Stop drawing automatically
If you don't draw for a while, PenLayer stops drawing by itself and gives your clicks back. The default is 2 minutes.
If you haven’t drawn anything for 2 minutes, PenLayer stops drawing by itself and hands your clicks back to your apps. You can change the timeout, or turn it off.
Why it exists
While drawing is on, PenLayer takes every click on the screen. Auto-release is a safety net for when you’ve walked away, or when a shortcut doesn’t land. It’s one of three ways out of draw mode.
Change the timeout
- Click the pen in the menu bar and choose Preferences…
- Go to Stopping.
- Pick a value for Stop by itself after no drawing for:
| Choice |
|---|
| 30 seconds |
| 1 minute |
| 2 minutes (default) |
| 5 minutes |
| 10 minutes |
| Never |
The choices are a fixed list on purpose, so a mistyped number can’t switch the safety net off or make it fire instantly.
If you choose Never
Drawing then only stops when you press the red stop button or ⌥⇧D (or Esc while the canvas has focus). Make sure you know where the toolbar is before you rely on that.
What happens to the drawing
Auto-release follows the When drawing stops setting, the same as every other way of stopping. See Choose what happens when drawing stops.
Still stuck? Email support@penlayer.com.