Draw on Image

If you use Kapwing on a Free account, then all exports — including the Draw on Image tool — contain a watermark. Once you upgrade to a Pro account, the watermark is completely removed from your creations.

People use draw on image tools for a wide range of projects, including annotating screenshots, creating tutorial graphics, marking up designs, reviewing creative work, highlighting product features, and creating social media content.

Whether you're providing feedback, teaching a concept, creating memes, or emphasizing important details, drawing directly on an image can make communication faster and more visual.

For clean, easy-to-read annotations, use a limited color palette, consistent brush sizes, and clear visual hierarchy. Reserve bold colors for important points and avoid overcrowding the image with too many marks.

Simple annotations are often more effective than detailed drawings because they help viewers quickly understand what they're supposed to notice.

Yes, you can download your drawings directly from the media library as PNG with transparent background. You can also click "Export project" to save your drawings overlaid on your image. Choose from PNG, JPEG, and WebP and set your preferred resolution.

To draw on photos online, start by uploading them to a new project in the Kapwing Studio. Click "Visuals" in the left sidebar, then scroll down to "Draw." Choose from three brush styles: marker (rounded edges), pencil (square edges), and highlighter (rounded edges with a glow effect). Select your color using the hex code color picker or your saved brand colors. Adjust the brush size and transparency using sliders. Then start drawing. If you make a mistake, you can use the undo buttons or the eraser tool. When you're finished, click "Done" to return to the editing studio with your completed drawing. To create additional drawings, just click the "Draw" button again.

In the studio canvas, you can adjust your drawing's size and position on top of your image. When you're ready, click "Export project" to download your annotated or highlighted image as JPG, PNG, or WebP.

Choose colors that create strong contrast with the image underneath. Bright colors like red, yellow, or cyan often stand out against darker backgrounds, while darker colors work better on light images. If your image contains many colors, consider using a contrasting outline or underlying highlight effect to keep drawings visible.

It's also helpful to use color purposefully. For example, one color can highlight important details, while another can indicate movement, changes, or areas of focus. Limiting your palette to a few distinct colors can make annotations easier to understand at a glance.

Images with clear subjects and enough open space tend to work best for drawing and annotation. Screenshots, diagrams, photos of products, maps, presentations, and educational visuals are all common choices because drawings can easily highlight specific details or direct attention.

You can draw on almost any image, but cluttered or low-resolution images may make annotations harder to see. If possible, use high-quality images and leave enough room around important elements so your drawings enhance the content rather than obscure it.