...

PureRef handbook
Version: 2.0

...
 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Contents
Welcome! 4
Navigation 5
The PureRef window​ 5
Right click menu​ 5
Keyboard shortcuts​ 5
Command palette​ 6
Move window​ 6
Pan​ 7
Zoom​ 7
Resize window​ 7
Resize to selection​ 8
Maximize​ 8
Minimize​ 9
New scene​ 9
Undo​ 9
Redo​ 9
Close​ 10
Touch​ 10
3D Input devices​ 10
Features 11
Always on top​ 11
Always on top of...​ 11
GIF playback​ 12
Drawing​ 12
Always on bottom​ 12
Lock window​ 13
Transparent to mouse​ 13
Overlay mode​ 14
Notes​ 14
Attach/parent note to image/note​ 14
Groups​ 15
Group​ 16
Ungroup​ 16
Hierarchy​ 17
Slideshow​ 17
Grayscale​ 18
Grayscale per image​ 18
Toggle bilinear sampling​ 18
Show color code​ 19
Show image coordinates​ 20
Images 21
Adding images​ 21
Paste image​ 21
Paste or drag/drop URL​ 21
Dragging & dropping​ 21

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 1 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Import images from your computer​ 22

Selecting images​ 22
Selecting multiple images​ 22
Select all​ 22
Rotate​ 22
Snapped rotate​ 23
Scale​ 23
Crop​ 24
Crop selection​ 24
Pan cropping​ 24
Zoom cropping​ 25
Reset cropping​ 25
Flip images​ 25
Flip horizontally​ 25
Flip vertically​ 25
Axis snapped move item​ 26
Neighbor snapped move item​ 26
Adjust image opacity​ 26
Focus​ 26
Focus next​ 26
Focus previous​ 26
Slideshow​ 27
Toggle grayscale​ 27
Toggle bilinear sampling​ 28
Open source​ 28
Relink missing images​ 28
Delete​ 29
Comment​ 29
Toggle locked​ 29
Images / Arrange & align 30
Send to back​ 30
Send to front​ 30
Arrange by ...​ 31
Optimal​ 31
By name​ 31
By addition​ 31
By order​ 31
By path​ 32
Align to ...​ 32
Left​ 32
Right​ 32
Top​ 32
Bottom​ 33
Stack​ 33
Normalize ...​ 33
Height​ 33
Width​ 33
Size​ 34

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 2 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Scale​ 34
Distribute ...​ 34
Horizontal​ 34
Vertical​ 34
Canvas 36
Optimize canvas​ 36
Focus canvas​ 36
Reset camera​ 36
Reset zoom​ 37
Lock canvas​ 37
Grayscale canvas​ 37
Saving & loading 38
Save​ 38
Save as​ 38
Legacy save formats​ 38
Export ...​ 39
Scene​ 39
Selected as scene​ 39
All images​ 39
Selected images​ 39
Open​ 40
Open recent​ 40
Open images​ 41
Settings 41
Settings window​ 42
Import & export settings​ 43
Performance​ 43
Auto downscale large images​ 43
Undo history size​ 43
Performance mode​ 43
Temporary directory location​ 44
Appearance​ 44
Title bar visibility​ 44
Main window border​ 44
Rounded window corners​ 45
Application opacity​ 45
Theme Presets​ 45
Application colors​ 45
Saving & Loading​ 46
Embed local images in save file​ 46
Unsaved scene warning​ 47
Auto open last scene on start up​ 47
Number of recent opened files​ 47
Window​ 47
Default window mode​ 47
Scroll wheel functionality​ 47
Trackpad gestures​ 48
Scale scene on window resize​ 48

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 3 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Show window state change popup​ 48

Take window focus after image drop​ 48
Lock window while maximized​ 48
Show maximized on top of taskbar​ 48
Disable mouse transparency on activate​ 49
Resize border width​ 49
Move window threshold​ 49
Open files in ...​ 49
Scene status icon​ 49
Images​ 50
Enable transform gizmo​ 50
Image borders​ 50
Alignment padding​ 50
Bring selected images to front​ 50
Select and pack new images​ 50
Select all text on note edit​ 50
Double click image to focus​ 51
Slideshow time interval​ 51
Randomize slideshow order​ 51
Slideshow UI fade mode​ 51
Default image sampling​ 51
System​ 51
Updates​ 51
Allow sending anonymous analytics​ 51
File association (.pur) (Windows only)​ 52
Explorer thumbnails (.pur) (Windows only)​ 52
Automation 53
Command line interface​ 53
Silent installation​ 55
Keyboard shortcuts 56
Actions​ 56
Mouse buttons​ 56
Trackpad support​ 56
Pen support​ 57
Touch screen support​ 57
3D Input support​ 57
Keyboard keys​ 57
System global shortcuts​ 58
Keyboard shortcuts / Default shortcuts 59
Actions​ 59
Controls​ 63
Draw​ 65
Group​ 66
Multi Note​ 66
Note​ 67
Playback​ 68
System​ 69

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 4 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Welcome!
?

PureRef is a minimal but powerful digital reference and mood board made for keeping your inspiration close at
hand but out of your way.

Packed with handy features and neat tips and tricks, this handbook will help you learn to make the most out of
PureRef.

Let's go!

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 5 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Navigation
Get familiar with how to navigate the PureRef window.

The PureRef window

This is an empty PureRef scene.

Drop some images in PureRef. Try it!

Right click menu

Right mouse button / Right mouse button

The other main part of the interface is the menu. To let you really focus on what's important, the only thing
always on screen is your images. Everything else is done though shortcuts or the right click menu. This is your
fast lane to all the features, actions and settings PureRef has to offer. Everything in it will be covered in this
handbook.

Keyboard shortcuts

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 6 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

To stay true to being as minimal as possible, nearly everything in PureRef can be done through keyboard
shortcuts. Most of them can also be re-bound to whatever fits your workflow the best. See the default
keybindings here, your current keybindings in Settings, where you can also re-bind them.

Command palette
Ctrl Shift P
/ ⇧ ⌘ P

Show the command palette where you can search for and run all available commands.

Can also be accessed by first opening the right click menu and then starting to type.

Move window
Right mouse button / Right mouse button

Move the PureRef window by dragging the title bar or by pressing the shortcut buttons while moving the cursor.

Tip!

Moving the window using the title bar enables support for window snapping in your desktop
manager.

Settings

• Title bar visibility - Set when to show the application top bar; always, only on mouse over,
only when the cursor moves or never.

• Move window threshold - Adjust distance threshold between moving the PureRef window
and opening the right click menu, in pixels.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 7 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Pan
Left mouse button Alt / Left mouse button ⌥

Middle mouse button / Middle mouse button

Move around inside the canvas area by holding down the shortcut buttons while moving the cursor.

Note

When using track pads that supports gestures, 2 finger pan and pinch will automatically be
detected as such. Hold Ctrl
/ ⌘ while swiping with 2 fingers to simulate scroll wheel

zooming.

