How to Read a Futures Footprint Chart
It's early morning. Your algorithm just captured a move on ES futures while you were still asleep. The footprint chart on your screen shows 3 consecutiv...
It's early morning. Your algorithm just captured a move on ES futures while you were still asleep. The footprint chart on your screen shows 3 consecutive buy imbalances at the $4520 level, followed by absorption as price stalled despite heavy volume. You didn't need to watch the market—your system already identified the institutional trap. Footprint Chart is a specialized visualization showing executed buy and sell volume at each price level within a candlestick. It reveals institutional activity and order flow dynamics that standard charts cannot display. Unlike traditional volume indicators, footprint charts show how trades were formed, not just that they happened. Delta is the net difference between aggressive buy volume (ask) and aggressive sell volume (bid) within a given time period. It indicates market sentiment and momentum direction. Positive delta means buyers dominate, negative delta means sellers are in control. Absorption is a market condition where large volume of aggressive orders meets passive limit orders at a specific price level, preventing price movement and signaling potential reversals.