Limelight
What is an Annotation Tool?
An annotation tool lets you add marks, drawings, highlights, or notes on top of existing content to call out or explain something.
An annotation tool is software that overlays your own marks onto a document, image, or screen. Annotations might be arrows, circles, freehand strokes, or text that point to a detail without altering the underlying content.
Annotation tools come in two broad kinds. Some work inside a single file, like a PDF reader where you mark up a page. Others work live on the whole screen, letting you draw over whatever app is currently visible during a talk or recording. The live kind is useful when you want to direct attention in the moment.
Limelight is a live, on-screen annotation tool for macOS. From the menu bar you press a shortcut to start freehand drawing over any app, mark up what is on screen during a presentation, lecture, or demo, then clear it instantly. Because it is a pure overlay, nothing is altered, recorded, or uploaded by Limelight itself.
Why Limelight
- ▸Annotation tools add marks on top of content without changing it
- ▸Some annotate inside files; others draw live over the whole screen
- ▸Limelight draws freehand over any app from the menu bar
- ▸Press a shortcut to start, and clear everything with ⌃⌥C
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One-time payment, no subscription. 7-day free trial, then $15 once. macOS 14+, notarized by Apple.
FAQ
- What is the difference between annotating a file and annotating the screen?
- File annotation marks up a single document. Screen annotation, like Limelight's, draws live over any app so you can point things out as you present or record.
- Does Limelight save my annotations?
- No. Limelight is a pure overlay. Your drawing appears on screen and clears with ⌃⌥C; nothing is recorded or uploaded by the app.