Zoom
#magnify

Scroll

Left mouse button Z / Left mouse button Z

Zoom in and out by using the scroll wheel, or by holding Z while holding down the Left mouse button and

moving the cursor.

Resize window
Left mouse button / Left mouse button

Grab a corner or side of the PureRef window to resize the PureRef window.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 8 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Settings

• Resize border width - Adjust size of the interactable edge/corner area for resizing the
PureRef window, in pixels.

• Scale scene on window resize - Enable to allow the canvas zoom to keep up accordingly
when resizing the PureRef window, instead of staying static and cropping the view area.

Resize to selection
Window > Resize to selection

Ctrl Shift R / ⇧ ⌘ R

Resize the PureRef window to fit selected images. If nothing is selected, resizes the PureRef window to fit all
images in the scene.

Maximize
Window > Maximize

Ctrl F
/ ⌘ F

PureRef will go fullscreen. Toggle off or move the window to go back to windowed mode.

Settings

• Show maximized on top of taskbar - Set whether the maximized window should cover the
taskbar or not.

• Lock window while maximized - Enable to force the PureRef window to stay maximized
when attempting to move it. Move will function like Pan (While Maximized).

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 9 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Minimize
Window > Minimize

Ctrl M
/ ⌘ M

Minimize window to taskbar/dock. Click the icon in the taskbar/dock to restore the PureRef window.

New scene
New scene #clear #reset

Ctrl K / ⌘ K

Reset the PureRef canvas and clear any images. If there are images in the scene, an unsaved scene warning
will pop up.

Tip!

On Mac, open another PureRef window by opening the terminal and typing in: open -n -a
"PureRef".

Undo
Undo

Ctrl Z / ⌘ Z

Redo
Redo

Ctrl Shift Z / ⇧ ⌘ Z

Undo and redo last actions.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 10 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Settings

• Undo history size - Set how many undo states are available. Larger history sizes take up
more RAM.

Close
Close #exit

Ctrl Q
/ ⌘ Q

Exit the PureRef application.

Touch
#gestures #touchscreen #tap

PureRef can also be interacted with on touch-enabled computers. Pinch to zoom, use two fingers to pan
around and hold a finger down to open the menu.

3D Input devices
PureRef has support for the 3DConnexion SpaceMouse for navigating in the scene.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 11 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Features
Learn which tools are available and how to best utilize them across all your projects.

Always on top
Mode > Always on top #pin #above #front #over

Ctrl Shift A / ⇧ ⌘ A

When enabled, the PureRef window will always stay on top of all other windows. Great for saving screen
space!

On Windows, this mode can also be disabled by clicking the small context button by hovering the PureRef icon
in the taskbar.

Tip!

Try Always on top together with Transparent to mouse!

Always on top of...

Mode > Always on top of... #pin #above #front #over

Ctrl Alt Shift A

/ ⌥ ⇧ ⌘ A

Enable to make PureRef show on top of a single application of your choice.

Enable, then click a window of the application to attach PureRef to.

On Windows, this mode can also be disabled by clicking the small context button by hovering the PureRef icon
in the taskbar.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 12 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

GIF playback
#animated

Select one or multiple GIFs to make the playback toolbar appear. It can be used to play/pause the GIFs, see
the frame timeline and scrub back and forth, increase or decrease playback speed and frame step forward and
backwards.

Many of these actions can be set to shortcuts in the keyboard shortcuts settings.

Through the frame timeline view, individual frames of the GIF can be copied via the copy shortcut or drag &
dropped onto the canvas to create a separate image item for that single frame.

Drawing
Draw #paint #sketch #markup #highlighting

Ctrl D / ⌘ D

Draw simple lines with a pen tool.

After entering draw mode the draw toolbar will become visible with options for line color and thickness. It can
also be used to switch to the eraser tool to remove drawn lines.

With the pen tool selected, hold Shift

/ ⇧ to draw horizontal/vertical straight lines.

Drawing a line will create a new drawing which will be parented to the currently selected item. Every time draw
mode is toggled off and on with the shortcut a new drawing will be created. To edit an existing drawing, double
click a drawn line or the drawing in the Hierarchy to enter draw mode for that drawing.

Exit draw mode by toggling the shortcut, pressing escape, or pressing the close button in the toolbar.

Always on bottom
Mode > Always on bottom #behind #below #under

Ctrl Shift B / ⇧ ⌘ B

When enabled, the PureRef window will stay below every other window.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 13 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Tip!

Maximize the window and use PureRef like an interactable wallpaper.

Lock window
Window > Lock window #freeze

Ctrl W / ⌘ W

Lock the PureRef window in place so it cannot be accidentally moved.

Transparent to mouse
Mode > Transparent to mouse #invisible #click-through #trace

Ctrl T / ⌘ T

Click through PureRef, for tracing or matching pixel perfect designs. To exit this mode, make sure PureRef has
focus by clicking on it in the taskbar/dock before using the shortcut.

On Windows, this mode can be disabled by clicking the small context button by hovering the PureRef icon in
the taskbar.

Tip!

Set the shortcut to system global to always be able to enable/disable this mode.

Settings

• Disable mouse transparency on activate - Automatically disable mouse transparency

when the PureRef window is activated.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 14 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Overlay mode
Mode > Overlay selection #free-floating

Ctrl Y
/ ⌘ Y

Every image will get an individual window and can be moved around separately. The background will be gone
and the images will float on their own.

On Windows, this mode can be disabled by clicking the small context button by hovering the PureRef icon in
the taskbar.

Notes
Note #text #tool #annotation #comment

Ctrl N / ⌘ N

Create a note for writing text. Move, rotate and resize like images.

Double click a note to enter text editing mode.

PureRef 2.0+ supports rich text in notes. Use the toolbar to edit font settings, text alignment, or add clickable
links and checklists.

By default, notes automatically resize to fit the width of the text in the note. While in text editing mode the
gizmo can be used to manually change the size of the note instead of auto-sizing to the text. If the size is
changed the text in the note will automatically wrap to fit inside the new size, expanding downwards when
there's too little space available. To go back to automatically set the size, use the "Auto size" button in the
toolbar.

Attach/parent note to image/note

Paste or create a new note while another image or note is already selected to parent it to the selected image.
Or use the Hierarchy to change the parent by drag and dropping the note.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 15 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Tip!

Add a text note as the title of a group of images to categorize them.

Tip!

The links feature supports local file paths and will browse to the linked file if it exists when
clicked. Additionally, linked .pur files will be automatically loaded on click.

Tip!

Text formatting can be copied and pasted using Ctrl Alt C / ⌘ ⌥ C &

Ctrl Alt V / ⌘ ⌥ V

Settings

• Select all text on note edit - Set whether double clicking on a note selects all text or only
enters edit mode.

Groups
Images > Selection > Group/Ungroup
#folder #section #background #backdrop

Groups can be used to organize multiple images giving them a customizable background that can be easily
selected and transformed as a single unit.

