Animation Paper is desktop software for hand-drawn 2D animation with real-time drawing, a light table, and X-Sheet timing tools for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Category
Design
Pricing
No public pricing page exists yet; the app is currently distributed free of charge during its beta period (v5.0 Beta 3), described by the maker as intended to become one affordable version for all users rather than tiered plans once it exits beta.
Verified
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Last updated
August 6, 2026
LinuxFree PlanWindowsDesktop AppMac
Animation Paper is a desktop application built specifically for traditional, hand-drawn 2D animation. It gives animators a digital drawing board with real-time drawing, flipping, and playback, a light table with onion-skinning, and an X-Sheet for planning and timing scenes frame by frame. The app supports audio import and scrubbing so animators can sync drawings to sound, and it works with pressure-sensitive tablets such as Wacom and Huion devices as well as touch screens. Finished work can be exported in formats including MP4, GIF, ProRes MOV, PNG, and OpenEXR, with support for up to 60fps and scaling up to 400%. Animation Paper runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux with interchangeable project files across platforms, and the company has stated iPad and Android versions are planned. The product is currently distributed as a free beta (v5.0 Beta 3) and is positioned around students, professional animators, filmmakers, and game artists; it has been publicly praised by veteran Disney/Pixar animator Jorgen Klubien.
Key Features
Real-time drawing & playback — A digital drawing canvas with real-time drawing, flipping, and playback for traditional hand-drawn animation.
Light table (onion skinning) — Built-in light table with onion-skinning so animators can see adjacent frames while drawing.
X-Sheet timing — An X-Sheet (exposure sheet) for planning, timing, and editing animated scenes frame by frame.
Audio import & scrubbing — Import audio and scrub through it to sync hand-drawn frames to sound and dialogue.
Tablet & touch support — Works with pressure-sensitive tablets such as Wacom and Huion, plus Surface and touch-screen devices.
Multi-format export — Export animations to MP4, GIF, ProRes MOV, PNG, and OpenEXR at up to 60fps and 400% scale.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Purpose-built for traditional hand-drawn animation with a light table, onion skinning, and X-Sheet workflow familiar to classical animators
Cross-platform with interchangeable project files across Windows, macOS, and Linux
Supports pressure-sensitive drawing tablets (Wacom, Huion) and touch devices, plus audio import/scrubbing for lip sync and timing
Currently free to use during its beta period, lowering the barrier to try it
Endorsed publicly by a veteran Disney/Pixar animator
Cons
Still in beta (v5.0 Beta 3), so features, stability, and pricing may change before a full release
No public pricing page exists yet — the eventual paid pricing model is not disclosed
iPad and Android versions are only announced as upcoming, not currently available
Focused narrowly on hand-drawn animation, so it lacks the vector rigging, compositing, or general video-editing tools found in broader animation suites