Imprimo
I built an app that flashes messages on your screen while you work.
It sounds weird. But here's the idea: while you're coding, writing, or doing whatever you do on your computer, Imprimo quietly flashes short affirmations on your screen. You barely notice them consciously, but they're there.
Mac & Windows. No account needed.
Why I made this
I kept reading about how identity drives behaviour. The idea is simple: you don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your beliefs. What you repeatedly tell yourself becomes what you believe, and what you believe becomes what you do. I wanted a way to keep reinforcing the right messages without adding another habit to my day.
So I built Imprimo. It sits in the background while I work and periodically flashes a short statement on screen. Things like "I ship every day" or "I am focused." They appear for a moment — sometimes barely long enough to read — and then they're gone. There's also a whisper mode that quietly reads them through your headphones if you prefer audio.
I'm not going to pretend this is magic. The science on subliminal messaging is genuinely mixed. But the science on repeated self-talk — on consistently reinforcing your identity — that's solid. And the beauty of this approach is that it costs you nothing. No time, no effort, no new routine. It just runs while you do what you were already doing.
What it actually does
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Flashes text on your screen at intervals you control. You pick how often, how long each message stays visible, and where on screen it appears. From genuinely subliminal (25ms) to a solid half-second.
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Optional whisper audio. Plays your affirmations quietly through your headphones. Useful when you want a second channel of reinforcement or your eyes are glued to a document.
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1,000+ built-in affirmations, or write your own. Comes with packs across 12 categories — confidence, focus, resilience, productivity, and more. Or create something completely personal.
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Runs in the background, uses almost nothing. Lives in your menu bar. Pauses automatically during screen sharing and video calls. You genuinely forget it's running.
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macOS and Windows. Works on macOS 12+ and Windows 10 (2004+). No account, no cloud, no data leaving your machine.
Here's a quick walkthrough of how it works.
The kind of thing that flashes on your screen
These are examples from the built-in packs. You can write whatever you want.
Honest answers
"Will people see it while I'm screen sharing?"
No. Imprimo detects screen recording, Zoom, Teams, Meet — all of it — and pauses automatically. You can also pause it manually whenever you like. Or leave it on and confuse your colleagues. Up to you.
"Does it actually work?"
Honestly? I think so. I use it myself every day. The science on subliminal messaging specifically is mixed — I won't pretend otherwise. But the science on repeated self-talk is solid. If you keep telling yourself something consistently, over weeks and months, it shapes how you think. Imprimo just automates that process so you don't have to stand in front of a mirror.
"Will it slow down my computer?"
No. It's incredibly lightweight. It sits in your menu bar and uses almost no CPU or memory. I've had it running all day, every day, for months and never once noticed it in Activity Monitor.
"Can I write my own affirmations?"
Yes. You can create your own, edit the built-in ones, or use the AI generator to create a personalised set based on your goals. Most people end up with a mix of all three.
Look, it's free for 7 days. Download it, try it, see if you notice anything different. No account needed, no credit card.
Mac & Windows Desktop App