Compared to organizing items hierarchically in the Hierarchy to achieve the same single unit transform result,
groups have some special features where slideshow and pack functions will function on the content of the
group, if only the group is selected.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 16 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Create a group with the keyboard shortcut and add items to it by drag dropping them into it. To remove items
from a group, select the items and use the Ungroup shortcut.

Groups will automatically adjust their size to its content and empty groups will be automatically deleted.

By default, new groups are created in "locked" mode, where selecting an item inside the group will instead
select the group itself. To select items inside locked groups, double click the item to enter that group. While a
locked group has a child item selected, the selection rectangle can be used to select multiple items in a group
by starting the select drag on the parent groups background or using the continuous select shortcut.

Use the group toolbar to toggle locked mode on or off. If toggled off, groups will behave like any other items
when selecting where clicking a child item will directly select it.

Group
Images > Selection > Group

Ctrl G / ⌘ G

Group the selected items.

Ungroup
Images > Selection > Ungroup

Ctrl Shift G / ⇧ ⌘ G

Ungroup the selected items.

Tip!

Add a text note as the title of a group of images to categorize them.

Tip!

Lock a group with the Toggle locked function to have it function as a backdrop that can't be
selected.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 17 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Hierarchy
Hierarchy #outliner

Ctrl J
/ ⌘ J

Show all items in the scene in a tree view.

Drag & drop items to change the order and parent/child relationships.

The order of items are used by Arrange by order, Focus next/previous and Export images.

The parent/child relationships indicate transform relations, for example if a parent item is moved, all its children
also move. Children are also always drawn above their parents.

To rename an item either select it and press F2 or single click the item 2 times.

Double clicking an item in the hierarchy will either focus it if it is an image or open the item's edit mode for
notes and drawings.

If an item is not selectable in the scene, for example if it has been locked, it can still be selected in the
hierarchy and then be transformed in the scene until deselected.

An items status will show as small icons, for example if the image is linked, locked or has a comment. Some
info about the item can also be seen in its tooltip, such as image source and size.

Slideshow
Images > Selection > Slideshow #presentation

Alt S / ⌥ S

Focus on an image in the selection for 10s (by default, can be changed in settings) before automatically
moving to the next in line.

After enabling slideshow use the slideshow toolbar in the lower right corner of PureRef to play/pause or
manually step between the images in the slideshow.

Manually navigating in the scene while a slideshow is playing will pause the slideshow. Use the shortcut or the
play button in the toolbar to resume playback.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 18 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Settings

• Slideshow time interval - Adjust how long every image is shown in a slideshow, in seconds.

• Randomize slideshow order - Randomize the order of which images are shown after
another in a slideshow.

• Slideshow UI fade mode - Set whether the whole slideshow UI fades out or leaves the timer
visible.

Tip!

Control the order of the slideshow by ordering the images in the Hierarchy.

Grayscale
Canvas > Grayscale #greyscale #monochrome #desaturate #black & white

Ctrl Alt G / ⌥ ⌘ G

Turn everything on the canvas into grayscale.

Grayscale per image

Images > Selection > Toggle grayscale

Alt G / ⌥ G

Make the selected images grayscale.

Toggle bilinear sampling

Images > Selection > Toggle bilinear sampling #pixelart

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 19 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Alt T / ⌥ T

Switch pixel interpolation of selected images between nearest neighbor and bilinear filtering. Useful for
displaying pixel art.

Tip!

Great for pixel art!

Settings

• Default image sampling - Set the default image sampling for newly added images.

Bilinear blends pixels for a smoother look but will look blurry when zoomed in.

Nearest neighbor renders pixels as they are which can be useful for pixel art.

This can be changed per image with the 'Toggle bilinear sampling' action.

Show color code

#eyedropper #colorpicker #picker

Left mouse button S / Left mouse button S

Press and hold down the shortcut buttons anywhere in the PureRef window to pick the color. RGB, HSV and
HEX values will be shown in the info window and can be copied. When picking colors from an image inside
PureRef the image's opacity will be ignored.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 20 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Tip!

Pick a color outside of PureRef by starting the color picking inside the window and then
moving the cursor outside while still holding the buttons down. This trick works in many other
creative applications too!

Show image coordinates

#picker

Left mouse button D / Left mouse button D

Get info about the X and Y pixel coordinates in an image. 0, 0 is in the top left corner.

Shows image info like name, origin, source, size and size of selection.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 21 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Images
The most important part of PureRef. Explore all the ways to interact with and organize them.

Adding images
#insert #import

It should be easy to add images. That's why you can do it any way you want.

Tip!

When saving a PureRef scene, the images you add will be embedded in the PureRef file by
default, but you can switch to keep them as links to locations outside PureRef in Settings.

Paste image
Paste

Ctrl V
/ ⌘ V

Paste an image from the clipboard.

Paste or drag/drop URL

Paste

Ctrl V / ⌘ V

You can paste a URL straight into the canvas and PureRef will open every image it can find on that page.
Dragging and dropping a URL works too.

Dragging & dropping

Drag and drop images from your computer or web browser.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 22 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Import images from your computer

Open > Open images

Ctrl I
/ ⌘ I

Browse to import images from your computer.

Selecting images
Left mouse button
/ Left mouse button

Select an item by clicking it. Click and drag to create a selection rectangle.

To select items inside locked groups, double click the item to enter that group. While a locked group has a child
item selected, the selection rectangle can be used to select multiple items in a group by starting the select drag
on the parent groups background or using the continuous select shortcut.

Selecting multiple images

#multiselect

Left mouse button Shift / Left mouse button ⇧

Hold Shift
/ ⇧ and click to select multiple images.

Select all
Images > Select all

Ctrl A / ⌘ A

Select everything in the scene.

Rotate
Left mouse button Ctrl / Left mouse button ⌘

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 23 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Grab outside the corners of the transform gizmo, or hold Ctrl / ⌘ , click left mouse button and drag on

the image to rotate it.

Snapped rotate
Left mouse button Ctrl Shift / Left mouse button ⇧ ⌘

Rotate and snap to the nearest 45 degrees. Just hold Shift / ⇧ while using the gizmo.

Tip!

You can reset the size and rotation of images with Reset transform
Ctrl Shift T
/ ⇧ ⌘ T

Tip!

Rotate multiple images around their individual center point by holding

Shift Alt / ⇧ ⌥ while using the transform gizmo.

Scale
#resize

Left mouse button Ctrl Alt / Left mouse button ⌥ ⌘

Use the gizmo or keyboard shortcut to resize an image or note, non-destructively. Pull the image left or right
while holding down the shortcut buttons.

Scale from the center of the image with the transform gizmo by holding Alt / ⌥

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 24 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Tip!

You can reset the size and rotation of images with Reset transform
Ctrl Shift T
/ ⇧ ⌘ T

Tip!

