There is no Tools tab. Every element sits in a palette category of its own, one press away on the palette strip, so this page is a map of where each one lives.
The categories sit along the strip by name, in groups with a thin line between each. Rest on one, or click it, to see its elements.
The categories on a page
On an article, an infographic or any other design page, the palette offers these categories, in this order:
- Shapes: the plain rectangles, circles and the rest.
- Write: Text, Sticky Note and Pointer Note.
- Concepts: the concept graphics, the Timeline and the Sankey.
- Components: the Hero, Header, Banner and Stack, then the Card, Badge, Step Number, Callout, Stat Row and Process, then the Code Block and the Checklist.
- Devices: browser, monitor, laptop, phone, tablet, foldable and watch frames.
- Icons and Stickers: searchable catalogues of glyphs and colour emoji.
- Media: Image (
9) and the Tab Window, the embeds (YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, Figma, Google Docs and any website), and Avatar. Image, Avatar and the Hero only appear where image uploads are available. - Data: the charts and meters (Pie, Column, Line, Legend, Progress, Donut and Rating), then the Table.
On other kinds of page
The palette follows the page you are working on, offering what that page is made of:
- A slide puts Write first, then Shapes, Media, Data, Concepts, Components (without the Header), Devices, Icons and Stickers.
See Working with Pages for the kinds of page.
Elements the strip does not show
Some elements are not in any of the strip's categories, but the editor's search panel (⌘K or Ctrl+K) adds them by name, under Add to canvas:
- Technology icons, the full-colour marks for architecture pictures.
- The Polygon, for outlines placed point by point.
- The Arrow (
A) and the Line: see Arrows.
Working with what you place
Each element behaves like any other once placed: select it, restyle it, multi-select it with others, and move it freely. Pick a tile and tap the canvas to drop the element at its default size, or drag to draw it at the size you want. T drops a text label and N a sticky note without opening the palette at all.
The palette is hidden for people with view-only access, since they can't add anything. See Toolbar Layout for how the strip shows the categories and opens each one.
Guides for these tools
Several tools have their own walkthroughs:
- Images covers uploading, searching for and reusing pictures, and avatars.
- Tables covers the editable grid: adding one, filling cells, and rows/columns.
- Sticky Notes covers the coloured note card for short remarks.
- Code Blocks covers the monospace card for syntax-highlighted snippets.
- Checklists covers the card of checkable to-do rows you tick on the page.
- Data and Chart Elements covers the Data category: Pie, Column and Line charts (each any of seven chart types), Legend, Progress, Donut and Rating.
- Drawing with the Polygon covers placing outlines point by point.
Arrows have their own guide too: see Arrows.
Was this article helpful?