Lens
Zoom into an area of the screen from 1X to 64X, sample colors in Hex, RGB, HSL, and YCbCr formats, and simulate vision defects.
Documentation
User Guide
Everything you need to work with QuickLens on macOS: getting started, a walkthrough of all seven tools, global hotkeys, theme switching, app awareness, the keyboard shortcuts viewer, and preferences.
Contents
How this guide is organized
Chapter 01
Introduction and Getting Started
QuickLens is a suite of tools for on-screen tasks such as zooming into pixels, sampling colors, inspecting alignments, and measuring dimensions. It is optimized for OSX Yosemite (10.10) and later.
- Install and launch QuickLens 1.8.3 on macOS 10.10 or later.
- Open the app and choose a tool — Lens, Ruler, Frame, Guide, Tape, Monocle, or Crosshair.
- Position the tool over the area of the screen you want to inspect, then read values directly on the overlay.
- Use the global hotkeys to summon a tool while working in another application.
Each tool can be used on its own, or combined with the others for maximum precision. See the tool overview for what every tool measures.
Chapter 02
Tool Guides
Detailed walkthroughs for each of the seven tools included in the suite.
Ruler
Measure vertical and horizontal distances in points, inches, centimeters, millimeters, and picas.
Frame
Overlay a grid on the screen with configurable rows and columns to check alignment and layout.
Guide
Draw precise alignment guides to line up elements against each other on screen.
Tape
Measure along a path, not just a straight line, for longer and irregular dimensions.
Monocle
Focus on a single region of the screen while dimming or masking everything around it.
Crosshair
Pin a precise crosshair marker to a coordinate to identify exact positions.
Chapter 03
Global Hotkeys
Global hotkeys let you open a QuickLens tool from any application without switching back to the app. Assign your own key combination for each tool in Preferences, then trigger it while the target application is in the foreground.
The same shortcuts are listed in the built-in Keyboard Shortcuts Viewer, so you can check the current assignment at any time.
Open the shortcuts viewer or review the tool overview.
Chapter 04
Switching Themes
QuickLens overlays are designed to stay readable on top of any content beneath them.
Use the theme switching controls in the app to change the appearance of the tool overlays. The selected theme applies to the tools you open next, letting you match the overlay against a light design file or a dark interface.
- Switch themes from within the QuickLens app window.
- The new appearance is applied to the active overlay without restarting the tools.
- Theme choice is retained alongside your other preferences.
Chapter 05
App Awareness
App Awareness keeps track of which application you are working in while a QuickLens tool is open, so the overlay reads correctly over the window in front of you.
When you move between applications with a tool active, the overlay adjusts so measurements and zoomed pixels continue to correspond to what you see on screen.
Combine App Awareness with the global hotkeys for a continuous inspection workflow across applications.
Chapter 06
Keyboard Shortcuts Viewer
A built-in reference for every command in the app.
The Keyboard Shortcuts Viewer lists the available commands and their assigned keys in one place. Use it to confirm a binding before you rely on it, or as a reference while rebinding keys in Preferences.
| Area | What the guide covers |
|---|---|
| Tools | Lens, Ruler, Frame, Guide, Tape, Monocle, Crosshair |
| Global Hotkeys | Invoking a tool while another application is active |
| Switching Themes | Changing overlay appearance |
| App Awareness | Overlay behavior across applications |
| Preferences | Hotkey assignments and general settings |
Chapter 07
Preferences
One place for hotkeys, themes, and general behavior.
- Assign or change global hotkeys for each of the seven tools.
- Select the overlay theme used across the app.
- Review other general application settings.
- Return to the Keyboard Shortcuts Viewer at any time to confirm the current bindings.