QuickNote shelf
Invoke QuickNote from anywhere with a global shortcut. It rises over the desktop as a card shelf containing notes, pinned items, drawings, Scratchpad pages, folders, and live previews.
Lume
Lume is a Windows note-taking app with a global QuickNote shelf, Scratchpad, drawing tools, and mixed-format notes. It is suited to people who want to capture ideas quickly, work through calculations or code, and keep text and sketches together on a personal desktop.
A Windows workspace for quick notes and mixed-format thinking
Lume is a native Windows note-taking application built for capturing thoughts quickly. It runs from the system tray and provides a global QuickNote shelf, a Scratchpad for working notes, and a full window for notes that need more space. The app is intended to reduce the steps between having an idea and recording it.
Its notes can combine ordinary text with lists, code output, calculations, drawings, and presentation-oriented formats. Lume saves notes locally as you type, makes automatic backups, and does not require an account; OneDrive can be used as an optional location for merging notes across PCs. Free access includes up to 20 notes, while Pro adds expanded note capacity and features such as full Scratchpad functions, Draw boards, premium formats, OneDrive sync, and additional themes.
Core features
Structured Scratchpad
Capture calculations, lists, and rough thoughts on separate pages. The Scratchpad can evaluate expressions, propagate named values, create checkboxes, and navigate between pages.
Inline code output
Run JavaScript, Python, or PowerShell snippets in Scratchpad pages and display their output below the code. The languages use what is installed on the PC.
Drawing and ink
Add ink, shapes, arrows, and images inside notes, or create a separate drawing board. Drawing tools include selection, hand pan, rectangles, diamonds, ellipses, arrows, lines, pen, text, eraser, and image insertion.
Mixed-format notes
Open growing notes in the full Lume window and combine text with boxes, stickies, section breaks, and column-based Book layouts. Ink remains part of the note alongside text.
Local storage and optional sync
Keep notes on the PC with automatic backups and optionally use a personal OneDrive folder to merge edits between devices. No account is required for local use.
Practical uses
Fast capture during desktop work
Use the global QuickNote shortcut to capture an idea, copied text, or a short reminder without leaving the current Windows application. Search, pinning, and folders help retrieve it later.
Working through plans and calculations
Keep calculations, assumptions, and checklists on Scratchpad pages while planning a trip, task, or small project. Named values update dependent calculations when the source value changes.
Small code experiments
Write a code snippet in JavaScript, Python, or PowerShell and inspect its output directly beneath the code. This suits small experiments or quick checks when the relevant runtime is installed locally.
Visual explanation and sketching
Combine paragraphs with ink, diagrams, arrows, or shapes when explaining an idea visually. Inline drawings stay attached to the surrounding note, while Draw boards provide a separate free-form canvas.
Developing a longer note
Open a note in the full window when it needs a more deliberate layout, using boxes, stickies, columns, or a Book format to organize longer material.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- QuickNote can be summoned globally without opening a conventional notes window.
- Text, checklists, calculations, code output, drawings, and visual note formats can coexist in the same workspace.
- Local storage, automatic backups, and no-account use are documented for the standard workflow.
- Scratchpad pages separate rough ideas from other notes while supporting calculations, code, and timers.
- Keyboard shortcuts, mouse buttons, and cursor shaking provide multiple ways to open the main capture tools.
Cons
- The product is Windows-only, with documented support for Windows 10 version 19041 and later on x64 and ARM64.
- The source does not document collaboration, shared workspaces, or integrations beyond optional OneDrive-based note syncing.
- Several capabilities, including full Scratchpad functions and Draw boards, are reserved for Pro.
FAQ
How do I install and open Lume?
Install Lume from the Microsoft Store. It runs from the Windows system tray, with QuickNote and the Scratchpad available through keyboard shortcuts, configurable mouse buttons, or cursor shaking. The default shortcuts are Ctrl+Shift+Space for QuickNote and Ctrl+Alt+N for the Scratchpad.
How are notes saved and synced?
Lume saves notes locally on the PC as you type and creates automatic backups. No account is required. For use across PCs, you can place Lume’s data in your own OneDrive folder; Lume merges changes made on each device.
What can I do in QuickNote?
QuickNote supports cards, pinned notes, drawings, Scratchpad pages, search, clipboard capture, and nested folders. A card can be opened in place or dragged into its own floating window.
What does the Scratchpad support?
The Scratchpad supports line-by-line calculations, named values, lists, page navigation, JavaScript, Python, and PowerShell code output, plus timers, pomodoros, and stopwatches. These capabilities are part of Pro; free users retain writing, lists, and search.
Which platforms and collaboration features are documented?
Lume is designed for Windows 10 version 19041 and later and supports x64 and ARM64. The source does not document team collaboration or shared workspaces, so it is best treated as a personal note application.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Productivity / note-taking
- Platform
- Windows 10 version 19041 and later
- Architectures
- x64 and ARM64
- Local workflow
- Notes save on the PC as you type; automatic backups are supported
- Sync option
- Personal OneDrive folder for cross-device note merging
- Free tier
- Up to 20 notes, with writing, lists, and search
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