How to use it
- Load an image to trace, or use the blank white screen with a grid. Drag the image to move it, pinch to resize and turn it, or use the sliders.
- Tick Lock image position when it sits where you want it.
- Turn your tablet brightness all the way up and lay it flat.
- Tap Start tracing. The screen goes full screen and the touch lock turns on.
- Lay your paper on the screen and trace. Taps and presses do nothing while the lock is on.
- To unlock, press and hold the small lock button in the top corner for 2 seconds (a ring fills up as you hold), or press U on a keyboard. Then tap Exit, or press Esc.
How the screen touch lock works
While the lock is on, a clear layer covers the whole page and swallows every touch: taps, presses, long presses, pinches and scrolls. A tap only makes the small lock icon glow, so you can see the lock is on. Only one thing unlocks it: a steady 2 second hold on that small corner button, which paper or a resting hand will not do by accident. With a keyboard, U unlocks and L locks again.
The page cannot block the system gestures of your tablet, such as swiping up from the bottom edge to go home, or the buttons on the side. If you need those locked too, use the built-in feature of your tablet that pins one app to the screen: Guided Access on an iPad, or screen pinning (app pinning) on Android. Also set the auto-lock or screen timeout to a long time, in case the browser cannot keep the screen awake.
Tips for tracing on a tablet
- Paper: printer paper and tracing paper work well. Thick drawing paper or card may need the room lights off and full brightness.
- Protect the screen: use a pencil or a felt tip that will not press through, or put a clear plastic sleeve or screen protector between the paper and the glass.
- Keep the paper still: a bit of low-tack tape or a couple of paper clips on the tablet case stops the sheet sliding.
- Image too faint or too busy? Turn on Black and white and lower the image opacity so the lines you need stand out.
- Flip the image to trace a mirror copy, for example for iron-on transfers or printmaking.
- Grid: the grid square is set in screen pixels, not centimeters or inches, because web pages cannot know the real size of your screen. Use it for keeping lines straight and for the grid method of copying, not for exact measuring.
Questions
How do I lock the screen so touching the paper does nothing?
Tap Start tracing. The page goes full screen and the touch lock turns on, so every tap and press is ignored. To unlock, hold the small lock button in the top corner for 2 seconds, or press U on a keyboard.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The image is opened by your browser on your device and never leaves it. It is not saved either, so load it again next time.
Can I use an iPad or phone as a light box?
Yes. Any tablet or phone with a browser works. A tablet gives you a bigger tracing area; turn its brightness to maximum and lay it flat.
Will tracing on my tablet damage the screen?
Light pencil or felt tip pressure through paper is fine for most screens, but a hard, sharp point pressed through thin paper can scratch. A clear sleeve or screen protector under the paper adds safety.
Why does my tablet still go to the home screen when I swipe?
Web pages cannot block system gestures. Turn on Guided Access (iPad) or screen pinning (Android) to lock the device to this page.
The screen turned off while I was tracing. What can I do?
The page asks the browser to keep the screen awake, but not every browser allows it. Set your screen timeout or auto-lock to a longer time in your device settings while you trace.