Produces precise redline annotations – spacing, sizing, type, color, radius, z-order, and behavior notes in a consistent, scannable notation – that engineers can build from without asking questions.
Produces precise redline annotations - spacing, sizing, type, color, radius, z-order, and behavior notes in a consistent, scannable notation - that engineers can build from without asking questions. Use when someone asks "redline this screen", "spec this component", "annotate the spacing for handoff", or is preparing design files for development. Do NOT use for the overall handoff document with flows, edge cases, and acceptance criteria - use design-handoff-doc instead; for animation timing and easing, use motion-spec; for breakpoint behavior, use responsive-spec.This is the skill's description: the text your AI reads to decide when the skill applies.
redline-annotation/SKILL.md
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name: Redline Annotation
description: Produces precise redline annotations - spacing, sizing, type, color, radius, z-order, and behavior notes in a consistent, scannable notation - that engineers can build from without asking questions. Use when someone asks "redline this screen", "spec this component", "annotate the spacing for handoff", or is preparing design files for development. Do NOT use for the overall handoff document with flows, edge cases, and acceptance criteria - use design-handoff-doc instead; for animation timing and easing, use motion-spec; for breakpoint behavior, use responsive-spec.
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# Redline Annotation
Redlines eliminate guesswork. Annotate for the engineer who has never seen the design and cannot ask a question mid-sprint. The costly failure is the half-annotated file: the engineer eyeballs the missing values, QA files a stack of 2px-off tickets, and the fix cycle costs more than annotating properly would have.
## Operating procedure
### Step 1: Gather inputs
- Does a token system exist? If yes, annotate token names, not raw values.
- Is there a spacing grid convention (4px or 8px)? If yes, annotate exceptions to the grid, not the grid itself.
- Which frames and components are in scope, and does the engineer have inspect access to the design file and design system? Access changes how much must be written down.
### Step 2: Establish the notation convention
Fix a compact notation before annotating and include it as a legend in the file. Consistency is what makes redlines scannable; ad-hoc phrasing forces engineers to re-parse every note.
### Step 3: Annotate the always-list
- Spacing: all padding, margin, and gap values in pixels - or the token name if a token system exists. Internal padding as "p: 12 16" (top/bottom left/right), all four values if asymmetric. Draw a gap arrow between siblings and label the value.
- Sizing: width, height, and min/max constraints for every non-trivially-sized element. For auto widths, state "grows to fill container" vs. "shrinks to content".… load the full skill through Skill MeClick to play with sound.