A light box makes tracing easy: you place a drawing or photo on a bright surface, lay a fresh sheet of paper on top, and the lines show through. If you do not own one, a tablet or laptop showing a full white screen can do the same job for small projects. This guide shows how to set it up safely and get clean results.

What You Need

• A tablet, or a laptop that folds flat. A phone works for very small sketches.
• Our White Screens Tester open in the browser, set to White and full screen.
• Thin paper. Printer paper (80 gsm) works; tracing paper or layout paper works better.
• Low-tack tape, such as masking tape or painter’s tape.
• A soft pencil (HB or 2B) or a fine-liner.
• Optional: a clear screen protector or a thin sheet of clear plastic to protect the glass.

Step-by-Step: Turn Your Screen Into a Light Box

1. Protect the screen. If your device has no screen protector, place a clear plastic sheet over the display first. It keeps pencil marks and pressure off the glass.
2. Open the white screen. Select White and tap the full-screen button. On a tablet, lock the screen orientation so it does not rotate while you work.
3. Stop the screen from sleeping. Increase the auto-lock or sleep time in your device settings for the session, so the display does not switch off mid-trace.
4. Turn off touch input if you can. On iPad, Guided Access can lock touch. On Android, many devices have a pin or lock mode. This prevents taps from exiting full screen.
5. Set the brightness. Start around 70 to 100 percent. Thicker paper needs more light.
6. Tape down the original and the paper. Tape the original to the protector or plastic sheet, then tape your blank sheet on top, so neither slips.
7. Trace with light pressure. Let the pencil do the work. Pressing hard on an LCD can leave temporary marks and, over time, damage the panel.

Tips for Better Results

• Dim the room. Lines show through much more clearly when the surrounding light is low.
• Use thinner paper for detailed work. For watercolour or thick card, a dedicated LED light pad is a better tool.
• Try warmer white. If pure white is tiring on your eyes, use the custom colour option with a slightly warm tone such as #FFF4E0.
• Work in short sessions. Take a break every 20 to 30 minutes to rest your eyes and let the device cool.
• Need the image itself? You can download a white image in 720p, 1080p or 4K from the tool and set it as wallpaper on a device that does not stay in full screen easily.

What This Method Is Good For

• Tracing sketches and line art to refine them on a clean sheet
• Copying letters and calligraphy guidelines
• Transferring sewing, embroidery or craft patterns
• Animation and flipbook frames, where each drawing is traced from the last
• Checking film negatives or slides at a basic level

Is It Safe for Your Screen?

Showing a white image will not harm an LCD screen. The risks come from pressure and scratches, which is why a protective sheet and light pressure matter. On OLED screens, a static, full-brightness image used for many hours can contribute to uneven ageing. Short tracing sessions are fine, but avoid leaving an OLED on a static white screen for long periods. Learn more in our OLED burn-in guide.

Always remove tape gently and never tape directly onto the glass of a laptop or tablet without a protector, as the adhesive can leave residue. If you need to clean the screen afterwards, follow our guide on how to clean a screen without damaging it.

Quick Answers

Can I use my phone as a light box?

Yes, for small drawings. The small size and the risk of touches closing full screen make a tablet more practical.

Why can’t I see the lines through my paper?

The paper is probably too thick or the room too bright. Increase screen brightness, dim the lights, or switch to thinner tracing paper.

Does a white screen work as a light box for a laptop?

It works if the laptop folds flat or the screen tilts far back. Otherwise, the angle makes it awkward to draw, and a tablet is a better choice.