Support
Draw Over It - Support & FAQ
Below you will find answers to the questions we hear most often, grouped by topic so you can get back to drawing faster.
Getting Started
How do I toggle the overlay?
Press ⌃⌥⌘D or use the status-bar menu. The overlay floats above every window; hide it the same way.
How do I open the Heads-Up Display (HUD)?
Right-click anywhere on the overlay or press ⌃⌥⌘H. The HUD appears next to your cursor so you can adjust tools without moving your mouse far.
How can I reset the overlay?
Choose Clear in the HUD’s Session section, or toggle Ephemeral Canvas so the overlay empties itself whenever you hide it.
How can I change the language?
Navigate to the top-left app-bar menu and select Settings. In there, you’ll find the Languages tab where you can override the system language setting for the App.
Drawing Tools
What pen sizes are available?
Preset buttons give you Pen 2, 4, and 8. The width slider covers 1–64 pt in single-point increments if you want precise sizing.
Can I highlight or draw shapes?
Yes. The HUD includes a highlighter box preset plus rectangle and circle tools. Toggle “Fill” to switch between outlines and filled shapes.
How do I change colors quickly?
Use the quick palette, or enable the higher-contrast palette in Settings - Interaction.
Is there an eraser?
Hold the Option key to temporarily switch to the eraser, or pick the Erase mode in the HUD. Undo ( ⌃⌥⌘Z ) is also available.
Sessions & Persistence
Does Draw Over It remember my drawings after I quit?
Yes. The app autosaves the latest overlay when canvases are persistent. You can also save and restore snapshots within a session manually from the HUD.
What does “Ephemeral Canvas” do?
When enabled, the overlay clears itself whenever you disable the overlay. This is perfect for live demos where you want a fresh slate each time. You can toggle it both in Settings and the HUD.
Where are autosaves stored?
On MacOS, autosaves live in the sandboxed Application Support folder (~/Library/Application Support/DrawOverIt). They are never uploaded off-device.
The expanded sandbox directory is "$HOME/Library/Containers/com.wrobele.DrawOverIt/Data/Library/Application Support/DrawOverIt/Exports"
Exporting
Can I export my annotations?
Yes. Choose Export overlay in the HUD or via the menu. Draw Over It saves a transparent PNG of the overlay. If you want a composite PNG of both your annotations and the underlying app, you can use the system’s built-in screenshot functionality.
Where do exports go?
Exports are stored in ~/Library/Application Support/DrawOverIt/Exports. This keeps everything inside the sandbox and avoids extra permissions.
Can I change the export location?
Not in this release. We intentionally disable user-selected folders to avoid requesting additional entitlements for the App. You can, however, move your exported files manually after they are created.
For easier access, you can create a symbolic link (shortcut) from a more convenient location on your Mac to the app’s sandboxed export folder. For example, open Terminal and run:
ln -s "$HOME/Library/Containers/com.wrobele.DrawOverIt/Data/Library/Application Support/DrawOverIt/Exports" "$HOME/draw"
This command creates a folder named draw in your home directory that links directly to the sandboxed Exports folder.
After running it, you can simply open ~/draw in Finder or Terminal to access your exported files.
Do you support composite (overlay + desktop) exports?
Not in this release. Composite capture requires Screen Recording system entitlement. We have intentionally disabled it to maintain the privacy-first posture.
If you need a combined (overlay + desktop) image, the quickest workaround is to use macOS’s built-in screenshot tools to capture the overlay together with your desktop.
Hotkeys & Shortcuts
What are the global shortcuts?
- Toggle overlay: ⌃⌥⌘D \
- Show HUD: ⌃⌥⌘H \
- Undo: ⌃⌥⌘Z
Can I change the hotkeys?
Not at the moment. We use uncommon Control+Option+Command ( ⌃⌥⌘ ) combinations to avoid conflicts. Hotkey customization is on the roadmap.
Are there in-overlay modifier keys?
Yes. Hold Shift to temporarily select the highlight box preset, and hold Option to switch to the eraser.
Settings & Customization
Where can I tweak defaults?
Open Settings from the app-bar menu. You will find sections for interaction, hotkeys, and language.
Does Draw Over It support multiple languages?
The UI is fully localized. Change languages in Settings -> Language and the whole HUD updates instantly.
Can I move the HUD to another monitor?
Yes. The HUD appears near your cursor on whichever display you are working on.
Troubleshooting
The overlay is not responding to clicks. What now?
Ensure the overlay is active (status-bar toggle). If it is still unresponsive, restart the app; sessions autosave, so you will not lose work.
I cannot open the HUD.
Confirm the overlay is active, then right-click or press ⌃⌥⌘H. If you use a stylus, ensure the secondary click is mapped correctly (to the right click).
My blur toggle makes things sluggish.
Blur is GPU-accelerated but can be demanding on older hardware. Consider leaving blur off or using it only when needed.
I exported a file but cannot find it.
Use Finder’s Go -> Go to Folder… and paste ~/Library/Application Support/DrawOverIt/Exports. All exports are timestamped.
The app starts empty every time.
You likely enabled Ephemeral Canvas. Disable it in the HUD’s Effects section if you want sessions to persist.
Contact & Feedback
- Email: hello@wrobele.com \
- Website: https://draw.wrobele.com \
- Bug reports & ideas: Mention what you were trying to do, the macOS version, and attach screenshots if relevant.
You can always reach out and tell us what would make Draw Over It even better for your workflows.