Scale multiple images from their individual center point by holding Shift Alt / ⇧ ⌥

while using the transform gizmo.

Crop
Images > Selection > Crop image #cut

Ctrl Alt Shift C / ⌥ ⇧ ⌘ C

Enable to use the gizmo to crop the selected image.

Crop selection
#cut

Left mouse button C

/ Left mouse button C

Hold the shortcut buttons and drag out a rectangle with the cursor to crop inside the selection. The cropping is
non-destructive.

Pan cropping
Left mouse button V / Left mouse button V

Move the image around inside the cropping area by holding down the shortcut buttons and then dragging the
image around.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 25 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Zoom cropping
Left mouse button Shift V / Left mouse button ⇧ V

Zoom in and out inside the cropped area. Pull the image left or right while holding down the shortcut buttons.

Reset cropping
Images > Selection > Reset cropping

Ctrl Shift C
/ ⇧ ⌘ C

Reset the cropping and restore the image to its original shape and size.

Flip images
#mirror

Left mouse button Alt Shift / Left mouse button ⌥ ⇧

Flip images manually by holding the shortcut buttons and dragging the cursor in the direction you want to flip
them.

Flip horizontally
Images > Selection > Flip image horizontally

Alt Shift H / ⌥ ⇧ H

Flip selection horizontally.

Flip vertically
Images > Selection > Flip image vertically

Alt Shift V
/ ⌥ ⇧ V

Flip selection vertically.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 26 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Axis snapped move item

Left mouse button Shift / Left mouse button ⇧

Constrain images to move in straight lines.

Neighbor snapped move item

Left mouse button Shift Space / Left mouse button ⇧ Space

Snap move images to the closest edges of other items.

Adjust image opacity

#transparency #transparent #seethrough

Left mouse button Ctrl Alt Shift

/ Left mouse button ⌥ ⇧ ⌘

Adjust the opacity of the selected image. Hold the shortcut buttons and drag the cursor left or right to decrease
or increase opacity.

Focus
Space / Space

Press space or double click to zoom in on selected images. Press space or double click again to go back to the
previous view. Use the arrow keys to step to the next and previous images, in order of addition to the scene.

Focus next
Right / →

Step to the next image in the order of the hierarchy.

Focus previous

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 27 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Left / ←

Step to the previous image in the order of the hierarchy.

Tip!

Control the order to focus images in by ordering them in the Hierarchy.

Tip!

Want to focus the whole canvas instead? Ctrl Space / ⌘ Space

Slideshow
Images > Selection > Slideshow #presentation

Alt S / ⌥ S

Focus on an image in the selection for 10s (by default, can be changed in settings) before automatically
moving to the next in line.

Toggle grayscale
Images > Selection > Toggle grayscale #greyscale #monochrome #desaturate #black & white

Alt G
/ ⌥ G

Make the selected images grayscale.

The grayscale formula used is (r*11+g*16+b*5)/32

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 28 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Tip!

Turn everything grayscale instead with Grayscale canvas!

Toggle bilinear sampling

Images > Selection > Toggle bilinear sampling #pixelart

Alt T / ⌥ T

Switch pixel interpolation of selected images between nearest neighbor and bilinear filtering. Useful for
displaying pixel art.

Tip!

Great for pixel art!

Open source
Images > Selection > Open source #show #computer #disk #finder #explorer #origin

Ctrl Shift O / ⇧ ⌘ O

Open the original location of an image, either locally on the computer or in the web browser.

Relink missing images

Images > Relink missing images #reimport #recover

Ctrl Alt Shift R / ⌥ ⇧ ⌘ R

If Embed local images is disabled and images cannot be found on disk, a question mark will be displayed
instead of the images. If images are moved or renamed, they can be relinked. Use this shortcut or double-click

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 29 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

on an image to choose the new sources.

Only local images on disk are able to be linked. Images pasted from the clipboard or added from the internet
will be embedded.

Delete
Images > Selection > Delete #remove #discard

Del / ⌦

Delete selected images from the scene.

Comment
Images > Selection > Comment #note

Alt C / ⌥ C

Read or edit a comment on the selected item.

Toggle locked
Images > Selection > Toggle locked

Alt L / ⌥ L

Lock or unlock the selected items. Locked items can't be selected for manipulation in the view but can be
selected through the hierarchy.

Unlock a locked item by clicking it to make an unlock button appear in the items lower right corner.

Tip!

Lock one big image to set it as a background in your scene.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 30 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Images / Arrange & align

#layout #organize

When working with many images, keeping them organized is key. PureRef has a powerful toolset for aligning
and arranging images. Most of them work on notes too!

Tip!

If no images are selected, many actions apply to all images. If images are selected, the action
only includes those images.

Settings

• Alignment padding - Set the spacing between aligned items when organizing images, in
pixels.

Send to back
Images > Selection > Send to back

Down / ↓

Place selection under everything else.

Send to front
Images > Selection > Send to front

Up / ↑

Place selection on top of everything else.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 31 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Settings

• Bring selected images to front - Set whether selecting an image should re-arrange the
layer order of the images.

Arrange by ...
Images > Arrange by > ...

Optimal
Images > Arrange > Optimal

Ctrl P / ⌘ P

PureRef will try to pack everything to fit the current window size.

By name
Images > Arrange > By name

Ctrl Alt N / ⌥ ⌘ N

Arrange by name. Unnamed images will be ordered by file name.

By addition
Images > Arrange > By addition

Ctrl Alt A / ⌥ ⌘ A

Arrange by order of time added to the scene.

By order
Images > Arrange > By order

Ctrl Alt O / ⌥ ⌘ O

Arrange by hierarchy order.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 32 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

By path
Images > Arrange > By path

Ctrl Alt D
/ ⌥ ⌘ D

Arrange by file path.

Tip!

Toggle the arrange command of your choice again to reverse the order that the images are
arranged in.

Align to ...
Images > Align > ...

Left
Images > Align > Left

Ctrl Left / ⌘ ←

Push selected images to the left.

Right
Images > Align > Right

Ctrl Right / ⌘ →

Push selected images to the right.

Top
Images > Align > Top

Ctrl Up / ⌘ ↑

Push selected images to the top.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 33 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Bottom
Images > Align > Bottom

Ctrl Down
/ ⌘ ↓

Push selected images to the bottom.

Stack
Images > Align > Stack

Ctrl Alt S / ⌥ ⌘ S

Stack selected images on top of each other in a pile in order of layering in the scene.

Normalize ...
Images > Normalize > ...
#match

Resizes the selected images to have similar sizes.

The resulting sizes will depend on the selected size source in the right click menu, "From first" or "Average".

Height
Images > Normalize > Height

Ctrl Alt Left

/ ⌥ ⌘ ←

Resize selection to all have the same height, based on the selected size source (average of all selected
images or the first selected image).

Width
Images > Normalize > Width

Ctrl Alt Right / ⌥ ⌘ →

Resize selection to all have the same width, based on the selected size source (average of all selected images
or the first selected image).

