The FlySketch Toolbar

The toolbar features many useful buttons designed to help you in highlighting, drawing, and modifying the image on the screen. Lets take a tour and see what each of them does.



The Selection Tool can be used to grab images and shapes for resizing or moving around the canvas. This is the basic tool you will use to get around the canvas. Using this tool to selecting a shape after you create it with one of the other tools will let you change its color, size, stroke width, drop shadow and composition mode. Check out the the palettes page to read more about those features.

Key Shortcut: V




The Oval Tool can be used to construct ovals or circles on the canvas. Simply select the tool and drag the mouse around to create your shape. Holding down the shift key while doing this will create a perfectly round circle for you.

Key Shortcut: C

Tip: Hold down the shift key to scale proportionally when resizing.




The Line Tool can be used to make straight lines on the canvas. You also have the option of placing arrows on either end of the line.

Adding arrows is as simple as opening the inspector drawer in the box labeled “Arrow” use the drop down menus to mark which end(s) you want an arrow to appear. Check out the palettes page for more help with that.

Key Shortcut: L

Tip: Place arrows on the ends of your line with the arrow pallet to help with drawing diagrams. Also, if you want to make changes to your line later, use the Selection Tool to select the line, then change the stroke, arrows or color at any time.




The Rectangle Tool can be used to make rectangles or squares. Holding down the shift key while drawing this shape conforms it to a square.

Key Shortcut: R

Tip: Hold down the shift key to make your rectangle scale proportionally when resizing.




The Round Rectangle Tool can be used to make rectangles or squares with rounded edges. Holding down the shift key while drawing this shape conforms it to a square.

Key Shortcut: E




The Text Tool is used to add text to the canvas. Choose the Text Tool and drag the mouse to create a rectangle where you want text to appear. Type away to add your text to the canvas. Change fonts using the font panel, which is brought up with the key combo Command-T.

Key Shortcut: T




The Freehand Tool allows you to sketch anywhere in the canvas with freeform lines. Once freehand objects are created, you can only move them around - resizing them is not possible after creation.

Key Shortcut: F

Tip: If you have a tablet to use with your computer, FlySketch will sense the pressure you are drawing with and adjust the width of your line.




The Highlighter Tool is useful when you have a screen capture on the canvas, and you would like to highlight certain pieces such as text or images. If you fancy a color other than yellow, you may change the color (and transparency) of the Highlighter Tool in the preferences.

Key Shortcut: H




The Transparency Slider is used when you want to make the canvas see-through, making it easier to see what you want to take a screen capture of. If you're having trouble with this slider, it only works if you haven't yet taken a screen shot. Try erasing the canvas to start with a clean slate and experiment with it.

Key Shortcuts: 1-9, 0 (zero) to make the canvas opaque.




Workflow Actions are used to perform actions with the images you create. Clicking on the scripts icon on the top left of the window will present you with a list of actions you can perform with the current image in the canvas. For more information about working with scripts and workflows, check out the scripts page.




The Clear Canvas tool does just what its name implies- it clears the canvas of any drawings, shapes or screenshots. Be careful with this button, but if you accidently hit it, be sure to quickly hit undo by going to the menu EDIT>UNDO DELETE




The Screen Shot tool takes a picture of whatever is currently behind the canvas, and adds it as the background of your canvas. This is perfect for taking little shots of webpages, and then marking them up with the highlighter.

Key Shortcuts: Command + K

If you would like to have these images locked or unlocked, check out the option “Lock screen capture backgrounds” in the Preferences window.


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