Global hotkey, rebindable
Toggle drawing mode from any app with Control-Option-P by default. Record a different shortcut in Settings with a single click.
Open source · macOS 14+ · Universal binary · Presentation & Cursor
Draw on your screen.
Then make it vanish.
ScreenInkPen puts a transparent ink layer over every display so you can point, circle and annotate during demos and calls. Press Control-Option-P to start drawing.
Free & MIT licensed · Apple Silicon & Intel · Latest release
Features
Everything you need to point.
A small menu bar app with the tools presenters actually use, and nothing that gets in the way.
Seven drawing tools
Pen, highlighter, line, arrow, rectangle, ellipse and eraser, each one key away. The highlighter blends with multiply so text underneath stays readable.
Works on every display
A transparent overlay covers each screen, across Spaces and over full-screen apps. Overlays are rebuilt when you plug in or remove a monitor.
Optional fade-out
Let strokes disappear on their own after a number of seconds you choose. With Reduce Motion on, they vanish without animating.
Toolbar that stays out of focus
A floating toolbar offers tools, five colors, three widths, undo, clear and stop. It never steals focus from the app you are presenting.
Undo, redo, clear in one key
Step back up to 200 strokes with Command-Z, redo with Shift-Command-Z, wipe everything with Delete, or press Esc to clear and exit.
Screenshots
See it in action.
Install
Up and running in a minute.
ScreenInkPen is open source and not notarized with a paid Apple Developer ID, so macOS needs one extra step the first time.
- Download ScreenInkPen-macOS.zip and unzip it.
- Move ScreenInkPen.app to your Applications folder.
- Clear the quarantine flag once, then right-click the app and choose Open:
xattr -cr /Applications/ScreenInkPen.app
- No special permissions are required the hotkey and overlay work without Accessibility or Screen Recording access.
Download
Get ScreenInkPen for macOS
Free, forever. Built for macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Not notarized: on first launch right-click ScreenInkPen.app → Open.
- macOS 14 Sonoma+
- Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel)
- MIT licensed · open source
- No ads, no accounts, no telemetry
- Built with Claude Code · how and why
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is ScreenInkPen really free and open source?
Yes. It is released under the MIT license, and the full source is on GitHub. There is no paywall, and optional donations are accepted through Ko-fi.
What permissions does it need?
None. The global hotkey uses Carbon's RegisterEventHotKey, so Accessibility is not required, and the app only draws its own windows, so Screen Recording is not required either. If you enable Launch at login, macOS may list it under Login Items.
Where is my data stored?
Only on your Mac. Your preferences, such as the hotkey, default color and width, and fade settings, are kept locally in UserDefaults. The app makes no network calls and includes no analytics.
Why isn't the app notarized?
Notarization requires a paid Apple Developer account, and this is a free project. The first time you open it, right-click the app and choose Open, or build it yourself from source with Xcode.
Was this written by AI?
Yes. ScreenInkPen was generated by Claude Code from a written spec as a clean-room reimplementation, with no code or assets from any commercial app. The full source is on GitHub under MIT, so you can read every line before you run it. It has had less human review than a hand-written app, so bug reports are welcome.
Support ❤️
Built by one person, given away for free.
ScreenInkPen is a free, open-source alternative to paid utilities. If it earns a spot on your Mac, a coffee keeps the updates coming.
☕ Support Or on Ko-fi