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 34 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Size
Images > Normalize > Size

Ctrl Alt Up
/ ⌥ ⌘ ↑

Resize selection to all have the same pixel size, based on the selected size source (average of all selected
images or the first selected image).

Scale
Images > Normalize > Scale

Ctrl Alt Down / ⌥ ⌘ ↓

Resize selection to all have the same scale, based on the average scale proportionate to the scene of the
selected size source (average of all selected images or the first selected image).

Tip!

Use this to set selected notes to the same text size.

Distribute ...
Images > Align > Distribute > ...

Lays out images next to each other in neat lines.

Horizontal
Images > Align > Distribute horizontal

Ctrl Alt Shift Up / ⌥ ⇧ ⌘ ↑

Place out selected objects in a horizontal row.

Vertical
Images > Align > Distribute vertical

Ctrl Alt Shift Down / ⌥ ⇧ ⌘ ↓

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 35 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Place out selected objects in a vertical row.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 36 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Canvas
The canvas is the inner area of the window with a lighter background, and is where the images can be placed.
The canvas will expand to fit your images.

Optimize canvas
Canvas > Optimize #optimise

Ctrl O / ⌘ O

Fit the canvas snugly around all the images on the board.

Tip!

Ctrl Alt P / ⌥ ⌘ P is Pack all and Optimize in one shortcut!

Focus canvas
#view

Ctrl Space / ⌘ Space

Adjust the view so the full canvas is visible.

Reset camera
Canvas > Reset camera #view

The camera will be reset to the default position (0, 0) in the window.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 37 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Reset zoom
Canvas > Reset camera zoom #view

Ctrl 0
/ ⌘ 0

The view zoom will be reset to 100%.

Lock canvas
Canvas > Lock canvas #freeze

Ctrl R / ⌘ R

Lock everything on the canvas so items cannot be interacted with. Great when you don't want to accidentally
move things around.

Grayscale canvas
Canvas > Grayscale #greyscale #desaturate #monochrome

Ctrl Alt G / ⌥ ⌘ G

Turn everything on the canvas into grayscale.

The formula used is (r*11+g*16+b*5)/32

Tip!

Turn only some images grayscale with Toggle Grayscale

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 38 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Saving & loading

With PureRef, you can save your image collections, so you can get back to them later.

Save
Save > Save

Ctrl S / ⌘ S

Save the changes in your current file. Opens the Save as dialog if your scene isn't saved yet.

Save as
Save > Save as

Ctrl Shift S / ⇧ ⌘ S

Save your scene as a .pur file.

Legacy save formats

From PureRef 2.0 the file format of .pur files have changed to accommodate new features and improve save
and load performance. The new format also saves images in their original format. This new format can not be
opened by older versions of PureRef but old .pur files can still be opened and saved in PureRef 2.0+ (PureRef
will ask if you want to re-save to the new format on save).

For newly created scenes, if you want to be able to open them with older versions of PureRef, you can choose
to save as a "Legacy PureRef scene" in the Save as type dropdown in the save as dialog.

Warning!

Keep in mind that saving a scene authored in PureRef 2.0+ as legacy format will discard new
features such as drawings and groups and convert all images to PNG.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 39 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Export ...
Save > Export > ...

Scene
Save > Export > Scene

Ctrl E / ⌘ E

Export the canvas area as a single image to the chosen location.

Selected as scene
Save > Export > Selected as scene

Ctrl Shift E / ⇧ ⌘ E

Export the selected images as a single image to the chosen location.

All images
Save > Export > All images

Ctrl Alt I
/ ⌥ ⌘ I

Export all images as separate images to the chosen location.

Selected images
Save > Export > Selected images

Ctrl Shift I / ⇧ ⌘ I

Export selected images as separate images to the chosen location.

When exporting images choose to export them as jpg, png or bmp, or keep them in the original format they had
when added to PureRef.

The "Export cropping" checkbox controls whether to export the images as they appeared when added to
PureRef or just the visible part of the images in case they have been cropped in PureRef. Exporting with
cropping does not support exporting the images in their original format as PureRef needs to re-encode the
image data.

Exported images will keep their original names by default. Specify a template to use instead in the "Naming"
dropdown, or create one using these substitutions:
%0 - Original name

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 40 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

%1 - Sequence number
%2 - Sequence number with leading zeroes
%3 - Scene name

Example: "%2 - %0" results in "01 - Original name.jpg"

Tip!

Control the order of the exported images by ordering them in the Hierarchy.

Open
Open > Open #load

Ctrl L / ⌘ L

Browse the computer and navigate to a previously saved PureRef file to open it.

Tip!

You can double click on an empty canvas to open the browse dialog.

Open recent
Open > Open recent > ...

Lets you choose a file to open from a list of the most recently opened files.

Tip!

There is a shortcut to open the most recent scene: Ctrl Shift L / ⇧ ⌘ L

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 41 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Settings

• Number of recent opened files - Set the number of recently opened files under Open >
Open recent... in the right click menu.

• Auto open last scene on start up - Enable to always open the most recently closed scene
every time you start PureRef.

Open images
Open > Open images #import #add #load

Ctrl I / ⌘ I

Browse to import images from your computer.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 42 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Settings
Settings window
Settings
#preferences

Ctrl U / ⌘ U

The settings window is where you can customize PureRef to make it truly yours. You can change nearly
everything in PureRef to work the way you want.

Settings are saved to a file called PureRef.ini and by default it can be found in:

Windows %APPDATA%\PureRef ( C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\PureRef )

Mac /User/<username>/.config/PureRef

Linux /home/<username>/.config/PureRef

PureRef can also be provided with a path to the settings file on the command line: PureRef.exe -s
/path/to/settings.ini

To automate this, create a shortcut to PureRef containing the command line settings. This way different
PureRef windows can have different settings.

Tip!

PureRef first checks its own directory for an PureRef.ini so to create a completely portable
installation you can create a PureRef.ini next to PureRef itself!

Note

In PureRef 1.x The PureRef.ini file was located directly under %APPDATA% or .config (without
the PureRef folder)

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 43 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Import & export settings

In case you want to share your settings with a friend or just back them up for easy transfer to another computer
you can use the "Export current settings" button in the lower left corner of the settings dialog. This will export
your current customizations, excluding personal information such as saved paths etc to a file.

Then just use the "Import settings file" button to load the saved settings.

Warning!

Make sure you first export your current settings before importing a settings file as this will
reset all settings that you have changed before the import.

Performance
Auto downscale large images
Enable to automatically scale down images to the chosen size on addition to the scene. Enabling this is more
RAM-efficient but images may lose quality.

Undo history size

Set how many undo states are available. Larger history sizes take up more RAM.

Performance mode
No cache uses minimum memory, but high CPU usage and is slower at displaying images as you move
around the canvas.

Cache on disk uses minimum memory, but high disk and CPU usage.

