TradeStation Help

Text Drawing Object

The purpose of the text drawing object is to have the ability to type customized text directly onto a chart. It is a non-analytical drawing tool designed to help a user keep track of one's trading ideas, label analysis techniques, note specific chart activity, etc. The text drawing tool provides tremendous flexibility as users may enter customized notations directly on their chart.


You can also use the shortcut menu for a selected object to change the drawing properties such as color, style, weight, and any object specific settings.

Drawing a Text Drawing Object

Drawing objects are applied to a chart to assist with data analysis. See About Drawing Objects for more details.

  1. Activate a Chart Analysis window.
  2. From the Drawing toolbar, select the Text icon. The pointer will change to the shape of an "I".
  3. Click the desired location where to insert and type the text. Once the text entered is completed, press the Esc key to disable the text drawing pointer.
  4. Optional. Use the Drawing > Snap Mode menu sequence to "snap" the drawing object to the open, high, low, or closing price of the bar to which the text is applied. For more information, see Snap Mode.

Moving a Text Drawing Object

After a Text drawing object is applied to a chart, you can reposition the drawing object at any time.

  1. Activate a Chart Analysis window containing a text object.
  2. Select the text drawing object and drag the text to a new location.
  3. Optional. Use the Drawing > Snap Mode menu sequence to "snap" the drawing object to the open, high, low, or closing price of the bar to which the text is applied.

Editing a Text Drawing Object

You can change the context of a Text drawing object by editing a previously created text line.

  1. Activate a Chart Analysis window containing a text object.
  2. Right-click the text drawing object and select Edit.

A text edit cursor appears at the end of the previous text. You can add more text to the end or use the Backspace key to remove one character at a time. Use the Delete key to remove the entire text object.

Related Topics 

Formatting the Style of a Drawing Object

Formatting the Font of a Drawing Object

Formatting the Data of a Drawing Object