Learn canvas basics

Use this guide when you have opened a canvas and want to become productive without learning every menu at once. The basic loop is create a canvas, add elements, arrange them, leave comments, share with the right people, and export or present when the work needs to leave the canvas.

If the word "canvas" itself is still fuzzy, read Understand canvases first. If you already know what you want to make, start with Create a canvas.

The fastest learning path

Find your way around

The main canvas area is where elements live. Click an empty area to clear selection. Drag the canvas to move around when using the hand tool or trackpad gestures. Zoom controls, page navigation, and the slide rail help you move through larger canvases.

The toolbar is where you add new things. On desktop, it includes Select, Drawing, Comment, Sticky notes, Text, Shapes and Arrow, Spreadsheet, Stickers, Upload files, YouTube, and Sub-canvas. On mobile, the toolbar is smaller and focuses on Select, Hand Tool, Drawing, Sticky notes, Upload files, and Insert links.

The inline toolbar appears near selected content. It is the quick editing surface for color, stroke, opacity, text style, alignment, links, grouping, lock, comments, and more. If an action is not visible there, open the Element menu for the fuller command set.

The header holds whole-canvas actions: Rename, Export to PDF, Print, Save as template, Version History, Manage Canvas PIN, Resize all canvas pages, move or copy to another project, Backup & Restore, Open in Desktop App, Download all images, and support entry points when available. See Export.

Learn the surfaces by ownership

Every canvas control belongs to one of a few surfaces. This makes the interface easier to reason about when you cannot find an action.

If an action affects one selected object, start with the inline toolbar or element menu. If it affects the page, start with the page menu. If it affects access, export, history, or project location, start with the header or Share dialog.

A practical first canvas

Start with a blank page canvas. Add a title with Text, create a few Sticky notes, then add a Shape or Arrow to connect ideas. Upload an image or PDF if the work depends on a source file. Select several objects and drag them together, then use Group if they should move as one block.

Add one comment to a specific sticky note and mention a teammate. Add another comment on the page itself for broad feedback, like "Review this flow before the meeting." Open the collaboration side panel to see the comment list and canvas information in one place.

Finally, share the canvas with a teammate as a commenter if you only need feedback, or as an editor if they should change the canvas. If you need a static handoff, use Export to PDF or Print from the canvas header menu. If you need to speak through the canvas live, use Present.

Practice sequence for new users

Try this sequence in a low-risk canvas before joining a live workshop:

1. Create one sticky note and change its color.
2. Add a text heading and resize it.
3. Add a shape and send it behind the heading.
4. Draw an arrow between two notes.
5. Upload an image or PDF and open Preview.
6. Add a comment to the uploaded file and mention yourself or a teammate.
7. Select two objects, align them, and group them.
8. Lock the group, then unlock it.
9. Add a new page and rename it.
10. Copy a page link and an object link.

That sequence touches the main control surfaces without requiring you to understand every command.

Permissions in plain English

Common beginner mistakes

If you cannot edit an element, check whether you have edit permission, whether the element is locked, whether an upload is still processing, or whether you are in a guest/restricted view.

If you are trying to run a workshop, do not put every activity on one crowded page. Use pages for agenda sections, fold pages you do not need yet, and use Slide rail and overview to keep navigation sane.

If you are sharing with someone outside your workspace, test the link or invite flow before the meeting. Guests may need to enter a name and may not see the same owner controls you see.

If export fails, simplify the first attempt: export fewer pages, wait for uploads to finish, check very large images or embedded files, and use Fix a failed canvas export.

If someone sends you a link to a specific page, object, or comment and it does not open correctly, first confirm you can open the canvas itself. Location-specific links cannot fix missing canvas access.

If the canvas starts to feel too large, do not wait until it is impossible to navigate. Rename pages, use overview, create sub-canvases, fold old sections, and move finished work into project follow-up.