Trace any image with your phone camera. Free.
Point your camera at paper, overlay a reference photo, and trace it by hand. Free forever, running in your browser — no app, no account, no paywall.
- Free forever
- No account
- Nothing to install
- Your images never leave your device
1. Upload a reference image
This is the image you’ll trace over the camera view.
2. Enable your camera
iPhone requires a tap to grant camera access — nothing happens automatically.
100% local processing
The camera stream and your image never leave your device — everything happens directly in the browser.
How it works
- 1
Upload a reference
Any photo or drawing from your device. It stays on your phone.
- 2
Point at your paper
Paper on a table, a canvas, fabric, a cake, or a whole wall.
- 3
Line it up and trace
Tap Detect and it finds the surface, or drag the four corners onto it yourself. Then set the opacity to taste.
What people use it for
Anything where a design has to end up on a surface that is not a screen.
Murals and walls
Scale a small sketch up to a full wall without a grid or a projector.
Tattoo stencils
Line up a design on skin or paper before committing to the stencil.
Cake decorating
Trace lettering and figures straight onto fondant or icing.
Embroidery patterns
Transfer a pattern onto fabric without carbon paper or a light box.
Sign painting
Get letterforms right at any size, on any surface.
Mugs and ceramics
Curve the reference so it wraps a cup, a vase or a candle without stretching at the edges.
Learning to draw
Build muscle memory by tracing proportions before drawing freehand.
Questions
Do I need to install an app?
No. Art Overlay runs entirely in your browser. Open the page on your phone, allow the camera, and you are tracing. There is nothing to download and no app store involved.
Is it really free?
Yes. No account, no trial, no paywall and no limit on how many images you trace. You can use your own photos, which is exactly the part most tracing apps charge for.
Do my photos get uploaded anywhere?
Never. The camera stream and the reference image are processed on your device, in the browser. Nothing is sent to a server, so the tool also works with private or client artwork.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes. It is built camera-first for Safari on iOS, including the tap-to-start that iOS requires and safe-area handling so the notch and home indicator never cover the controls. It also works on Android and desktop.
My camera will not start. What is wrong?
Three usual causes: the page must be served over HTTPS, you must accept the camera permission prompt, and on iPhone you have to tap the start button because iOS refuses to open a camera without a user gesture. If you denied permission once, re-enable it in your browser settings for this site.
Can it line itself up with what I am pointing at?
Tap Detect. It looks for a flat rectangle in view — a canvas, a sheet of paper, a drawing board — and snaps the reference onto it, matching the angle you are seeing it from. It runs entirely on your device with no model to download, so it is instant and works with no connection. If it misses, or if you are tracing something that is not a rectangle, tap Corners and drag the four handles where you want them: the reference follows any shape you pull them into.
Can I hide the controls?
Yes. The arrow in the corner of the control panel slides it out of the way so you get the whole camera view, and the arrow at the bottom brings it back. Nothing is reset — your placement, opacity and surface stay exactly as you left them.
Can I trace onto a mug, a glass or something round?
Yes. Pick Cup, Roller or Ball under Surface and slide the Curve control until the overlay hugs the object. On a curved surface the part facing you looks full size while the sides compress as they turn away, so a flat overlay would make your drawing come out stretched at the edges. This bends the reference the same way the object does, and the two cancel out — unwrap the mug and the design is even.
Can I use it with a tilted easel?
Yes. A canvas leaning back on an easel looks like a trapezoid from where you stand — the top edge reads shorter than the bottom. Tap Detect and it will find the canvas and match that angle for you. To do it by hand, slide Tilt until the overlay leans the same way and Turn if you are standing off to one side, or tap Corners and pull the four handles onto the canvas — that one matches exactly, at any angle, including a drawing board flat on a table.