Images bring variety and functionality to your FigJam boards. Use images to:
Build a mood board
Add some fun to your brainstorming sessions
Share your favorite photo you took on vacation
Supported image formats
You can import static images in PNG, JPEG, HEIC, GIF, TIFF, and WEBP formats, and animated images in the GIF format.
Static images
Static images do not animate. Supported static image formats PNG, JPEG, HEIC, GIF, TIFF, and WEBP.
To add an image:
Click in the bottom toolbar > More > Images or press
Mac: ⌘ CommandShiftK
Windows: ControlShiftK
Choose an image from your computer.
Figma will place the image in the center of your viewport. Once the image is placed, you can edit and move it around the board.
Replace
You can replace an existing static image with another using the image tool or pasting an image copied to your computer's clipboard. The dimensions of the new image will stay the same as the one you replaced.
Select the image you want to replace.
Click in the bottom toolbar > More > Images.
Choose a new image from your computer.
Resize
Click and drag an image's bounding box to resize it proportionally.
Edit
Click to open more image editing tools:
Crop: drag the preview handles to crop your image
Zoom: use the slider to adjust the image's zoom level
Reposition: click and drag the image when cropping to reposition it in its frame
Rotate: rotate the image clockwise in 90 degree increments
Aspect ratio: crop your images with aspect ratio presets like 1:1 squares or circles, 4:3 landscape, or wide 16:9 frames.
GIFs
GIFs are animated images that loop. Add some fun and liveliness by inserting GIFs to your FigJam boards.
To insert a GIF:
Click in the bottom toolbar > More > Images or press:
Mac: ⌘ CommandShiftK
Windows: ControlShiftK
Choose an image from your computer.
Figma will place the GIF at the center of your viewport. Once the GIF is placed, you can resize it proportionally and move it around the board.
GIFs are static when deselected. To animate a GIF, click on the GIF.
Note
Only one GIF can be animated at a time. If multiple GIFs are selected at the same time, none of them will animate.
Select and move an object into a section using your mouse or keyboard arrows
Tip
Press ⇧ Shift then click and drag to select multiple objects in a section.
Edit section title
To edit a section title:
Create or select a section on the board.
Click from the section’s toolbar.
Enter a new name and press Return / Enter.
You can also double-click the section’s name to edit.
Remove title
Double-click title or press .
Delete text.
Press Return / Enter.
To add add a title back, press in the section's toolbar.
Hide section
Hiding sections comes in handy when you want to hide content without deleting it, or to expose content when needed during a presentation or group exercise.
Press to hide a section and to show it again.
Delete section
To delete a section:
1. Select the section.
2. Press Delete / Backspace.
Deleting a section also deletes its contents. To delete a section without deleting its contents, select everything in the section and drag it to another place on the board.
Anyone with can edit access can insert link previews.
Anyone with can view access can view and open link previews.
Anyone invited to an open session can use link previews.
Use link previews to add sources of inspiration and useful context to your FigJam file. Paste links of rich media from other websites—like videos, articles, or documents—and FigJam will turn them into a preview on your board.
Figma will even make some link previews interactive, which allow you to pan around Figma design files and city maps, or stream music and videos while you work in FigJam.
Here are a few ideas on how you can use link previews:
Add links to music streaming services to play tunes while you jam
Include videos to share with your team workshops or trainings
Collect and share media for moodboard inspiration
Provide context into team meetings and brainstorms
Create a link preview
You can create a link preview by copy/pasting the resource's link onto the FigJam board, or clicking > More from the toolbar.
Figma will convert your link into either a static preview or an interactive preview.
Static previews are like bookmarks, and can include information like the site title, description, URL, logo, and image. The amount of information included in static previews depends on what's supported by the resource site.
Interactive previews allow you to load websites and interact with them to complete specific tasks — like playing music, watching videos, and pan around maps — directly from your FigJam board. Learn more about interactive previews ↓.
Note
Make sure the resource you're using is public to get the most out of link previews. If the link is private or unlisted, this could limit the amount of rich information available in the preview.
Paste link
Copy link or embed code of the resource.
Mac: ⌘ CommandC
Windows: ControlC
Go to your FigJam file and paste copied content onto the board.
