Blocks and layout
Add text and image blocks, move and resize them on the page, align and space them, and change the deck's sheet size and theme.
Every page is built from blocks. An Image block is a frame that holds a picture. A text block is a Heading, Body text, Caption or Label.
Blocks are placed in percent of the page. That's why a deck can change sheet size and keep its layout.
Add a block #
In the page bar, click:
- + text for a body text block.
- + image for an empty image frame.
The new block is selected, ready to edit in the Inspect tab. To give a text block a different look, pick a style for it. See Text styles.
Select blocks #
- Click a block to select it.
- Shift-click to add blocks to the selection, or take them out.
- Click the empty canvas to select nothing.
Move and resize #
- Move: drag the block. With several selected, they move together.
- Resize: drag one of the handles around the selected block.
- Nudge: press the arrow keys. Hold Shift for bigger steps.
- Exact size: type the block's x, y, w and h under Frame in the Inspect tab, in inches or pixels.
Every move is one step you can undo.
Snap #
With Snap ticked in the arrange bar, blocks snap to each other, to the page and to a grid while you drag. Hold Alt to place a block freely.
Align and distribute #
With a block selected, the arrange bar offers Align to page: left, center, right, top, middle and bottom.
With several selected, the same buttons align the blocks to each other. With three or more, Distribute offers ↔ spacing and ↕ spacing: equal gaps, with the outer two blocks left where they are.
Remove a block #
Select it and click Remove this block in the Inspect tab, or press Delete.
Sheet size and orientation #
The sheet size menu in the toolbar has:
- Screen 16:9
- Letter 8.5×11
- Tabloid 11×17
- ANSI D 22×34
- Arch D 24×36
Next to it, pick landscape or portrait. The whole deck re-flows to the new sheet, because frames and type are in percent of the page. The current size shows at the right of the top bar.
Units #
The units menu sets how sizes read across the tool: inches, or pixels at 96 per inch. It's a view setting only. It doesn't change the deck.
Theme #
The theme menu sets the deck's own look: Glacier, Ink or Paper. It's part of the deck, so everyone sees the same theme, on screen and in exports. It doesn't follow the site's light or dark mode.
Who can change the layout #
Under the strict team rules, only the deck master or the page's owners change its layout. While you're suggesting, layout changes (pages, frames, blocks) can't be suggested. See The Queue.