Refbox

About Refbox

Refbox is a specialized floating reference application designed for creative professionals who need constant, distraction-free access to their inspiration and resources. It eliminates the disruptive cycle of alt-tabbing between windows or digging through folders by allowing you to pin images, GIFs, videos, and notes in always-on-top frames directly over your primary work applications. Whether you're sketching, designing, animating, or modeling, your references stay visible and within reach, keeping you in a state of deep focus and flow.

The core value proposition is seamless integration into the creative workflow. You can gather media from the web, your computer, or clipboard into a central, resizable sidebar. From there, view everything in a Masonry grid, drag individual items onto your desktop as independent floating windows, or use a full-screen gallery mode for a second monitor. Beyond visuals, Refbox supports markdown-enabled notes for ideas and checklists, and clickable bookmarks for tutorials. With features like frame-by-frame GIF scrubbing, instant collection swapping, and powerful shortcuts, Refbox transforms your desktop into an organized, always-accessible inspiration hub tailored for speed and precision.

Features of Refbox

Always-on-Top Floating Frames

Pin any reference—images, videos, GIFs, or notes—in resizable windows that float above all other applications. This ensures your inspiration is perpetually visible while you work in your primary software, eliminating the need to switch windows and break your concentration. You can minimize frames to access apps behind them or lock them in place for references you can work directly over.

Multi-Source Media Collection & Organization

Aggregate references from anywhere directly into Refbox. Add content by dragging from the web or your computer, pasting from your clipboard, or even creating website screenshots by pasting a URL. Organize these items into multiple, distinct Collections (like moodboards or project folders) and swap between them instantly with a single click for unparalleled workflow organization.

Advanced Media Interaction & Control

Go beyond static viewing with powerful media manipulation tools. Scrub through videos and GIFs with precision frame-by-frame playback—essential for animation and detailed study. Crop images to focus on specific details, use a built-in color picker on any media to copy hex codes, and view SVG files as images. You can also save or copy any media directly to your system for use in other apps.

Integrated Notes & Bookmarks

Keep all project-critical information within your reference ecosystem. Create markdown-enabled notes for ideas, instructions, or interactive checklists without needing a separate app. Save clickable links as bookmarks to quickly access tutorials, articles, or resource pages. This consolidates your visual and textual references into one always-accessible space.

Use Cases of Refbox

Digital Illustration & Concept Art

Illustrators and concept artists can pin character sketches, environment photos, and color palettes in floating frames around their canvas in Photoshop or Procreate. Frame-by-frame GIF scrubbing allows for detailed study of motion and form, while the color picker tool lets them instantly sample hues from any reference image, dramatically speeding up the painting process.

UI/UX & Graphic Design

Designers can use the Masonry view or floating frames to keep brand guidelines, mood boards, and competitor website screenshots visible while designing in Figma or Illustrator. They can drag UI component references onto the desktop for direct comparison and use notes to keep track of design requirements and feedback points without leaving their workspace.

3D Modeling & Animation

3D artists and animators can maintain constant visibility of orthographic reference images, texture sheets, and motion reference videos while working in Blender or Maya. The ability to scrub through video references frame-by-frame is critical for matching poses and timing, and locking frames allows them to model directly over a silhouette or blueprint.

Motion Graphics & Video Editing

Motion designers and editors can use Refbox to keep style frames, storyboards, and asset lists pinned and organized. The gallery mode on a second monitor provides a full-screen view of an animation sequence for review, while collections allow for quick switching between different project scenes or client versions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What platforms does Refbox support?

Refbox is currently available for macOS and Windows operating systems. It is designed as a desktop application to provide the robust, always-on-top window functionality and system integration needed for a seamless reference workflow directly on your computer.

Can I use Refbox with multiple monitors?

Yes, Refbox is an excellent companion for multi-monitor setups. You can use the full-screen Gallery mode to turn a secondary monitor into a dedicated reference display. Alternatively, you can simply drag and arrange your floating reference frames across any of your connected screens for a customized, expansive workspace.

How do I get media into Refbox?

Adding media is designed to be frictionless. You can drag and drop files directly from your computer or a webpage into the Refbox sidebar. You can also copy an image, GIF, or video to your system clipboard and paste it directly into the app. For web links, paste a URL to create a screenshot or save it as a clickable bookmark.

Is there a free trial or version available?

Refbox offers a one-time purchase license with no subscription. You can typically try the application through a free trial period offered on the official website before committing to the purchase, allowing you to test all features and ensure it fits your workflow perfectly.

Pricing of Refbox

Refbox is available for a one-time purchase fee. This is not a subscription service, so you pay once and own the license for the current major version permanently. This pricing model provides long-term value and cost certainty for creative professionals. For the exact current price and any available educational discounts, please visit the official Refbox website.