Mac: ⌘ CommandV
Windows: ControlV
Figma will create an interactive preview if embeds are supported by the resource's site. Otherwise, Figma will create a static preview.
Toolbar
Copy link or embed code of the resource.
Mac: ⌘ CommandC
Windows: ControlC
From the FigJam file, click in the bottom toolbar.
Select More.
Under Links, paste the copied content into the field.
Mac: ⌘ CommandV
Windows: ControlV
Click Add.
Figma will create an interactive preview if embeds are supported by the resource's site. Otherwise, Figma will create a static preview.
Interactive previews
Interactive previews are a type of link preview that load specific webpages to interact with them and complete specific tasks. You can stream music playlists, watch videos, pan around maps, click through Figma prototypes, and more
To interact with an interactive preview, click into it to make it active. You can only have one active at a time. If you click into another interactive preview, the first one goes back to being inactive.
Note
Link previews are unique to you. Activating one will not activate for other users in the same file. If you zoom in on a map, it’s only zoomed in on your computer. If you click play on a video, the video is only playing for you, and others will not see or hear it.
Create interactive previews of Figma design and FigJam files in FigJam. You can view and pan around files or click through prototypes directly on your board.
Select a link preview to view formatting options and other actions. Different options will be available depending on whether it is a static or interactive preview.
Action
Static previews
Interactive previews
Open in new tab
Open the preview's original source in a new browser tab.
✓
✓
Change back to text
Preview will change back to its source URL or embed code.
✓
✓
Display vertical
Preview will display in a vertical orientation.
✓
✕
Display horizontal
Preview will display in a horizontal orientation.
✓
✕
Maximize
View preview in full-window in your file. Increase preview size to fit window
Copy and paste assets between files to progress your design process.
FigJam to Figma
You can paste any objects from FigJam into a Figma design file and they will keep their existing color, format, size, and layout.
Stamps from FigJam boards are actually images! Figma treats them as images when you copy and paste them into a Figma file.
Any stickers or components will paste as instances in Figma design.
Anything drawn with the marker will be treated as a path with stroke properties. You can edit these in edit object mode or adjust the stroke properties.
Text and links are pasted as text and text with links.
Even though GIFs do not play in FigJam boards or in the Figma design canvas, you can copy them from FigJam and they will play in presentation view. Copying GIFs from the browser will paste as static images. Add animated GIFs →
Figma recognizes some objects from FigJam files as special objects. Special objects appear in the Layers panel in purple with a specific symbol for each object type:
Sticky notes
Shapes with text
Lines and connectors
Edit special objects
Move, flip, rotate, or rearrange special objects on the canvas
✓
Adjust style properties of a special object, like color and typography
✓
Select, view, or edit child layers of a special object
✕
Include special objects in components or instances
✕
Caution
If you are working with special objects in Figma design, you may run into issues or unexpected outcomes issues when using keyboard shortcuts.
Plugins can read special objects and should be able to change their position on the canvas. We haven't extensively tested interactions between plugins and special objects, so can't guarantee anything beyond this.
Figma to FigJam
Copy layers from Figma and paste them in FigJam. This includes frames, images, components, text layers and links, and more.
As there is no layers panel in FigJam files, there will be limitations on what you can select within frames, components, or other layers pasted from Figma design files.
You can still edit most of these layers in FigJam files, but you'll only have access to the curated tools and styling in FigJam. For example: you can only adjust layers to use the FigJam colors and text formatting options.
Figma won't convert objects from Figma design into their FigJam counterparts. For example: arrows won't become connectors, and custom vector shapes won't become shapes with text.
FigJam objects
If you've copied FigJam objects to Figma design and made changes, Figma will keep these changes when you bring them back into FigJam files. For example: changing the color of a sticky note, or adjusting the stroke weight of a connector.
If you update the object to use a FigJam-specific style again, you won't be able to undo that action to access the custom styling you applied in Figma design.
Note
If you copy an unpublished component from a Figma file and paste it into a FigJam file, the object will paste as a regular object. We recommend publishing the component to a library and accessing the component from your libraries in FigJam.
Share libraries
Create component libraries in Figma design and access them from FigJam files.
Add connectors between stickies to diagram flows or create paths for others to follow.
Click in the toolbar.
Select between an elbow or straight connector. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts ⇧ ShiftC to create an elbow connector, and L for a straight connector.
