Find the right image. Then make something with it.
refern is a private app for artists and designers. It helps you save, sort, and find visual references. You can also place them on an endless canvas to plan your work. Your files stay on your computer and never get copied.
Built by an artist who needed a better tool.
Jackson builds refern through Refern Labs Inc. He started it because his reference images were spread across many folders and apps. Finding the right image took too long.
refern keeps your library and canvas together. You can search for an image and move it right onto a moodboard. You can also study images with a timer and save new ones with the browser extension.
refern is made by a small, independent company. Try every feature free for 30 days. If it works for you, buy it once. You do not need an account or a subscription.
What matters to us.
Your files stay yours
refern uses the files already on your computer. It does not make extra copies or lock them inside the app.
One creative workspace
Keep your library and canvas in one place. Find an image, then move it to a moodboard without switching apps.
A tool, not a feed
There is no feed or social score. refern helps you work, then gets out of your way. Your library can stay private and offline.