key and move the image around its centre.

Additionally, Recogito offers two further tools to specifically help you with annotation. They are:

• Move: when you select the “move” tool you can pan across the image.
• Point: Under this label, you will find the four tools with which you can annotate your document. Using any of them will bring up the pop-up interface described above.
  • Point: with this tool, you can annotate a specific point on an image, such as the exact location of a place on a map. Clicking on the point will bring up the annotation pop-up.
  • Rectangle: with this tool you can create a rectangle around an area of interest in the image, and annotate it. To draw a rectangle, click where you want the bottom left corner of your rectangle to be; then drag the pointer diagonally to the opposite angle, the top right, which will create the rectangle. When you are happy with the size of the rectangle, click on it to bring up the pop-up interface.

• Tilted Box: this tool works like the rectangle, but is more flexible in orientating and shaping the selected area. To create a tilted box, click once on the bottom left corner of the area you want to highlight, then click again to draw the baseline of the box. You can give any angle to this line. When you have found the right length and inclination of the baseline, click a second time to complete it. Now, drag up the pointer to create the surface of the box. When you are happy with the shape of the tilted box, click a third time the pop-up interface.

• Linked Box: with this tool you can create a complex annotation that links a point to a tilted box in the same annotation. You might want to use this tool, for example, when annotating both the precise “point” location of a place on a map and the spelling of its name as it appears there. Click once to create the point, then a second time where you want to start creating the tilted box (the bottom left corner of your selection) and complete it in the usual way (see c).
• Overlay colours: this tool enables you to change the colour of your annotation, to maximise contrast and visibility on your image of choice.

You can always use the move tool to rearrange the annotations on an image after you have created them.