Use a Photo Note when text should appear on the finished image. Use a Report Note when text should remain separate from the image and appear only in generated PDF reports.
JotCam uses notes in two related but different ways.
Photo Notes
A Photo Note is entered during review and before Save Annotated Photo.
When saved, the Photo Note becomes part of the finished JPEG. It remains visible when the image is shared outside JotCam.
Use Photo Notes for concise facts that should travel with the photo:
- What is shown
- Where the condition is located
- What was observed
- Why the photo was taken
Example:
Concrete spalling at northeast corner of Column C4.
Photo Notes can contain up to the limit shown in the app.
Review the note before saving. Text burned into the finished JPEG cannot be quietly rewritten later.
Report Notes
Open a photo in History and choose Add/Edit note to add or change its Report Note.
Report Note changes:
- Are saved in JotCam History
- Are included in generated Field Report and Photo Log PDFs
- Do not alter the pixels of the already-finished JPEG
This distinction allows PDF report information to be corrected while preserving the original finished image.
Custom Report Fields
Custom Report Fields are separate from the general Report Note. Create up to four labelled fields when the same specific data should be collected for each record.
The fields appear as labelled entries in PDF reports and as separate columns in CSV exports. This keeps structured field data consistent and reduces the need to transcribe values into office reports or spreadsheets.
Use note templates
Templates are reusable phrases for common observations.
From the review or note-editing screen:
- Tap the bookmark or Templates control.
- Tap a template to insert it.
- Edit the note as required for the specific observation.
If text has already been entered, the selected template is added on a new line.
Create and manage templates
Within Note Templates:
- Create a new template
- Tap the pencil icon to edit a template
- Tap the trash icon to delete a template
- Drag the sheet upward to see additional templates
Good templates provide structure without forcing every observation to sound identical.
Example:
Location:
Observed condition:
Action taken:
Avoid templates that assert a conclusion before the condition has been assessed.
Correct a saved note
If only the Report Note needs correction:
- Open History.
- Select the photo.
- Tap Add/Edit note.
- Make the change and save it.
If the visible Photo Note burned into the JPEG is wrong, preserve the original record and create a corrected finished image from the appropriate source.