35I want to annotate my pattern PDF

Put reading guides on your PDF, and mark chart cells with stitch markers

Draw marks straight onto your PDF so you always know which row you are on. On a chart, stitch markers pick out single cells to flag the stitches that matter.

Before you start
See it in action
1
Reading guides
Reading Guides section in the Smart Pattern Reader sidebar

The Reading Guides section lists every mark on the PDF you have open. A horizontal line across the page works like a ruler. Slide it down row by row as you work through the written instructions.

Tip: Pick a strong colour like red or yellow, so the guide is easy to see at arm's length.
2
Place a reading guide
Multiple marker types placed on a PDF: horizontal line, circle, and rectangle highlight

Open the Dashboard (the layers icon, top right), go to Reading Guides and tap Add. Pick a type, then tap the PDF where you want it. You can place several at once: a line under your current row, a circle around the stitch count for your size, a highlight over the chart key. Each one moves on its own.

3
Marker types
Edit Reading Guide panel showing marker types: horizontal line, vertical line, arrow, circle, bracket, highlight rectangle, filled circle, line half

There are horizontal lines, vertical lines, arrows (any direction), circles (outline or filled), pointers, crosshairs, brackets, and highlight rectangles. Each does a different job. Lines follow rows, arrows point at something important, circles ring a number, and rectangles shade a whole area.

4
Edit or delete
Edit Reading Guide panel for a pointer/arrow marker with color picker and size sliders

Press and hold any marker to open the edit panel. Change its colour, its size, where it sits, or swap it for a different type altogether. Markers travel to your paired devices, so a mark you add on your iPad is waiting on your phone.

5
Stitch markers on charts (Full mode)
Stitch Markers section with colored dots on chart cells and a list of named marker groups

Stitch markers pick out single cells inside the chart areas you have set up. Mark the columns where the colour changes, flag one particular stitch, or give each kind of stitch its own colour. With row tracking on, the markers on your current row get brighter, so you only have to look at the stitches in front of you.

Tip: Make named marker groups, each in its own colour, to keep the different stitch types apart.
6
Marker Mode
Marker Mode popup showing row and stitch position with options to apply to entire column or row

In Marker Mode, tap a chart cell to see exactly where it sits, along with a few quick options. "Apply to entire column" marks that stitch on every row. "Apply to entire row" marks every stitch in one row. Add the cells to a marker group you already have, or make a new one there and then.

Need to set up chart regions first? See I want to set up my pattern for tracking.

Available on iPhone, iPad, Android, and web at app.stash2go.com

Pattern PDFs and the Smart Reader · 9 of 11 · Last updated 29 Aug 2026