Skip to content
TraceOverlay LogoTraceOverlayGet app
For drawing, painting & lettering

Trace anything with your camera.

See your reference over real paper. Line it up, fade it back, and draw at your own pace.

Get TraceOverlay

Bring a drawing guide to your phone or tablet.

Download on the App StoreiPhone & iPad
Get it on Google PlayAndroid

Prefer your browser?

No download needed. Sign in to start a web trial.

iPhone & iPad: try every tool free with the included study.

See how it works

How it works

Your phone, held over paper, becomes a lightbox

TraceOverlay home with a Start tracing a photo button and a Recent photos shelf holding the Mona Lisa.
  1. TraceOverlay home with a Start tracing a photo button and a Recent photos shelf holding the Mona Lisa.

    Choose a reference

    Start with the included Mona Lisa study, or import a photo to your private reference shelf.

    Personal photos with optional Unlock
  2. Camera view of a blank sketchbook page with the Mona Lisa reference floating over it at 50 percent opacity.

    Line it up

    Hold your phone above the paper. Drag, pinch and rotate the guide until it lines up.

    Drag · Pinch · Twist
  3. The same camera view with the Mona Lisa reference faded to 34 percent opacity so the paper shows through.

    Fade it to a whisper

    Lower the opacity until you can see your paper and pencil through the reference.

    Image opacity
  4. The Mona Lisa reference with the alignment grid switched on and the layout locked in place.

    Grid it. Lock it.

    Check proportions with the grid. Lock the guide so accidental touches can't move it.

    Grid + Lock
  5. Filters open with Trace lines on: blue outlines follow the face, hair and hands of the Mona Lisa, above the Balanced, Fine detail and Bold outlines styles.

    Add lines if you like

    Optionally overlay Trace lines on your reference to see edges more clearly. Choose a style and color, or keep tracing from the photo.

    Optional Trace lines
  6. Clean preview with every control hidden, leaving only the paper and a faint Mona Lisa guide.

    Clear the screen

    Hide the controls for a clear view of your paper and drawing guide.

    Hide controls

An optional drawing guide

See edges more clearly

For a clearer guide, add optional Trace lines over your reference. Choose a style and color to make edges easier to see.

Trace lines

Add optional edges over your reference

Line style
Color

Lines only

Hide the photo behind the lines

The app adds a Detail slider, three stroke weights and a fade for the photo underneath.

Try a line style, then choose your ink.

The whole toolkit sits in one row

This is the real toolbar. No menus to dig through while your pencil is out.

TraceOverlay toolbar with the image opacity slider and six tool buttons for images, filters, flashlight, grid, mirror and hide controls.
Images
Pick the reference to trace.
Filters
Trace lines, grayscale, contrast, brightness, saturation and invert.
Light
Flashlight, on devices that have one.
Grid
An alignment grid to check proportions.
Mirror
Flip the reference when the drawing needs it.
Hide
Hide the controls for a clean tracing view.

Private by design

Your references stay on your device

  • Stays on your device

    Camera frames and reference images are processed on your device and are not uploaded to TraceOverlay.

  • Try everything first

    On iPhone and iPad, the included Mona Lisa study works with every tool. No account and no purchase.

  • One-time Unlock

    Want your own photos? The optional Unlock adds personal image import and a private reference shelf. One purchase, no subscription.

iPad reference shelf with a Choose image button and a Your references row holding the Mona Lisa.
The reference shelf in the iPad app.

From reference to your own creation.

Bring TraceOverlay to your drawing table.

Download on the App StoreiPhone & iPad
Get it on Google PlayAndroid
Or open the web app