How to use drawing tool during recording on Loom

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

The drawing tool in Loom allows you to annotate your screen recordings in real-time by clicking the pen icon during recording. You can draw, highlight, add arrows, and use various colors to emphasize important points while recording your screen or camera.

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Prerequisites

Have Loom account created
Install Loom desktop app or browser extension
Know basic screen recording setup
Have content ready to annotate

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start a new Loom recording

Open the Loom desktop app or click the browser extension icon. Select your recording type - Screen Only, Camera Only, or Screen + Camera. Choose your screen area and click Start Recording.

Screen + Camera recordings work best with drawing tools as viewers can see both your annotations and reactions

Access the drawing toolbar

Once recording begins, look for the floating toolbar at the bottom of your screen. Click the pen icon or drawing tool button to activate the annotation features. The drawing toolbar will expand to show all available tools.

The toolbar may be minimized - hover over it to see all options

Select your drawing tool

Choose from the available tools in the expanded toolbar:

Pen - Free-form drawing
Arrow - Directional pointers
Rectangle - Boxes and highlights
Circle - Circular annotations

Click on your desired tool to activate it.

Choose color and thickness

After selecting a tool, click the color picker to choose your annotation color. Common options include red, blue, yellow, and green. Use the thickness slider or size options to adjust the line weight for better visibility.

Bright colors like red and yellow show up best on most backgrounds

Draw on your screen

Click and drag on your screen to create annotations. For arrows, click where you want the arrow to start and drag to where it should point. For shapes, click and drag to define the size and position. Your drawings appear in real-time during the recording.

Keep movements smooth and deliberate - erratic drawing can be distracting to viewers

Clear or undo annotations

To remove drawings, click the Clear or Eraser button in the toolbar to remove all current annotations. Some versions include an Undo button to remove the last annotation only.

Clear annotations between topics to avoid screen clutter

Hide the drawing toolbar

When not actively drawing, click the minimize button or X on the drawing toolbar to hide it from view. This ensures the toolbar doesn't obstruct important content in your recording.

You can reactivate the drawing tools at any time by clicking the pen icon again

Finish your recording

Continue recording while using drawing tools as needed. When finished, click Stop Recording in the main Loom toolbar. Your annotations will be permanently embedded in the final video at the timestamps when you drew them.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Drawing toolbar not appearing during recording

Ensure you're using the latest version of Loom. Try restarting the recording or refreshing the browser extension. The drawing feature may not be available in all recording modes.

Drawings appear laggy or delayed

Close unnecessary applications to improve performance. Lower your recording quality in Settings if the issue persists. Ensure your computer meets Loom's system requirements.

Cannot see drawing colors clearly

Switch to a contrasting color that stands out against your background. Increase the line thickness in the drawing options. Avoid using light colors on light backgrounds.

Drawing tool keeps deactivating

Click directly on the drawing area without clicking other UI elements. Some applications may interfere with the drawing overlay - try recording a different screen area or closing conflicting software.

Prices mentioned in this guide are pulled from current plan data and may change. Always verify on the official Loom website before purchasing.

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