InkLayerYours to keep
A library is a folder of Markdown, PDFs and small sidecar files. Open it with other apps; back it up anywhere.
For iPhone, iPad and Mac
Handwriting, PDFs and notes, on one canvas.
InkLayer keeps every layer separate and every file yours: write on PDFs without changing them, link Markdown notes, and lay it all out side by side.
Free to download · No account needed
- No account
- Works offline
- No ads, no tracking
- Files you own
PDF annotation
Write on any PDF. The original stays untouched.
Mark up lecture slides, papers and contracts with Apple Pencil or a stylus. Your handwriting lives beside the PDF, so the file you imported never changes, and exporting puts it all together when you need it.
- Pens, highlighters, shapes and a lasso
- Palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Handwriting you can search, recognised on the device
Layers
Everything is a layer.
The PDF, typed text, handwriting and images stay separate. Hide what you don't need, lock what's finished, and choose where new ink goes.
- Show, hide and lock each layer
- Drag layers into the order you want
- Export with or without your ink
Markdown notes
Notes that link to each other.
Write in Markdown with links between notes, backlinks, tags and maths. A graph shows how your ideas connect. Every note is an ordinary .md file.
- [[Links]], backlinks and tags
- Inline and display maths
- Handwriting right on the note
Infinite canvas
A desk for all your ideas.
Lay out pages, PDF pages, notes, images, video and recordings side by side on an infinite canvas, then write across all of them. When it's time to share, play it as slides.
- Cards you can move, resize and lock
- Paper pages with grids and lines
- Masking tape to quiz yourself
Your notes. Your files.
There's no cloud account to sign up for. A library is a folder on your device, and it stays readable without InkLayer.
Private by design
No account, no ads, no analytics. Handwriting is recognised on the device, and nothing you write is sent to us.
Sync your way
Keep your library in a folder you choose and sync it with your own WebDAV server. iCloud Drive and Google Drive arrive in 1.1.
WebDAViCloud DriveGoogle Drive
Made for the way you work.
Apple Pencil
Pressure-sensitive ink, palm rejection, and shapes that straighten themselves.
Recordings
Record while you write. Play it back and your notes replay with it, stroke by stroke.
Present
Play PDFs and canvas pages as slides, with a laser pointer.
E-ink mode
No animation and higher contrast, for e-paper tablets.
Export
Export a PDF with your ink, or a canvas as a PDF, an image or a video.
Encrypted backups
Export the whole library, optionally encrypted with a passphrase.
In InkLayer 1.1
- iCloud Drive and Google Drive syncKeep a library in sync across your devices; when two edits clash, both are kept.
- TranscriptsTurn recordings into searchable text on the device, and jump to any moment.
- Translate PDF textSelect text on a PDF and read it in your language, with the system's own translation.
- FlowchartsJoin canvas cards with arrows that follow them as you move them.
- DatabasesArrange notes in tables you can filter and sort, and export as PDF.
- Keyboard shortcuts⌘T for a text box, ⌘/ for every shortcut, and input methods that keep working.
Free to start. Yours for good.
Every feature is in the free version. Lifetime removes one limit, once.
Free
Free download
- Every feature
- Handwriting in 3 documents
- Typing, reading and exporting without limits
InkLayer Lifetime
One purchase, no subscription
- Handwriting in every document
- Future on-device feature updates included
- One purchase for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Nothing you write is ever locked, with or without Lifetime. The price is set by your App Store region.
Start on one canvas.
Free to download. No account. Open it and write.