Open your reference in its own image-viewer window, resize it and pin that window above your drawing app. If the reference only belongs in one project, consider the app's own reference workspace first. The two approaches solve different layout problems.
Choose a reference inside the app or above it
An in-app reference belongs to the workspace and can be useful when the reference should move with that project. A separate pinned viewer stays available while you switch between drawing, notes and other applications. Decide which behaviour you need before adding another utility.
Start with one reference. Place it away from the canvas area you are actively editing and from frequently used panels. A larger reference that hides the brush settings may slow you down more than switching windows.
Photoshop: arrange the documents first
Adobe documents Window > Arrange layouts and Float in Window for viewing multiple images. Open your working image and the reference, then try a tiled layout. This keeps both documents available inside Photoshop without assuming that a floating document is globally always on top.
For a reference that must remain visible over other apps too, open a copy in a separate viewer and pin the viewer's top-level window. Do not accidentally pin the whole Photoshop window when the reference is just a tab within it.
Krita: use the Reference Images Tool when appropriate
Krita's Reference Images Tool loads a picture onto the canvas workspace and lets you move, resize and rotate it. Its options include opacity and saturation, and the manual describes embedding the image or linking to a local file. This can suit references that belong with a drawing.
If you want a fixed picture while changing projects or applications, use the separate-viewer approach instead. Keep a linked reference file available if your project depends on it; moving or deleting the source is a separate file-management decision.
Blender: keep the viewport usable
For modelling, decide whether you need a reference within the Blender workspace or a small image visible across applications. Blender's Image Editor is documented for viewing images. A separate viewer avoids changing your scene just to consult a picture.
Put the reference where it does not cover the object you are editing, the timeline or controls you repeatedly use. Check the arrangement after changing workspace, viewport mode or window size; do not assume one pin will solve every full-screen layout.
Pin the viewer and verify the result
With Microsoft PowerToys Always On Top enabled, activate the viewer and press Win+Ctrl+T, the documented default shortcut. Click back into your drawing app and confirm that the intended picture remains visible. Use the same shortcut on that viewer to unpin it.
Pin Windows offers pinning, window transparency and optional click-through. Use transparency only if it helps you compare shapes. Before enabling click-through, identify how to turn it off through the utility; clicks may otherwise go to the drawing beneath the reference.
Keep colour and input decisions separate
For colour picking or detailed comparisons, keep an opaque reference available. A transparent overlay changes the composite you see against the canvas, so treat it as a shape-alignment aid rather than a reliable colour sample.
If the picture disappears, check that you pinned the viewer window, not a tab or transient dialog. Another topmost window can compete with it; Microsoft's documentation does not promise priority over every other topmost window. Return to a normal windowed layout to diagnose the conflict.
Frequently asked questions
Does a floating Photoshop document stay above every app?
Floating and always on top are different behaviours. Adobe's arrangement commands organise documents; use a separate pinned viewer if you need a reference across applications.
Can I draw through a pinned reference?
Pinning alone does not pass clicks through. Pin Windows has optional click-through; learn how to disable it before using it over a canvas.
Sources and further reading
- Microsoft: Always On Top
- Adobe: arrange document windows
- Krita: Reference Images Tool
- Blender: Image Editor
Reviewed 3 November 2026