Enterprise diagrams often need to be reviewed because they convey shared information that is required to be checked. Any document is only as good as the diagram and data it contains. Once the document is published, it is already out-of-date, unless it continues to be reviewed and kept current. Too much business information is stale, which is often only recognized when the need is greatest. Microsoft Visio provides the user with the capability to combine data and diagrams in a unique way that can be used to convey concepts, reality, and processes. The document can be shared with others who can comment on the content, so it can be refreshed, updated, and enhanced.

Of course, any user who has write access to a Visio document could annotate, at will, just by adding text, or drawing or dropping shapes. But, Visio does not know who dropped any particular shape, added a piece of text, or even when this was done.

The exception to this is the use of Insert | Comment, which does record who and when, and Visio provides Track Markup, so reviewer’s comments can be displayed on their own overlay, with an assigned color. In fact, multiple reviewers can leave their own comments on distinct Markup Overlays for each page.

Although you can add, edit, delete, and view these comments easily in Visio, there is no provided solution for printing them. This chapter contains such a method.