Upgrade StorageFeature Request: Support for External Image Annotations in PDF Reader
Currently, Zotero's PDF reader supports image annotations only by capturing areas within the PDF itself (via the Select Area tool). There is no way to paste an external image from the clipboard as a location-pinned annotation — one that appears in the annotation panel and supports attached comments, just like highlights or sticky notes.
Current workaround and its limitations:
Using third-party tools (e.g., Foxit Reader, PDF-XChange Editor) to insert an image stamp into the PDF before opening it in Zotero only partially works: the image renders visually on the PDF, but does not appear in Zotero's annotation panel, and any comment attached to it is not accessible.
Requested behavior:
- Allow users to paste an image from the clipboard directly into the PDF reader, pinned to a specific location
- The image annotation should appear in the annotation panel alongside highlights and notes
- Users should be able to attach a text comment to it
- When users add image annotations in other tools (e.g., Foxit Reader), those annotations should also appear in Zotero's annotation panel with their associated comments
Use case:
This is particularly useful for researchers who want to attach external diagrams, screenshots, or reference images to a specific passage in a paper — keeping all context in one place without switching between tools.
Thank you for considering this request.
Current workaround and its limitations:
Using third-party tools (e.g., Foxit Reader, PDF-XChange Editor) to insert an image stamp into the PDF before opening it in Zotero only partially works: the image renders visually on the PDF, but does not appear in Zotero's annotation panel, and any comment attached to it is not accessible.
Requested behavior:
- Allow users to paste an image from the clipboard directly into the PDF reader, pinned to a specific location
- The image annotation should appear in the annotation panel alongside highlights and notes
- Users should be able to attach a text comment to it
- When users add image annotations in other tools (e.g., Foxit Reader), those annotations should also appear in Zotero's annotation panel with their associated comments
Use case:
This is particularly useful for researchers who want to attach external diagrams, screenshots, or reference images to a specific passage in a paper — keeping all context in one place without switching between tools.
Thank you for considering this request.