Shortcuts reference

MarkerOn Help & shortcuts

Keyboard-first annotation for demos and teaching. Quick reference for global hotkeys, tools, modifiers, and click-through.

01

Quick start

From tray to first stroke in a few keys.

Prefer a walkthrough? Watch the Bilibili tutorial →

  1. Launch

    MarkerOn runs in the system tray. Launching again while it is already running toggles annotation — same as clicking the tray icon.

  2. Enter annotation

    Press CtrlShiftD (macOS: D) to draw over any app.

  3. Stay visible, keep working

    Press CtrlShiftX for click-through so marks stay while you click below. Esc exits. Space opens the toolbar.

02

Global shortcuts

Work from anywhere — even when the overlay is not active.

Action Windows macOS
Toggle annotation CtrlShiftD D
Clear all annotations (undoable) CtrlShiftC C
Toggle click-through CtrlShiftX X

While drawing, press X to toggle click-through, or Esc to exit annotation.

03

In-session tools

Number keys and letter shortcuts switch tools. Press V for Select to marquee-select and batch move or delete.

1

Pen

Freehand drawing with smooth curves

2

Highlighter

Semi-transparent highlight

3

Arrow

Arrow pointer line

4

Rectangle

Rectangle outline

5

Ellipse

Ellipse outline

6

Line

Straight line segment

7

Eraser

Separate width; press 7 again while selected to switch stroke / object erase (also in Settings → General)

8

Laser

Temporary ink that fades from the oldest tip first

T

Text

Double-click to place; scroll to resize

N

Stamp

Click to place numbered or lettered markers; press N again to toggle; Shift+N resets the counter

Toolbar Space
Delete selection Delete / Backspace
Undo CtrlZ Z
Redo CtrlShiftZ Z
Stroke width Ctrl + scroll
Copy screen CtrlC C

Pen, laser, arrow, rectangle, ellipse, and line share one width; highlighter, eraser, and text each have their own.

04

Drawing modifiers, colors & whiteboard

Hold modifiers while dragging to snap shapes. Cycle colors without leaving the canvas.

Modifier + drag

Line Alt / + drag
Rectangle Ctrl / + drag
Square Ctrl+Alt / + + drag
Ellipse Shift / + drag
Circle Shift+Alt / + + drag
Arrow Ctrl+Shift / + + drag

Eraser modes

Stroke: erase pixels along the drag path (undoable). Object: delete entire shapes or text when you pass over them (undoable). Element dragging is disabled while the eraser is selected, even with hover drag on. Switch in Settings → General, or press 7 again while the eraser is selected.

Colors

Prev / next color Q / E
Color picker Right-click

Whiteboard

Enter / exit W
Copy whiteboard CtrlC C
Exit whiteboard Esc

Whiteboard & content

Default entry chooses screen overlay or whiteboard. Keep after exit restores your last session when you re-enter. Keep on W toggle preserves drawings when switching modes without exiting; turn off to start with a blank whiteboard each time you press W. Configure these in Settings → General.

05

Click-through & drag tips

Keep marks on screen while you present — then move or edit when you need to.

Click-through mode

Toggle from the toolbar, with CtrlShiftX (global), or X while drawing. Annotations stay visible; clicks, scrolls, and typing reach the app underneath.

Select & batch edit

Press V for Select. Marquee or click to select (hold Shift to add). Drag the selection to move; Delete / Backspace to remove; Esc clears selection.

Drag elements

In General settings: off, hover to drag, or hold Ctrl/Command to drag. Dragging is disabled while the eraser is selected. Prefer Select (V) for moving several marks at once.

Edit text

Double-click existing text to re-edit; in T mode, double-click empty area to create text. Confirm with CtrlEnter (macOS: Return) or double right-click.

Toolbar

Press Space to open the floating toolbar. Panel actions keep it open; canvas actions collapse it. Pin it to stay visible. Use More for full options; pen / pointer buttons switch drawing and click-through.

Ready to annotate? Download MarkerOn and start with the tray shortcut.