What is Kleki?
Kleki is a painting app that runs in the browser and opens straight on a blank canvas, so you can start sketching with nothing to install. It has been around since 2010 and is built and maintained by a programmer and artist known as bitbof, with the open source code released under the name Klecks.
It goes further than a toy doodle pad. There are layers with blend modes, clipping masks, a paint bucket built to fill line art without leaks, a stabilizer for shaky lines and pen pressure support for drawing tablets. You can import photos or PSD files and save your work as PNG, JPG or PSD.
Main Features
- Several brush types with pen pressure support
- Layers with blend modes and opacity
- Clipping masks for shading inside a shape
- Paint bucket for filling line art
- Stabilizer for smoother lines
- Selection, transform and filter tools such as Curves
- Import and export of PSD files, plus PNG and JPG saving
- Browser storage that helps you recover recent work
How to Get Started with Kleki
- Open kleki.com and the canvas loads straight away.
- Pick a brush and colour, and connect a drawing tablet if you have one.
- Add layers to keep line art and colour separate.
- Use the Edit tab for filters and adjustments.
- Save your painting as PNG, JPG or PSD.
Kleki Pricing
Kleki is free and its About page says the site should have no ads. There is no paid plan, and the site no longer accepts donations or Patreon memberships.
Who Should Use It?
- Digital artists who want a quick sketching tool
- Tablet owners without paid painting software
- Students on school or shared computers where they cannot install apps
- Beginners learning layers and digital painting
- Anyone who wants to mark up or paint over a photo
Kleki Alternatives
- JS Paint recreates classic MS Paint in the browser.
- Photopea is a browser photo editor that handles PSD files and works much like Photoshop.
- Excalidraw is a whiteboard for quick hand-drawn style diagrams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kleki free?
Yes. Kleki is free to use, has no paid plan and does not run ads.
Do I need an account to use Kleki?
No. The canvas opens directly in your browser with nothing to install.
Does Kleki support drawing tablets?
Yes. Its help pages cover pen pressure and touch input, along with a stabilizer for smoother lines.
Can I open Photoshop files in Kleki?
You can import and save PSD files. The help pages list limits on what the PSD format carries over, so check them for complex files.
Will Kleki save my work automatically?
It keeps some recent work in browser storage for recovery, but you should save a file yourself for anything you want to keep.