The canvas is your main workspace in Azyrom. It's where you create, arrange, and edit all your design elements.
Canvas Areas
Main Canvas (White Area)
The primary design area, typically 800×600 pixels by default. This represents your actual design surface and what will be exported.
Pasteboard (Gray Area)
The extended workspace around the canvas. You can place elements here temporarily - they won't be included in exports unless specifically selected.
Grid
A 20-pixel grid helps with alignment. Toggle visibility with ⌘/Ctrl + ' (apostrophe).
Elements snap to grid when "Snap to Grid" is enabled.
Navigation
Panning (Moving the View)
- Hand Tool - Press
Hand drag - Space + Drag - Hold Space and drag with any tool active
- Two-finger scroll - On trackpad, scroll in any direction
- Middle mouse button - Click and drag
Zooming
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Zoom in | ⌘/Ctrl + + or ⌘/Ctrl + scroll up |
| Zoom out | ⌘/Ctrl + - or ⌘/Ctrl + scroll down |
| Zoom to 100% | ⌘/Ctrl + 1 |
| Zoom to 200% | ⌘/Ctrl + 2 |
| Zoom to 100% | ⌘/Ctrl + 0 |
| Zoom to selection | Shift + 2 |
| Pinch gesture | Trackpad pinch to zoom |
When using ⌘/Ctrl + scroll, the zoom centers on your cursor position. This lets you
quickly zoom into a specific area.
Grid & Snapping
Grid Settings
- Toggle grid visibility -
⌘/Ctrl + ' - Default grid size - 20 pixels
- Grid color - Light gray lines
Snap to Grid
When enabled, elements snap to grid intersections when moving or resizing. Toggle snap to grid with
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + P.
Smart Guides
Azyrom shows alignment guides when moving elements near other elements. These help you align objects precisely without manual calculation.
- Edge alignment - Guides appear when edges align
- Center alignment - Guides show when centers match
- Equal spacing - Guides help distribute elements evenly
Canvas Size
The default canvas is 800×600 pixels. You can resize the canvas in File → Canvas Size, or work with frames to define different artboard sizes within the canvas.
Canvas Background Color
Customize your canvas background color to suit your design needs. The default is a light grey (#F5F5F5), providing a neutral workspace.
Changing the Background Color
To change the canvas background color:
- Deselect all elements (click on empty canvas or press
Esc) - Open the Properties Panel on the right sidebar
- Find the Canvas section at the top
- Click the color box to open the color picker
- Choose your desired color using:
- Color square - Adjust saturation and brightness
- Hue slider - Select the base color
- Opacity slider - Adjust transparency (though canvas is typically opaque)
- Hex input - Enter a specific hex color code
The canvas background color is saved with your preferences and persists across sessions. Different colors can help distinguish between different types of projects or match your design system.
Common Canvas Colors
- Light grey (#F5F5F5) - Default, neutral background
- White (#FFFFFF) - Clean, minimal look
- Dark grey (#2A2A2A) - Reduces eye strain, highlights light colors
- Black (#000000) - Maximum contrast for light designs