How to trace a drawing with your phone
You can turn your phone or tablet into a light box: show a reference image over the live camera at a low opacity, point it at your paper, and trace what you see. The Emaki Studio AR Draw tool does this in the browser, with no app to install. Here is how.
- 1. Open AR Draw and pick a reference image Open AR Draw and choose the image you want to trace. The camera starts once you pick one, so it only asks for camera access when you are ready to use it.
- 2. Prop your device on a stand Rest your phone or tablet on a stand, or lean it against something steady, pointing down at your paper. A steady device is the key to a clean trace.
- 3. Set the opacity Lower the overlay opacity until you can see both your reference image and the paper beneath it through the camera at the same time.
- 4. Position and lock the overlay Drag the image to line it up over your paper, pinch to scale and rotate it, then tap Lock so a resting hand cannot nudge it out of place while you draw.
- 5. Trace it onto the paper Follow the lines you see through the screen with your pencil. Switch on the torch to light your paper, and flip the camera or pick a wider lens if you need more of the page in view.
Open AR Draw · Read the full guide
- Do I need to install an app to trace with my phone?
- No. AR Draw runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install. Open it, pick a reference image and start tracing.
- Why does the image drift when I move the phone?
- The overlay is a fixed screen layer, not anchored to the paper in 3D, so it moves with the screen rather than the page. Prop your device on a stand and keep both it and your paper still for the cleanest result.
- Is the reference image uploaded anywhere?
- No. The image stays on your device and the camera feed is never recorded or sent anywhere - everything happens locally in your browser.