FAQ

What is Am_sketch?

A drawing layer for Windows. It puts a transparent sheet over your whole screen so you can draw, highlight, type and measure on top of any program — slides, PDFs, the browser, a video call, a reference image — and clear it or capture it when you are done. The program underneath is never changed.

Does it work with PowerPoint, PDFs, Zoom, Teams…?

Yes. Am_sketch does not care which program is underneath. In a video call, share your whole screen (not a single window) and people see your drawing too. Programs in exclusive full-screen mode — mostly games — can sit above it.

Do I need a pen tablet?

No. Everything works with a mouse, and pressure-sensitive brushes still taper thanks to simulated pressure. A pen adds real pressure and tilt, read through Windows Ink. Finger drawing on a touch screen is not supported.

Which Windows versions?

Windows 10 and Windows 11, 64-bit. No particular graphics card is needed.

Can I click my programs while my drawing is on screen?

Yes — that is pass-through mode: Ctrl+Shift+C. See Drawing and pass-through.

Can I save a drawing and open it later?

No. Am_sketch is a live layer, not a document editor: drawings stay on screen until you clear them or quit. To keep one, capture it as a PNG, JPEG or BMP, or to the clipboard.

Does it work on several monitors?

Yes — on all of them, or only on the ones you tick in Preferences → Screens. A capture can span monitors.

How many PCs can I use my licence on?

The licence belongs to you, not to a machine: import the same file on the computers you work on. There is nothing to deactivate when you move to a new PC. Your name and email are shown in the app's Help window.

Does it need the internet?

No. The licence is checked on your own PC. The only time Am_sketch goes online is the daily update check, which you can switch off.

Is there a subscription?

No — one purchase.

Can I change the keys?

All the keys that work in any program, yes: Preferences → Shortcuts. The keys and gestures that only work while Am_sketch is showing are fixed.

Why Ctrl+Shift+Z for undo?

Am_sketch's keys work in every program, so they must leave each program's own Ctrl+Z alone.

Can I add my own brushes?

Yes — copy and tune any brush with Add brush, turn a picture into a brush with Import texture..., or add tip and paper images of your own. See Brush settings and Your own brushes and textures.

Where are my settings?

Documents\Am_sketch. See Files and folders.

Why does Windows warn me when I run the installer?

SmartScreen warns about installers it has not seen many times. Click More info → Run anyway. See Install.