How to Set Up a Phone Stand for Tracing (or Build One)
A phone stand for tracing holds your phone flat, screen up, with the camera looking straight down at your paper, so both hands are free to draw. You don't need to buy one to start: a sturdy mug or two stacks of books work fine. If you trace often, an overhead phone holder with an adjustable arm is the steadiest option. This guide covers both, plus how high to set the phone and how to keep the picture from drifting off your lines.
Why tracing on a stand works better
When you trace with a camera app, the picture on your screen is lined up with your paper. If the phone moves even a little, the picture slides away from the lines you've already drawn. A stand keeps the phone still, so your pencil and the picture stay together.
That's why Phone on a stand is the most popular way to trace in Pencilbloom. It gives the steadiest lines and suits longer drawings, portraits and anything with fine detail.
You do have other options. Hold your phone needs nothing extra: AR pins the picture to your paper even when your hand moves, which is handy for a quick sketch away from your desk. Trace on screen skips the camera altogether: you lay thin paper on a tablet and trace what shows through. For most drawings at a desk, though, a stand is the easiest way to get clean results.
What a good tracing stand needs
A tracing stand has a different job from a regular phone stand. A desk stand that holds your phone upright, like a picture frame, points the camera at the wall, not at your paper. You need the phone lying flat above the page.
A good tracing stand
- Holds the phone flat and level, screen facing up
- Leaves the camera lens clear, looking straight down at the paper
- Doesn't wobble when you bump the table or tap the screen
- Leaves room for your drawing hand to move under and around it
- Lets you change the height, so the whole drawing fits in view
- Doesn't cast a big shadow across the page
DIY stands from things you already have
A mug or a glass
This is the quickest setup. Place a sturdy mug or a heavy glass at the edge of your paper. Lay the phone on top, screen up, with the camera end sticking out past the rim so the lens looks down at the page. Choose a mug with a wide, flat rim, and keep it on the side away from your drawing hand.
Two stacks of books
Make two stacks of books of the same height, a little narrower apart than your phone is long. Lay the phone across the gap, screen up, with the lens over the gap. Your paper goes underneath. You can add or remove a book to change the height, and the stacks give you more room to draw than a mug does.
A cardboard box
Cut a hole in the top of a sturdy box, just big enough for the camera lens, and cut away one side so your hand can reach in. Lay the phone on top with the lens over the hole. It's very steady, but you can't change the height without making a new box.
Keep books away from your drawing hand so you don't bump them mid-line.
Store-bought stands: what to look for
If you trace often, a dedicated holder saves setup time. Search for an "overhead phone holder" or a "flat lay phone stand". Here is how the common types compare.
| Type | How it holds the phone | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead arm holder | A weighted base or clamp with an arm reaching over the desk | Everyday tracing at one desk | A light base can tip; check that the arm locks firmly |
| Gooseneck clamp | A bendy neck clamped to the table edge | Small desks, quick moves | Long necks sag and bounce when you touch the screen |
| Tripod with a side arm | A tripod with a horizontal arm that points down | Big paper, tall setups | Takes floor space, more parts to adjust |
| Upright desk stand | Holds the phone standing up | Watching lessons | Not for camera tracing: the camera faces forward |
Whatever you choose, check that the clamp fits your phone (with its case on), that the arm stays put once tightened, and that nothing covers the camera lens.
How to set up your stand, step by step
1. Tape your paper down. Use masking tape or painter's tape on the corners. A sliding sheet causes more drift than a moving phone.
2. Set the height. Start with the phone about a hand's width above the paper. If the camera can't see the whole area you want to draw on, raise it a little. If the picture looks small and the lines are hard to follow, bring it lower.
3. Center the camera. Put the lens over the middle of the area you'll draw on, not over the middle of the phone. Keep the phone level, so the picture isn't stretched toward one side.
4. Line up the picture. Pick a picture, choose Phone on a stand, then pinch, twist and drag the picture until it sits where you want it on the paper. Tap Start drawing so it stays in place.
5. Anchor the picture if your table gets bumped. Turn on Anchor in AR and the picture stays on the paper even if the stand gets knocked.
6. Fix the light. Put a lamp on the side away from your drawing hand, so neither the stand nor your hand throws a shadow on the lines. On phones with a flashlight, the Light button in the tracing screen turns it on.
Fixing common stand problems
The picture keeps shifting. Something moved: the paper, the phone or the stand. Tape the paper, tighten the arm, or switch to a heavier base. Then line the picture up again.
My hand keeps hitting the stand. Move the stand or its arm to the side away from your drawing hand, or raise the phone a little.
The phone gets warm or the battery drops. The camera and a bright screen use a lot of power. For long drawings, plug in a charger before you start.
I can't see the screen well. Tilt your head rather than the phone, since tilting the phone changes the view of your paper. A lamp that shines on the screen can also cause glare, so aim it at the paper.
Need something to trace? Start with our free step-by-step lessons or a coloring page, and see how it works if you're new to tracing with a camera.
Try it on real paper
Open Pencilbloom, pick a picture and trace it with your own pencil.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special stand to trace with my phone?
No. A sturdy mug or two stacks of books hold a phone well enough to start. A dedicated overhead holder is worth it if you trace often, because it's steadier and faster to set up.
How high should my phone be above the paper?
Start about a hand's width above the paper. Raise it if the camera can't see the whole area you want to draw on, and lower it if the lines look too small to follow.
Which way should the phone face on a tracing stand?
Screen up, camera down. The phone lies flat above the paper so the camera looks straight at the page and you can watch the screen while you draw.
Can I trace with my phone without a stand?
Yes. In Pencilbloom, the Hold your phone mode uses AR to pin the picture to your paper while you hold the phone. On a tablet, Trace on screen lets you lay thin paper on the screen and trace what shows through.
Will a tracing stand work with an iPad?
An iPad is bigger and heavier than a phone, so it needs a sturdy holder with a strong arm and base. Many people find it easier to use Trace on screen on an iPad instead, with thin paper laid on the screen.