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Apps in this category may contain mild or occasional cartoon, fantasy or real-life violence, as well as occasional or mild adult, sexually suggestive or horrifying content and may not be suitable for children under 9 years of age.
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Apps in this category may contain frequent and intense offensive language; Frequent and intense cartoon, fantasy or realistic violence: frequent and intense adult, scary and sexually suggestive subjects: as well as sexual content, nudity, tobacco, alcohol and drugs, may not be suitable for children under 17 years of age.

About DarkRef - Art Reference Board

Your art references, everywhere you work. Free.

DarkRef is a powerful reference board designed specifically for digital artists. Organize your inspiration with images, GIFs, notes, and folders—all in one beautiful, intuitive app.

100% FREE TO USE
All core features are completely free. Create unlimited boards, add unlimited images and GIFs, take notes, and organize with folders.

WORKS ON ALL YOUR DEVICES
• Sync across all your devices
• Secure backups of all your references for peace of mind
• Cloud sync keeps everything in sync (premium)

BUILT FOR ARTISTS
• Drag-and-drop interface
• Support for all standard image formats
• Animated GIF support
• Quick notes and annotations
• Smart automatic organization
• Folders and collections
• Fast and responsive, even with large libraries

WORKS OFFLINE
All your references are stored locally on your device. Work anywhere, even without internet. With DarkRef Sync, changes sync automatically when you're back online.

DARKREF SYNC (OPTIONAL)
Upgrade to DarkRef Sync to unlock cloud sync across all your devices. Your references are always up to date and securely backed up to the cloud.

WHY DARKREF?
Unlike other reference board apps, DarkRef truly works everywhere. Whether you're sketching on your iPad at a coffee shop, at the office or working at home, your references are always with you.

Perfect for:
• Digital artists and illustrators
• Concept artists
• Character designers
• Environment artists
• Animators
• Game artists
• Anyone who needs organized visual references

Download DarkRef for free today and never lose track of your inspiration again.
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What's New in the Latest Version 1.2.0

Last updated on Mar 8, 2026
Old Versions
New to DarkRef? You'll now be greeted with an interactive walkthrough guide to help you get started quickly and make the most of the app from day one.


We've also squashed a bug that was preventing images from being imported on iPad when starting a new project — sorry for the hassle, this should now work smoothly.


Finally, we've added a link to submit bug reports, request features, and vote on what we build next. We'd love to hear from you!
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Version History
1.2.0
Mar 8, 2026
New to DarkRef? You'll now be greeted with an interactive walkthrough guide to help you get started quickly and make the most of the app from day one.


We've also squashed a bug that was preventing images from being imported on iPad when starting a new project — sorry for the hassle, this should now work smoothly.


Finally, we've added a link to submit bug reports, request features, and vote on what we build next. We'd love to hear from you!

DarkRef - Art Reference Board FAQ

Click here to learn how to download DarkRef - Art Reference Board in restricted country or region.

DarkRef - Art Reference Board Alternative

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