In memory runs faster, prioritizing quality, but high memory usage.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 44 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

In memory, low zoom quality is the fastest setting, with a medium memory usage at the cost of lower image
quality.

Temporary directory location

Change where PureRef saves temporary files. Empty here means it will use the system default temporary
directory.

If you're experiencing slow saves or don't have enough disk space on the system disk it might help to move
this to a secondary drive where you keep your PureRef scenes.

Appearance
#colour #theme #appearance

Adjust colors and appearance of PureRef.

Title bar visibility

Set when to show the application top bar; always, only on mouse over, only when the cursor moves or never.

Tip!

Using the title bar to move the PureRef window enables support for standard window snapping
functions provided by the operating system.

Main window border

Turn the 1 pixel border of the PureRef window on or off.

Tip!

Take care to not lose PureRef if you turn off borders while using a transparent background :)

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 45 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Rounded window corners

Set window style on all windows except the main window.

Application opacity
Globally adjust opacity of the window.

Adjust the transparency of the whole PureRef application.

Tip!

The shortcuts Ctrl Shift + / ⇧ ⌘ + and Ctrl Shift - / ⇧ ⌘ -

increase and decrease the opacity by steps of 10%.

Theme Presets
Choose between preset color themes, and create your own.

Dark - Classic dark mode, subtle.

Light - For brightly lit environments.
Glass - Light mode, but with a transparent canvas!

Tip!

Create your own themes by setting the preferred colors and clicking "Save current to preset".

Application colors
Every color in the interface can be customized. Most support transparency.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 46 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

1. Canvas - The area surrounding the canvas.

2. Canvas background - The canvas background where images are placed.
3. Border - The main window border color.
4. Selection - Color of the selection rectangle and selected images border.
5. Text - Main text color.
6. Text hover - Color for hovering over clickable text.
7. Disabled - Indicates temporary un-interactability.
8. Menu background - Want a different color in the background of the menu than the canvas? Set it here.
9. Menu border - Want a different color on the menu border than the main window border? Set it here.
10. Primary - Important buttons.
11. Secondary - Normal buttons.
12. Success - Success color on checkmarks etc.
13. Warning - Indicating warnings.
14. Danger - Indicating permanent un-undoable changes, like permanent deletion.
15. Input background - Background of input fields.
16. Item background - Default background of notes and groups, and missing images.

Saving & Loading

Embed local images in save file
Embedding images makes the PureRef file portable, but the file size bigger since a copy of the image will be
stored inside the save file.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 47 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Linking images makes the PureRef file lightweight but less portable. To move or share the file, the images will
need to be moved along with it. If the save file can't find images in their original paths, it will also look for them
in its own current folder and subfolders.

Info!

Remote images (urls) and temporary images like screenshots will always be downloaded and
embedded in the .pur file regardless of this setting. The original url of the images is stored and
can be accessed with "Open source" Ctrl Shift O
/ ⇧ ⌘ O if PureRef can find

one.

Unsaved scene warning

Uncheck to skip warning when leaving an unsaved scene. If "Don't show this again" is checked in the unsaved
warning dialog, this setting is changed.

Auto open last scene on start up

Enable to always open the most recently closed scene every time you start PureRef.

Number of recent opened files

Set the number of recently opened files under Open > Open recent... in the right click menu.

Window
Default window mode
Set to enable a window mode directly when you start PureRef. Choose between Overlay, Mouse transparency,
both, or last used. Select Normal to open PureRef without a mode enabled.

Scroll wheel functionality

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 48 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Set scroll wheel interaction behavior: Pan canvas, zoom canvas or nothing.

Invert scroll wheel - Invert the scroll wheel direction.

Trackpad gestures
Enables support for two finger pan and pinch to zoom.

While disabled, trackpad gestures will behave the same as a mouse scroll wheel.

While enabled, hold Ctrl during two finger pan to simulate a mouse scroll wheel.

Scale scene on window resize

Enable to allow the canvas zoom to keep up accordingly when resizing the PureRef window, instead of staying
static and cropping the view area.

Show window state change popup

Enable or disable the notification popping up when maximizing, setting window mode etc.

Take window focus after image drop

Set whether PureRef should be the active window after dropping an image into it.

Tip!

Disable to drag & drop images from the browser without PureRef popping in front of it.

Lock window while maximized

Enable to force the PureRef window to stay maximized when attempting to move it. Move will function like Pan
(While Maximized).

Show maximized on top of taskbar

Set whether the maximized window should cover the taskbar or not.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 49 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Controls whether maximize behaves as a normal maximize or if PureRef should go fullscreen.

On MacOS this setting is called "Show maximized in its own space" and controls whether maximize will show
over other applications or go fullscreen in its own space.

Disable mouse transparency on activate

Automatically disable mouse transparency when the PureRef window is activated.

Resize border width

Adjust size of the interactable edge/corner area for resizing the PureRef window, in pixels.

Move window threshold

Adjust distance threshold between moving the PureRef window and opening the right click menu, in pixels.

Tip!

Both Move window threshold and Resize border width are good to increase for better error
margin on touch devices.

Open files in ...

Set whether double clicking a file opens it in a new or existing PureRef window. Also known as single
application mode.

Current window - Opens files in the current window, replacing what is already in the scene.

New window - Opens files in a new PureRef instance.

Scene status icon

Set the position and visibility of the scene status icon. This icon shows the scene locked state and if any
background loading is ongoing.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 50 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Images
Enable transform gizmo
Enable to show a transform gizmo around the selected images that can be interacted with to rotate and scale
images.

Visibility - Set visibility of the transform gizmo handles. Choose to show all, only borders, only handles or
invisible. The handles stay interactable even when invisible.

Handle size - Set diameter of transform gizmo handle.

Fade out when application is inactive - Set if the transform gizmo should fade out when PureRef is not the
active window.

Image borders
Set visibility of image borders to only when selected, all always, or off.

Alignment padding
Set the spacing between aligned items when organizing images, in pixels.

Applies to aligned images.

Bring selected images to front

Set whether selecting an image should re-arrange the layer order of the images.

Select and pack new images

Enable to auto-arrange images as soon as they are added.

Pack new by - Set the order of arrangement for newly added images. Set to pack by optimal arrangement,
name or addition.

Select all text on note edit

Set whether double clicking on a note selects all text or only enters edit mode.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 51 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Double click image to focus

Set whether double clicking on an image will focus it.

Slideshow time interval

Adjust how long every image is shown in a slideshow, in seconds.

Randomize slideshow order

Randomize the order of which images are shown after another in a slideshow.

Slideshow UI fade mode

Set whether the whole slideshow UI fades out or leaves the timer visible.

Default image sampling

Set the default image sampling for newly added images.

Bilinear blends pixels for a smoother look but will look blurry when zoomed in.

Nearest neighbor renders pixels as they are which can be useful for pixel art.

This can be changed per image with the 'Toggle bilinear sampling' action.

System
Updates
Click to check for updates immediately. If green, you're up to date. Red means an update is available.

