A TOOL FOR AUTHORS
Know which copy left your hands.
Use InkTrace in your browser on a Mac or Windows PC—no installation needed. Create recipient copies of your DOCX manuscript, save your registry backup, and scan a suspected document for a matching copy ID. InkTrace adds the ID to metadata while preserving your original text and formatting.
Your manuscript stays on your computer. Creating, exporting, and scanning copies happens locally in your browser. InkTrace does not send your manuscript to anyone—not to us, a server, or an AI service. You decide when and how to share the copies you create. An internet connection is needed to open the browser app.
Prefer an installed app for offline use? The macOS app is available now as an unsigned test version for Apple Silicon Macs. The Windows app is coming soon and is currently being tested. Once installed, the desktop apps are designed to work offline on your computer.
InkTrace Desktop for macOS
Use InkTrace as a standalone app on your Mac, without opening a web browser. Once installed, it works offline: create recipient copies, back up and restore your registry, and scan suspected DOCX documents. Your manuscript or paper is processed on your computer and is not sent anywhere by InkTrace.
For Macs with Apple Silicon (M-series chips). Version 1.0.0 · DMG installer · approximately 115 MB. This is an unsigned test version, not yet signed or notarized by Apple; macOS may warn about or block it. An Intel Mac version is not available.
The button opens Google Drive; choose Download to save the installer. Open the DMG and drag InkTrace Desktop to Applications. The desktop registry is separate from the web app: restore your saved JSON registry backup to bring existing copy IDs across.
Windows version: in the testing phase. A public Windows download will be added after testing is complete.
Download the InkTrace user guide
Follow this simple four-page guide to create a recipient copy, save and restore your registry backup, and scan a suspected leaked document, and safely delete or undo a registry record. It also explains how your manuscript stays on your device and what a metadata match can—and cannot—tell you.
Create. Back up. Scan.
Metadata-only identification for DOCX manuscripts and papers. No fingerprint characters are added to your text.
1. Create
Choose an original DOCX up to 50 MB, enter the recipient, and export a separate copy for each person. A random ID is stored in metadata; you send the downloaded copy yourself.
2. Back up
Download your registry backup and confirm once it is safely saved. It connects copy IDs to recipients. The persistent reminder shows new copies needing backup; search and sort the pending list by recipient or manuscript.
3. Scan
Open Scan suspected document and choose the suspected DOCX. InkTrace checks its metadata locally against your registry. Restore your saved registry first if you changed browsers or cleared browser data.
Important limits
Metadata can be removed, changed, forged, or transferred to another file. Copy/paste, screenshots, retyping, and format conversion generally do not retain the copy ID. A match identifies an assigned copy, not who leaked it; no match is inconclusive. InkTrace does not search the internet for leaks. It supports DOCX only, not PDF, EPUB, TXT, or pasted text.
Privacy: Your manuscript or paper is read and processed locally in your browser. InkTrace’s create, export, and scan functions do not send manuscript contents anywhere—not to the author, InkTrace servers, or an AI service. Selecting a document does not email or publish it. The website itself loads over the internet; any sharing or cloud storage you choose is separate. Your recipient registry stays in this browser until you export a backup. Backups contain recipient details and copy IDs, not manuscript contents, and are not encrypted.
InkTrace™ · © 2026 Randy M Schilling. All rights reserved.
