Refbox

About Refbox

Refbox is the essential, non-negotiable tool for creative professionals who refuse to let workflow interruptions kill their momentum. It solves the fundamental, daily frustration of window switching by providing instant, always-accessible access to inspiration and reference material. This is a floating desktop application designed to keep your visual research—images, GIFs, videos, and notes—pinned in resizable, always-on-top frames directly over your primary work applications like Photoshop, Blender, or Figma. No more digging through folders, managing a cluttered desktop, or alt-tabbing through a dozen browser tabs. You simply add media from the web, your computer, or clipboard into a centralized sidebar and then drag individual references onto your canvas. With viewing modes like Masonry, Gallery, and floating frames, you tailor the layout to your task. It’s built for the modern creative workflow where speed, organization, and sustained focus are not luxuries but absolute necessities for quality output. For anyone sketching, designing, animating, modeling, or illustrating, Refbox is the indispensable companion that ensures your inspiration is literally at your fingertips, transforming a fragmented process into a seamless, fluid creative session.

Features of Refbox

Always-On-Top Floating Frames

This is the core, must-have functionality. Drag any image, GIF, video, or note from your Refbox sidebar directly onto your desktop to create an independent, resizable window that stays visible above all other applications. You can lock these frames, minimize them, or rearrange them freely, ensuring your critical references are never obscured by your work software. This eliminates the constant, distracting cycle of switching windows and allows for true side-by-side comparison and inspiration.

Multi-Source Media & Note Collection

Aggregate all your inspiration without leaving your flow. Instantly import references by dragging files from your computer, pasting image URLs or direct image data from your clipboard, or saving screenshots from websites. Crucially, Refbox also includes a markdown-enabled notes panel for jotting down ideas, creating checklists, or storing instructions, keeping textual reference and visual inspiration unified in one essential hub.

Intelligent Viewing & Organization Modes

Adapt your reference layout to the task at hand with multiple, vital viewing options. Use Masonry Mode for a Pinterest-style overview of a collection, a full-screen Gallery for second monitors, or the unique infinite canvas to see everything at once. Create separate Collections for different projects or stages (e.g., mood boards, anatomy, color palettes) and swap between them instantly with a single click, maintaining impeccable organization.

Advanced Media Controls & Utilities

Refbox includes powerful, workflow-specific tools that save hours of hassle. Scrub through videos and GIFs with frame-by-frame playback for precise animation reference. Use the built-in color picker on any media to sample and copy hex codes. Crop images directly within the app to focus on details, view SVG files as images, and create website screenshots by pasting a link. These are not mere extras; they are essential utilities that prevent context-switching to other apps.

Use Cases of Refbox

Digital Illustration & Concept Art

Illustrators and concept artists must constantly reference anatomy, lighting, textures, and mood boards while working in applications like Photoshop or Procreate. Refbox is essential for pinning multiple reference images around the canvas in floating frames. The ability to step through GIFs frame-by-frame for motion study and to keep detailed, markdown notes on artistic direction within the same tool streamlines the entire creative process from sketch to final render.

UI/UX & Graphic Design Workflows

Designers working in Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD need immediate access to brand guidelines, competitor screenshots, icon sets, and typography references. Refbox allows them to keep a library of UI patterns, color swatches (sampled directly with the color picker), and inspiration sites visible at all times. Creating separate Collections for different clients or project components ensures all necessary assets are organized and instantly accessible, drastically speeding up iteration.

3D Modeling & Animation

For 3D artists in Blender, Maya, or Cinema 4D, referencing orthographic images, texture maps, and motion sequences is critical. Refbox's always-on-top frames are indispensable for keeping model sheets and turntable videos visible over the complex 3D viewport. The frame-by-frame GIF/video scrubbing allows for precise animation timing analysis without ever leaving the 3D software, making the technical creative process significantly more efficient.

Motion Graphics & Video Editing

Motion designers and editors need to reference style frames, storyboards, and asset lists while working in After Effects or Premiere Pro. Refbox serves as a central, persistent hub for all pre-production visuals and notes. The gallery mode is perfect for a second monitor to sequence style frames, while floating frames can keep specific color grades or composition references pinned over the timeline, ensuring creative consistency throughout the editing process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What platforms does Refbox support?

Refbox is currently available for macOS and Windows operating systems. It is a native desktop application designed to integrate seamlessly with your creative workflow on these platforms, providing low-latency performance and robust system integration for features like always-on-top windows and clipboard support.

Can I use Refbox with multiple monitors?

Absolutely, and it is highly recommended. Refbox excels in multi-monitor setups. You can use the full-screen Gallery mode on a secondary monitor to display an entire collection of references, while using floating frames on your primary display where your main creative application is running. This setup provides maximum screen real estate for both your work and your references.

How do I get media into Refbox?

Adding media is designed to be frictionless. You can drag and drop files directly from your file explorer, paste image URLs or screenshots from your clipboard, or use the built-in capture tool to create screenshots from website links. This multi-method approach ensures you can capture inspiration from any source in seconds without breaking your creative focus.

Is there a free trial or version available?

Yes, Refbox offers a free trial that allows you to experience the full functionality of the application. After the trial period, a one-time purchase license is required for continued use. This model provides permanent access to the tool without recurring subscription fees, making it a straightforward and essential investment for your creative toolkit.

Pricing of Refbox

Refbox operates on a simple, one-time purchase model. After a free trial period, users can buy a permanent license for a single, upfront fee. This grants lifetime access to the application, including all current features and future updates, without any recurring subscription costs. This pricing structure makes it a predictable and valuable investment for professionals seeking a long-term solution for their reference workflow.