Check on startup - Enable to check for PureRef updates at start up. An internet connection is required.

Include beta versions - When checking for a new version, also check for new beta versions.

Allow sending anonymous analytics

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 52 / 70
 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Enable to help make PureRef better! No personal data or images will be sent, only statistics of usage. This
data will be used to improve PureRef. For a complete overview of what data is collected, please see the
privacy policy.

File association (.pur) (Windows only)

Install or uninstall file associations for .pur files for the current user. Provides icons and double click to open
functionality for .pur files in the file explorer.

Tip!

If previously installed associations are not working, or you want to change the default
installation to this version of PureRef, you can try to uninstall and install again.

Explorer thumbnails (.pur) (Windows only)

Install or uninstall thumbnail support for .pur files from PureRef 2.0 or newer in the file explorer for the current
user.

Tip!

If previously installed thumbnails are not working, or you want to change the default
installation to this version of PureRef, you can try to uninstall and install again.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 53 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Automation
Command line interface
PureRef supports limited functionality to be triggered from the command line:

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 54 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Example command:
PureRef -c 'load;example.pur' -c 'exportScene;D:/example.png;1000;1000;false' -c
'exit'

Available commands: [] = optional argument, () = default value

- clearScene Clears the current scene.

- exit Closes the application.

[Exit code(0)]

- exportImages Exports all images in the current scene to

individual png files.
Output directory The directory must exist for the export to
succeed.
[Export cropping(true)] If this is set to false the images will be
exported unmodified.
[Name override] If this is provided all exported images will be
named according to
this string. %0 = Original name, %1 = Sequence
number, %2 = Sequen
ce number with leading zeroes, and %3 = Scene
name. An empty templ
ate will result in the original name.

- exportScene Exports the current scene.

Path Output file path.
[Width(-1)] Width of the output image (1-20000). If set to -1
it will try to us
e the width of the scene.
[Height(-1)] Height of the output image (1-20000). If set to
-1 it will try to u
se the height of the scene.
[Canvas background(true)] Include canvas background.
[Image borders(true)] Include image borders.
[Include children(true)] Include child items.

- load Loads given files. Additionally, If the files are

images, you can p
rovide x and y coordinates for where to place
the loaded images.
Paths Files to load.
[X(0)] X-coordinate of the center of the loaded images
[Y(0)] Y-coordinate of the center of the loaded images

- save Saves the current scene.

Path Output file path.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 55 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Silent installation
PureRef uses NSIS on Windows which means the installer supports the /S switch to make it silent.

On macOS the PureRef.app can be manually extracted from the .dmg using hdiutil.

The .deb and .rpm packages should also support silent install on Linux.

Make sure you have read and agreed to the license agreement before installing silently.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 56 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Keyboard shortcuts
#hotkeys #bindings #keybindings

Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to get around in PureRef. Make them yours by customizing them.

Find a list of all the default shortcuts here.

Actions
#commands

Actions are the function that is triggered when a shortcut is pressed, and they come in 2 types:

Trigger actions are actions that executes as soon as its shortcut is pressed, for example closing the program
or deleting an image.

Continuous actions require mouse movement and are actions that continue until you release its shortcut, for
example moving an image or dragging a selection rectangle.

Whether a shortcut is trigger or continuous depends on the action and cannot be changed.

Mouse buttons
Mouse buttons can be used for both continuous and trigger actions. If your mouse has extra buttons, those can
be bound too.

Tip!

Continuous actions don't require a mouse button. Leave the mouse buttons field empty and
the continuous action will start as soon as you press its keyboard keys!

Trackpad support
#touchpad

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 57 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

PureRef supports a few trackpad gestures such as pinch to zoom and 2 finger pan. Trackpads are
automatically detected by PureRef, if this detection incorrectly identifies a mouse as a trackpad the setting
Trackpad gestures can be used to disable this behavior.

Tip!

If your trackpad is not detected and 2 finger pan zooms the scene, the setting Scroll wheel
functionality can be set to "Pan canvas"

Pen support
Most pens and tablets should be supported. In Windows some people have experienced issues with Windows
Ink that have been alleviated by setting "Let me use my pen as a mouse when it's available" under Pen &
Windows Ink settings.

Touch screen support

Limited touch controls are supported such as pinch to zoom and 2 finger pan.

3D Input support
PureRef has support for the 3DConnexion SpaceMouse for navigating in the scene.

Keyboard keys
Specifies which keyboard keys that need to be pressed to trigger the action.

For non-english letter keys PureRef will try to figure out if it is a standard shortcut key or, if not, allow you to
use that letter key when binding your shortcuts.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 58 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Tip!

If you're using a non-english keyboard and a shortcut doesn't seem to work you can try to re-
bind it.

System global shortcuts

Every trigger action shortcut can be set to work even if PureRef is not the active window. Check the "System
global" check box when rebinding a shortcut.

PureRef does not block the global shortcut so make sure you select one that isn't used by the other
applications you have in focus.

On MacOS this feature requires Accessibility permissions. You will be asked to enable it the first time you set a
shortcut to system global.

Tip!

If you don't see the "System global" check box on an action it means it is a continuous action.

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 59 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Keyboard shortcuts / Default

shortcuts
Actions
Function Windows/Linux Mac

About None None

Export all images Ctrl+Alt+I ⌥⌘I

Always on bottom Ctrl+Shift+B ⇧⌘B

Always on top Ctrl+Shift+A ⇧⌘A

Always on top of... Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A ⌥⇧⌘A

Appearance settings None None

Align bottom Ctrl+Down ⌘↓

Arrange by addition Ctrl+Alt+A ⌥⌘A

Arrange by name Ctrl+Alt+N ⌥⌘N

Arrange by order Ctrl+Alt+O ⌥⌘O

Arrange by path Ctrl+Alt+D ⌥⌘D

Cancel progress Esc ⎋

Clear selection Esc ⎋

Close Ctrl+Q ⌘Q

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 60 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Command palette Ctrl+Shift+P ⇧⌘P

Comment Alt+C ⌥C

Copy Ctrl+C ⌘C

Cut Ctrl+X ⌘X

Decrease application opacity Ctrl+Shift+- ⇧⌘-

Distribute horizontal Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Up ⌥⇧⌘↑

Distribute vertical Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Down ⌥⇧⌘↓

Draw Ctrl+D ⌘D

Crop image Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C ⌥⇧⌘C

Group Ctrl+G ⌘G

Normalize height Ctrl+Alt+Left ⌥⌘←

Help Ctrl+H ⌃H

Hierarchy Ctrl+J ⌘J

Images settings None None

Ctrl+Shift++ ⇧⌘+
Increase application opacity
Ctrl+Shift+= ⇧⌘=

Keyboard shortcuts settings None None

Align left Ctrl+Left ⌘←

Open Ctrl+L ⌘L

Open images Ctrl+I ⌘I

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 61 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Open most recent Ctrl+Shift+L ⇧⌘L

