Table 174 – Additional entries specific to a free text annotation

Key

Type

Value

Subtype

name

(Required) The type of annotation that this dictionary describes; shall be FreeText for a free text annotation.

DA

string

(Required) The default appearance string that shall be used in formatting the text (see 12.7.3.3, “Variable Text” ).

The annotation dictionary’s AP entry, if present, shall take precedence over the DA entry; see Ta b l e 168 and 12.5.5, “Appearance Streams.”

Q

integer

(Optional; PDF 1.4) A code specifying the form of quadding (justification) that shall be used in displaying the annotation’s text:

0 Left-justified

1 Centered

2 Right-justified

Default value: 0 (left-justified).

RC

text string or text stream

(Optional; PDF 1.5) A rich text string (see 12.7.3.4, “Rich Text Strings” ) that shall be used to generate the appearance of the annotation.

DS

text string

(Optional; PDF 1.5) A default style string, as described in 12.7.3.4, “Rich Text Strings.”

CL

array

(Optional; meaningful only if IT is FreeTextCallout; PDF 1.6) An array of four or six numbers specifying a callout line attached to the free text annotation. Six numbers [ x 1 y 1 x 2 y 2 x 3 y 3 ] represent the starting, knee point, and ending coordinates of the line in default user space, as shown in Figure 8.4. Four numbers [ x 1 y 1 x 2 y 2 ] represent the starting and ending coordinates of the line.

IT

name

(Optional; PDF 1.6) A name describing the intent of the free text annotation (see also the IT entry in Ta b l e 170 ). The following values shall be valid:

FreeTextThe annotation is intended to function as a plain free-text annotation. A plain free-text annotation is also known as a text box comment.

FreeTextCalloutThe annotation is intended to function as a callout. The callout is associated with an area on the page through the callout line specified in CL.

FreeTextTypeWriterThe annotation is intended to function as a click-to-type or typewriter object and no callout line is drawn.

Default value: FreeText

BE

dictionary

(Optional; PDF 1.6) A border effect dictionary (see Ta b l e 167 ) used in conjunction with the border style dictionary specified by the BS entry.

RD

rectangle

(Optional; PDF 1.6) A set of four numbers describing the numerical differences between two rectangles: the Rect entry of the annotation and a rectangle contained within that rectangle. The inner rectangle is where the annotation’s text should be displayed. Any border styles and/or border effects specified by BS and BE entries, respectively, shall be applied to the border of the inner rectangle.

The four numbers correspond to the differences in default user space between the left, top, right, and bottom coordinates of Rect and those of the inner rectangle, respectively. Each value shall be greater than or equal to 0. The sum of the top and bottom differences shall be less than the height of Rect, and the sum of the left and right differences shall be less than the width of Rect.

BS

dictionary

(Optional; PDF 1.6) A border style dictionary (see Table 166 ) specifying the line width and dash pattern that shall be used in drawing the annotation’s border.

The annotation dictionary’s AP entry, if present, takes precedence over the BS entry; see Table 164 and 12.5.5, “Appearance Streams” .

LE

name

(Optional; meaningful only if CL is present; PDF 1.6) A name specifying the line ending style that shall be used in drawing the callout line specified in CL. The name shall specify the line ending style for the endpoint defined by the pairs of coordinates (x 1 , y 1 ). Ta b l e 176 shows the possible line ending styles.

Default value: None.