Phone stand setups for tracing (no special gear needed)
The only hardware tracing needs is something that holds the phone still, screen-up, a few inches above the page. You almost certainly own something that works already. Here are the setups we see families use most, from free to about the price of a coffee.
You'll need
- A phone or tablet
- Paper
- Any of: books, mugs, a shoebox, a phone stand
Two stacks of books
Make two equal stacks of books about a hand-width apart and rest the phone across the gap. Free, instant, and the height is easy to change by adding or removing a book.
- Paperbacks grip better than glossy hardbacks.
Two mugs
Turn two mugs upside down and bridge the phone across the top. Great for small phones; for tablets, use two sturdy bowls instead.
A shoebox with the ends cut out
Cut a window in the lid of a shoebox, set the phone on top over the window and slide the paper in underneath. The box blocks stray light and keeps everything aligned — kids love decorating it too.
A gooseneck or overhead phone stand
A flexible clamp stand (the kind sold for video calls or recipe reading) is the most comfortable long-term setup. Clamp it to the table, bend the arm so the phone sits flat over the paper, and adjust the height freely.
- Look for one with a ball joint so the phone can be levelled perfectly flat.
A tablet on a laptop stand
For an iPad, a folding laptop or tablet stand laid nearly flat gives a big, stable window. Slide the paper under it and trace with the whole hand resting on the table.
How high should the phone be?
Roughly 10–20 cm (4–8 inches) above the paper. Lower than that and many phones can't focus; higher and the picture gets small and the pencil looks far away. DoodlePlot automatically chooses the camera lens that focuses closest, so if the page looks blurry, simply raise the phone a little.
Keep it steady
Small wobbles matter more than you'd think, because the picture shifts with the phone.
- Put a rubber band or a strip of non-slip drawer liner where the phone rests.
- Tape the corners of the paper to the table so it can't slide.
- Have kids rest their drawing hand on the table, not on the stand.