Lock canvas Ctrl+R ⌘R

Lock window Ctrl+W ⌘W

Maximize Ctrl+F ⌘F

Minimize Ctrl+M ⌘M

New scene Ctrl+K ⌘K

New window Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N ⌥⇧⌘N

Normalize scale Ctrl+Alt+Down ⌥⌘↓

Note Ctrl+N ⌘N

Open source Ctrl+Shift+O ⇧⌘O

Arrange optimal Ctrl+P ⌘P

Optimize canvas Ctrl+O ⌘O

Overlay selection Ctrl+Y ⌘Y

Pack all and optimize Ctrl+Alt+P ⌥⌘P

Paste Ctrl+V ⌘V

Performance settings None None

Preset Custom1 Alt+4 ⌥4

Preset Custom2 Alt+5 ⌥5

Preset Custom3 Alt+6 ⌥6

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 62 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Preset Custom4 Alt+7 ⌥7

Preset Dark Alt+1 ⌥1

Preset Glass Alt+3 ⌥3

Preset Light Alt+2 ⌥2

Redo Ctrl+Shift+Z ⇧⌘Z

Relink missing images Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R ⌥⇧⌘R

Reset cropping Ctrl+Shift+C ⇧⌘C

Reset transform Ctrl+Shift+T ⇧⌘T

Resize to selection Ctrl+Shift+R ⇧⌘R

Align right Ctrl+Right ⌘→

Save Ctrl+S ⌘S

Save as Ctrl+Shift+S ⇧⌘S

Saving and loading settings None None

Export scene Ctrl+E ⌘E

Export selected images Ctrl+Shift+I ⇧⌘I

Export selected as scene Ctrl+Shift+E ⇧⌘E

Settings Ctrl+U ⌘U

Normalize size Ctrl+Alt+Up ⌥⌘↑

Stack Ctrl+Alt+S ⌥⌘S

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 63 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

System settings None None

Toggle bilinear sampling Alt+T ⌥T

Toggle grayscale Alt+G ⌥G

Toggle locked Alt+L ⌥L

Align top Ctrl+Up ⌘↑

Transparent to mouse Ctrl+T ⌘T

Undo Ctrl+Z ⌘Z

Ungroup Ctrl+Shift+G ⇧⌘G

Normalize width Ctrl+Alt+Right ⌥⌘→

Window settings None None

Controls
Function Windows/Linux Mac

Axis snapped move item Left MB + Shift Left MB + ⇧

Change opacity Left MB + Ctrl+Alt+Shift Left MB + ⌥⇧⌘

Continuous select Left MB + Shift Left MB + ⇧

Crop selection Left MB + C Left MB + C

Delete Del ⌦

Flip Left MB + Alt+Shift Left MB + ⌥⇧

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 64 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Flip image horizontally Alt+Shift+H ⌥⇧H

Flip image vertically Alt+Shift+V ⌥⇧V

Focus canvas Ctrl+Space ⌘Space

Focus image Space Space

Focus next image Right →

Focus previous image Left ←

Grayscale canvas Ctrl+Alt+G ⌥⌘G

Move item Left MB Left MB

Neighbor snapped move item Left MB + Shift+Space Left MB + ⇧Space

Left MB + Alt Left MB + ⌥

Pan
Middle MB Middle MB

Pan (while locked) Left MB Left MB

Pan (while maximized) Right MB Right MB

Pan cropping Left MB + V Left MB + V

Reset camera None None

Reset camera zoom Ctrl+0 ⌘0

Rotate Left MB + Ctrl Left MB + ⌘

Scale Left MB + Ctrl+Alt Left MB + ⌥⌘

Select all Ctrl+A ⌘A

Select items Left MB Left MB

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 65 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Send to back Down ↓

Send to front Up ↑

Show color code Left MB + S Left MB + S

Show image coordinates Left MB + D Left MB + D

Slideshow selection Alt+S ⌥S

Snapped rotate Left MB + Ctrl+Shift Left MB + ⇧⌘

Zoom Left MB + Z Left MB + Z

Zoom cropping Left MB + Shift+V Left MB + ⇧V

Zoom in Ctrl++ ⌘+

Zoom out Ctrl+- ⌘-

Draw
Function Windows/Linux Mac

Cancel drawing Esc ⎋

Pen color Ctrl+T ⌘T

Pen style arrow 3 3

Pen style dotted 2 2

Pen style solid 1 1

Pen width large None None

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 66 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Pen width medium None None

Pen width small None None

Select eraser tool E E

Select pen tool D D

Group
Function Windows/Linux Mac

Group background color None None

Lock group None None

Multi Note
Function Windows/Linux Mac

Text background color None None

Text color None None

Text highlight color None None

Clear text formatting None None

Toggle bold text None None

Toggle italic text None None

Toggle text strikethrough None None

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 67 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Toggle text underline None None

Note
Function Windows/Linux Mac

Align text center Ctrl+Shift+E ⇧⌘E

Align text justify Ctrl+Shift+J ⇧⌘J

Align text left Ctrl+Shift+L ⇧⌘L

Align text right Ctrl+Shift+R ⇧⌘R

Text background color Ctrl+Shift+T ⇧⌘T

Text color Ctrl+T ⌘T

Text highlight color Ctrl+H ⌘H

Clear text formatting Ctrl+\ ⌘\

Copy text formatting Ctrl+Alt+C ⌥⌘C

Decrease font size Ctrl+Shift+, ⇧⌘,

Finish editing note Esc ⎋

Increase font size Ctrl+Shift+. ⇧⌘.

Increase indentation Ctrl+Tab ⌘⇥

Paste text formatting Ctrl+Alt+V ⌥⌘V

Paste without formatting Ctrl+Shift+V ⇧⌘V

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 68 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Select next font Ctrl+Alt+. ⌥⌘.

Select previous font Ctrl+Alt+, ⌥⌘,

Toggle bold text Ctrl+B ⌘B

Toggle bulleted list Ctrl+Shift+B ⇧⌘B

Toggle checklist Ctrl+Shift+C ⇧⌘C

Toggle italic text Ctrl+I ⌘I

Toggle note auto size Ctrl+Shift+A ⇧⌘A

Toggle note style None None

Toggle numbered list Ctrl+Shift+N ⇧⌘N

Toggle text strikethrough Ctrl+Alt+S ⌥⌘S

Insert link Ctrl+K ⌘K

Toggle text underline Ctrl+U ⌘U

Decrease indentation Ctrl+Shift+Tab ⇧⌘⇥

Playback
Function Windows/Linux Mac

Show all frames None None

Previous frame None None

Next frame None None

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 69 / 70

 PureRef handbook
v2.0

Function Windows/Linux Mac

Play / Pause None None

System
Function Windows/Linux Mac

Move window Right MB Right MB

Open context menu Right MB Right MB

Resize window Left MB Left MB

© Idyllic Pixel AB 2024-05-25 Page 70 / 70