How to Draw and Annotate with an Online Whiteboard

Start with a Simple Annotation

ToolKnit's online whiteboard is a personal drawing space for sketches, visual notes, and image annotations. It opens without an account. You can share an exported file or share your screen during a call; other people do not edit the same board live.

1. Add an image. Choose Image in the toolbar and select a browser-readable image under 4 MB. For example, capture a still with Video Screenshot first.
2. Arrange the reference. Select and move the image, then resize it with the handles.
3. Lock its position. Open Layers and use the image's lock control. Double-clicking an image is not the lock command.
4. Point out a detail. Draw an arrow or rectangle, then choose Text to add a label. Double-click an unlocked text object to edit its words.
5. Export the result. Choose PNG for an image or PDF for a one-page document.

Choose Tools for the Task

Pen draws a standard line. Pencil uses a lighter stroke; the broader calligraphy brush and soft sketch style give you other ways to mark the board. Adjust size and color in the toolbar. The calligraphy style uses a fixed width rather than pen-pressure or speed-based thickness.

Use shapes for diagrams and Layers to select, reorder, or lock objects. Undo and Redo help with recent changes, but the history is finite. Export important versions instead of relying on undo as permanent storage.

What Your Export Contains

The board uses a 1440 × 960 logical canvas. A check with a rectangle and an imported image produced a 2880 × 1920 PNG and a one-page PDF.

• PNG: a rendered image of the board, including its selected background.
• PDF: the rendered board placed on one page. It is a flattened image, not separate editable vector shapes or selectable text.

Use Image Crop if you only need part of the finished board. To put several exported boards into one document, combine their images with Image to PDF.

Local Saving Is Not Cloud Sync

The current board is saved in this browser on this device when local storage is available. Reloading can restore the objects, but moving to another browser or device does not bring the board with you. Clearing site data can remove the saved board.

If local storage is blocked or full, your current work may remain open without being saved for later. Download a PNG or PDF before closing the page, and always export work you need to keep.

Limits and Quick Fixes

• Image will not import: use a browser-readable image below 4 MB. Resize or compress a large source first.
• Object will not move: choose Select and check its lock in Layers.
• Board disappeared after changing devices: saves are local to the original browser; use an exported copy when sharing.
• PDF text is not editable: this is expected because the export is a rendered image.

The whiteboard is free, but it is a fixed canvas rather than an infinite workspace. For quick diagrams, classroom explanations, and notes on a screenshot, that keeps the workflow easy to start.