Our verdict: PureRef does one job very well: it holds all your reference images on a single canvas that floats over your drawing or 3D app. For personal use you can download it for free by choosing a zero amount. Studios and freelancers using it commercially need a paid license.
About PureRef
PureRef is made by Idyllic Pixel. The personal license is pay what you want, including nothing, and schools may distribute it to students for education. Commercial use requires a small business license for up to three seats or a per-seat business subscription.
You paste or drag images onto a canvas, arrange them, add notes and groups, and save the whole board as one file to reopen later. The window can stay always on top, be semi-transparent and let mouse clicks pass through, so the references sit over your work in a painting or 3D app without switching windows.
What it does well
- Infinite canvas. Drag and paste any number of images and arrange them freely.
- Always on top. Keep the board over your app, with clicks passing through for tracing.
- Single-file boards. Save all images and their layout in one .pur file.
- Notes and groups. Add rich-text notes and group images with their own backgrounds.
- GIF playback and color picker. Scrub through GIF frames and pick colors as RGB, HSV or HEX.
Who it is for
Good fit
Illustrators, concept artists and 3D modelers who work from many reference images.
Look elsewhere
Studios that do not want to pay for a commercial license, and people looking for a photo library or editor.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free for personal use
- Always-on-top canvas next to your work
- Whole board saved in one file
- Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
Cons
- Commercial use requires a paid license
- Download page asks for an amount before you get the file
- Not open source
How to install PureRef
On the download page choose Personal, pick the Windows 64-bit installer and set the amount to zero if you want it free; a portable build is offered too. Commercial users should pick the Small business or Business license instead.
Questions about PureRef
Is PureRef free?
For personal use, yes: the personal license is pay what you want, and you may choose to pay nothing. Commercial use needs a paid license.
Can I use PureRef on several computers?
Yes. The developer says a valid license covers as many computers as you need.
