Download Epic Pen
Epic Pen is a Windows application for drawing and writing on top of any open program. The overlay stays above the desktop, so annotations appear during presentations, video calls, and screen recordings without changing the underlying content. Tools include a pen, highlighter, eraser, and screenshot capture. Keyboard shortcuts control each action, and the toolbar can be hidden. The software supports graphics tablets, touch screens, and pressure-sensitive pens. A Pro edition adds text, shapes, whiteboard mode, and additional colors.
This program turns the screen into a surface for marking and explanation. Users can circle objects, underline text, sketch diagrams, and capture the result as an image. The annotation layer works over browsers, office documents, maps, video players, and games. Hotkeys are configurable, so actions can be triggered from a keyboard or presentation remote. The standard version covers drawing, highlighting, erasing, and screenshots. The Pro version extends the toolset with typed text, geometric shapes, and a full-screen whiteboard or blackboard.
Epic Pen is intended for teachers, presenters, designers, and support specialists who need to show something visually on a computer screen. It runs on Windows and requires the .NET Framework. The interface is a small vertical toolbar that can be minimized. Drawing tools respond to mouse, touch, and stylus input. Screenshots can be saved as PNG files or copied to the clipboard. Settings are retained between sessions, and hotkeys can be reassigned to match individual preferences or hardware.
Use Cases for Epic Pen
| Draws freehand lines over desktop, windows, menus, taskbar | Stroke thickness and active palette color adjustable during session |
| Highlighter draws semi-transparent strokes without hiding content | Underlines sentences, marks chart figures and code elements |
| Eraser removes individual strokes rather than painting over them | Single click deletes a line completely, avoiding smudges |
| Captures selected screen area including current annotations | Saves PNG to folder or copies directly to clipboard |
| Removes all overlay annotations while leaving desktop untouched | Used between presentation sections to start blank canvas |
| Reverses most recent drawing operation step by step | Restores deleted strokes and cleared marks by action sequence |
| Temporarily disables drawing tools, returns normal pointer control | Interact with applications without restarting annotation mode |
| Sixteen standard colors, twenty-four in Pro version | Separates topics or matches corporate presentation color schemes |
| Pressure sensitivity varies line thickness on compatible pen devices | Wacom and Surface support reproduces natural handwriting behavior |
| Multi-touch drawing creates several simultaneous strokes | Collaborative marking and group work on large touch displays |
| Every major function triggerable by remappable keyboard shortcut | Adaptable to presentation remotes and individual workflows |
| Text tool places typed characters anywhere on the overlay | Labels and comments requiring readable characters instead of handwriting |
| Shape tools for lines, ellipses, rectangles, arrows in Pro | Precise diagrams and pointing without freehand inaccuracy |
| Turns entire screen into white or black annotation surface | Clean background for teaching, brainstorming, live drawing |
| Hides or shows toolbar and overlay during presentations | Frees screen space while keeping hotkeys active |
| Remembers colors, stroke sizes, hotkeys, toolbar position | Persistent configuration reduces repeated setup before lessons |