Otter Pocket
Otter Pocket icon: a hand-painted white sea otter

Otter Pocket

A reference board for artists that remembers where everything came from.

Clip it from anywhere. See it on one canvas. Go back whenever you need more.

Download for Mac

Free Macs with Apple silicon

Get started

  1. Install the Mac app

    Open the file you downloaded and drag Otter Pocket into the Applications folder.

    This first version hasn't been checked by Apple yet, so the first time you open it, your Mac asks you to confirm. You only do this once:

    1. Open Otter Pocket from Applications. Your Mac says “Otter Pocket” Not Opened. Click Done.
    2. Open System Settings, choose Privacy & Security, and scroll down to Security. Next to the line saying Otter Pocket was blocked, click Open Anyway.
    3. Confirm with your password or Touch ID, then click Open Anyway once more.

    On macOS 12 or earlier, it's System Preferences › Security & Privacy › General.

    Otter Pocket then sets up your library: one ordinary folder, Documents › Otter Pocket.

  2. Add the web clipper

    The web clipper is how you clip from any page in Chrome. It's waiting for review in the Chrome Web Store, so for now you add it by hand. It takes a minute:

    1. Download the web clipper, then double-click the downloaded file to unzip it.
    2. Move the folder it made into Documents and keep it there. Chrome runs the web clipper from that folder.
    3. In Chrome, go to chrome://extensions and turn on Developer mode at the top right.
    4. Click Load unpacked and choose the folder.

    Once the Chrome Web Store approves it, an Add to Chrome button will be here instead.

    Then click the puzzle piece in Chrome's toolbar and pin Otter Pocket. Its button saves the whole page, such as an artist's profile.

  3. Save your first reference

    With Otter Pocket open, right-click any image in Chrome and choose Save to Otter Pocket. Pick the Vault or a project, and it's on your canvas.

    ⌥ Option ⇧ Shift S saves the frame of a playing video. ⌥ Option ⇧ Shift A lets you click any image to save it. For a region you drag out, choose Capture area from the toolbar button.

How it works

Clip

In Chrome, right-click any image or video. You can also save the frame of a playing video, a region you drag out, or the whole page, such as an artist's profile.

Arrange

Each project gets its own canvas: see everything at a glance and move it around freely. Nothing is on it unless you chose it. The few things you want to keep for good go in the Vault.

Go back

Double-click any reference to open its source: the page, the artist's site, or the video at that exact second.

Questions

Which Mac do I need?

A Mac with Apple silicon: M1 or any later chip, on macOS 11 Big Sur or later. To check, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. If it lists a Chip, such as Apple M1, you're set. If it lists an Intel Processor, Otter Pocket doesn't run on that Mac yet.

Does it cost anything?

No, Otter Pocket is free. There's no account, no cloud and no tracking: what you save stays on your Mac. See the privacy policy.

Where are my references kept?

In one ordinary folder, Documents › Otter Pocket. To move to a new Mac, copy the folder over (or keep it in iCloud Drive or Dropbox), install Otter Pocket there, and choose Open an existing library.

What about other artists' work?

Otter Pocket is for private reference. It saves only what a site shows you, at the size the site offers, and never frames of copy-protected video. What you save stays on your Mac with a link back to where it came from, so you can always find the artist again. Ask the artist before you repost or reuse their work.

How do I update?

Download the new version from this page and drag it into Applications, replacing the old one. Your Mac asks you to confirm it once more, the same way as the first time. Your library isn't touched.

Is there a version for Windows, Safari or Firefox?

Not yet. For now Otter Pocket is a Mac app with a web clipper for Chrome.