Overlay
A frame that allows you to have an image or even PDF displayed semi-transparently in front of everything. It enables you to copy, trace...
- Intel, 64-bit processor
- macOS 11.5 or later
Description
A frame that allows you to have an image or even PDF displayed semi-transparently in front of everything. It enables you to copy, trace, or compare designs, images, and documents with ease since you can lock the frame and make it undisturbed by mouse gestures.
It’s a transparent overlay of an image or document on your screen that you can click through – like a transparent sticker on your screen.
Overlay is especially useful for artists, designers, and students as it allows you to make your art or design from or reference photos and
screenshots
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WHAT’S NEW
Version 4.34:
• App information updated for the new age-rating system
• updated for the latest macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 compatible
REQUIREMENTS
• Intel, 64-bit processor
• macOS 11.5 or later
ScreenShots
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Size
– 4.7MB
Previous Versions
Editor-checked details
Recommended for front-end developers, UI designers, tracing artists and teachers/students as a manual check before formal testing. Use: confirm reference revision/rights; freeze display/browser/DPR; crop equal canvases; load Overlay; enter exact zoom; calibrate corners/grid; set opacity; lock/click-through; inspect regions; record proofs/issues; then complete acceptance with automated screenshot diff, DevTools or design specifications; archive sources, proofs, manifest and hashes. Compare Playwright/Percy/Chromatic for web visual regression, ImageMagick for image diff, Figma for design collaboration and PureRef for reference boards. Overlay finds issues but cannot alone approve dimensions, colour or accessibility.
Pros
- Overlay solves one problem well: placing a reference over the app being used, without constant switching to Photoshop or a browser. Images and PDFs float translucently above other windows and, once locked, clicks pass to the underlying app. This suits pixel-aligned web CSS, app/UI recreation, illustration tracing, visual before/after comparison, photo composition and teaching. Exact zoom, Auto Zoom control and a 10×10 grid support repeatable alignment; global hotkeys quickly hide, lock or toggle click-through. Files remain local visual references and are not rewritten. The app is small, fast to launch and independent of plug-ins in the design tool.
Cons
- It is not a pixel-diff analyser, annotation system, colour manager, measurement tool or version-review platform. Visual overlay can miss subpixel, font-rendering, dynamic-state, scrolling and responsive-breakpoint differences. Retina scaling, external displays, browser zoom, screenshot DPR, PDF crop boxes, shadows and system fonts affect alignment, so “looks aligned” is not precise acceptance. It generates no automated diff, error report or traceable comments. Unclear lock/click-through/hotkey state can cause accidental actions in the underlying app. This older Intel build relies on Rosetta on Apple silicon. Client artwork and desktop captures still require privacy, provenance and sharing controls.
Installation steps
- The listed Overlay 4.34 package requires 64-bit Intel and macOS 11.5+; validate it through Rosetta 2 on Apple silicon. First use a non-sensitive PNG/JPEG and single-page PDF to test always-on-top display, opacity, zoom, lock/unlock and click-through, then set the global hotkey. Grant only permissions actually requested for accessibility/input/screen interaction. For web/UI comparison, freeze browser zoom, display resolution/scaling and Overlay’s exact zoom; calibrate with the 10×10 grid, a reference corner and a known dimension. After locking, confirm clicks reach the underlying app. Preserve design-source copies and calibrate each monitor separately.
Uninstallation steps
- Overlay must not be the design-asset repository. Before removal archive source images/PDFs, client reference revision, page/crop, opacity, exact zoom, grid, position, display resolution/scaling and comparison date. Save annotated proofs when reproduction matters, but never place confidential desktop captures in public folders. Create an asset manifest and SHA-256, recording visual differences in project issues/acceptance criteria rather than only app state. Check the global hotkey no longer conflicts, revoke unneeded system permissions, back up necessary preferences and remove the app. Window positions and recent files do not replace sources, design files or test evidence.
Common errors and fixes
- If a locked overlay still captures clicks, enable Click-through/Ignore Mouse through the status menu or global hotkey; always-on-top and lock are separate states. If it cannot move/resize, unlock, adjust and relock. For persistent misalignment, freeze both zooms, disable Auto Zoom and enter exact zoom; inspect Retina/external-display scaling, screenshot versus CSS pixels, PDF crop box and window shadows. Recalibrate after moving monitors. For blank/wrong-page/cropped PDFs validate in Preview and compare a PNG conversion. A dead global hotkey usually means conflict or input permission. For fullscreen/Spaces visibility inspect Show in All Spaces and the option preventing the menu bar occupying overlay space. For Rosetta launch trouble update Rosetta, restart and retest.
What changed in this version
- Official App Store notes for Overlay 4.34 contain only two items: app information updated for the new age-rating system, and compatibility updated for macOS Tahoe 26.3.1. It is a compatibility/store-metadata maintenance release, so no interface or workflow additions are invented. Exact zoom input, a 10×10 reference grid, Auto Zoom control, global hotkeys, lock/hide/click-through and menu-bar-space options predate 4.34; they describe available functionality but are not labelled as new. After upgrading, use the same PNG and PDF to retest opacity, zoom, lock, click-through, Spaces and multiple displays.
Screenshots
