// GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
How to draw on your screen while presenting Figma designs
Figma's Pencil tool and comments add content to your file, and its cursor chat disappears after a few seconds. To point at a design during a review without changing it, draw on the screen with an annotation app like Overlaid.
A design review is mostly pointing at spacing, alignment and states. Doing it inside the file means someone has to clean up afterwards.
A layer above Figma lets you mark up the live screen and leaves the file exactly as it was.
METHOD 01
Inside Figma
Included
Comments and the Pencil tool leave marks in the file. Cursor chat is temporary.
- 1Press C to leave a comment on a spot in the design.
- 2Press Shift+P for the Pencil tool, which adds a line to the file.
- 3Press / for cursor chat. The message appears live and fades a few seconds after you stop typing.
GOOD
- +Comments are saved and can start threads
- +Cursor chat is quick for collaborators in the same file
NOT SO GOOD
- −Pencil lines are real layers you have to delete
- −Cursor chat messages aren't stored
METHOD 02THAT'S US
Overlaid
$11.99 once, 7-day free trial
Draws on the screen, so the Figma file never changes.
- 1Open the frame you want to discuss.
- 2Press ⌃⌥D and circle, draw arrows or write a note.
- 3Use the spotlight to focus on one component and dim the rest.
- 4Let fading ink clear the marks, then continue the review.
GOOD
- +Nothing to clean up in the file
- +Works across Figma, prototypes and your browser
- +Spotlight and zoom for pixel-level points
NOT SO GOOD
- −Marks aren't saved, so use Figma comments for feedback you want to keep
// WORTH KNOWING
THREE TIPS.
Use both, for different jobs
Draw on screen to explain live, then leave a Figma comment for anything that needs follow-up.
Zoom the screen, not just the canvas
Figma's canvas zoom changes the view for everyone in the file. Screen zoom only changes yours.
Share your screen, not a tab
If you present from the browser version in a call, share the entire screen so viewers see your marks.
// FAQ
QUICK QUESTIONS.
Yes, with a screen annotation app. Figma's own pencil adds a line to the file.
No. Figma says cursor chat messages are temporary and not stored, so use comments for anything important.
They appear as long as you share the whole screen on a call.
// COMPARE
// GUIDES
// YOUR NEXT CALL
Draw on your screen in the next five minutes.
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