Click and drag your cursor between the objects you want to connect.
Once created, you can click and drag a connector's start or end point to another object, or another side of the same object.
Your stickies automatically include your name at the bottom. This is great for group collaboration where other team members are adding their own stickies to the board. By default, the name on your stickies is taken from your account settings.
To add or remove your name to a sticky:
Add a sticky to the board.
Click in the toolbar.
To remove your name, click again.
Note
If you clear the text in another person's sticky note, your name is added to the sticky.
Edit stickies
You can edit a sticky's color, text, and the text's formatting. Edits can also be made in bulk to a group of selected stickies.
To edit a sticky:
Select one or more stickies by:
Clicking on a single sticky
Clicking and dragging your cursor over multiple stickies
Or, clicking on multiple stickies while pressing Shift
Edit the text fields or use the toolbar to edit color and text formatting.
You can change the text's formatting using the sticky's toolbar when it's selected. From here, you can change the text's size, weight, create lists, and more.
When you select a group of stickies with more than two colors, the color picker will only show up to two of the selected colors.
Size
Stickies come in two shapes: a square and rectangle, like an index card-sized sticky. They change in size vertically depending on its text contents and can be made wider by dragging a side edge. You can also drag a corner to scale their size equally. Shapes with text can be scaled to a different size regardless of its content.
Select an existing shape, then use the keyboard shortcut:
Mac: ⌘ CommandDWindows: ControlD
Or, press Alt then click and drag from an existing shape.
In either case, the original shape is duplicated along with any text inside it.
Add connectors
Add connectors between stickies to diagram flows or create paths for others to follow.
Click in the toolbar.
Select between an elbow or straight connector. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts X or ⇧ ShiftL to create an elbow connection, and L for a straight connection.
Click and drag your cursor between the objects you want to connect.
Once created, you can click and drag a connector's start or end point to another object, or another side of the same object.
Drag the corner of a shape to evenly scale it up or down in size. The shape will keep its ratios the same, but make the shape a different size.
Drag a side of a shape to only change its width or height. This way, you can make an equilateral square into a rectangle, or a perfect circle into an oval.
When you resize a shape with text, the amount of space the text has changes, but not the text's size. Use the text size options in the toolbar to change text size.
You can change the text's formatting using the sticky's toolbar when it's selected. From here, you can change the text's size, weight, create lists, and more.
Lines in FigJam let you create paths between shapes and stickies, illustrate order, or annotate something on your board. Every line can be customized with its own color, text, end points, and stroke weight.
There are two types of line shapes:
Elbowed connectors can wrap around objects to create an indirect path to other objects on the board.
Straight lines create a direct path to other objects on the board.
Create a line
Lines snap onto existing shapes and stickies. This way, a shape brings its lines along with it if it's moved around the board.
Click in the toolbar.
Select between an elbow connector or straight line shape. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts X or ⇧ ShiftL to create an elbow connector, and L for a straight line.
Click and drag your cursor between the objects you want to connect.
The line tool stays active until you select another tool, or press V or Esc.
Once created, you can click and drag a line's start or end point to another object, or another side of the same object.
Tip!
A connector is automatically added when you add a shape to the board using quick create.
Move lines
Lines can be moved around the board and connected to other objects. Their paths can be moved to better illustrate a flow or make space for other objects on the board.
Move start and end points
When a line's start and end points are snapped to the side of an object, you can move one of the points at a time to another object, or another side of the same object.
Click anywhere on the line's path.
Click and drag the blue dot for the point you want to move.
Snap it to another object's side.
To place the end point of a line on any part of an object (and avoid the snapping the line to the side of the object), hold down ⌘ Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) while moving the line.
You can leave a line's start or end point unattached from objects on the board to complete the connection at a later time, or just let it vibe there.
Move entire line
To move an entire line, you'll first need to detach the start and end points from any objects they may be connected to. Once detached:
Select the line from the board.
Drag it to its new location.
Connect the start and end points to objects as needed.
Customize path
You can customize an elbow connector's path at any time. This lets you create paths around other objects on the board and have some fun with it. To do so:
Select an elbow connector.
Drag the path handle for the portion you want to move.
For the start and end portions of a connector, dragging can add an extra portion to the path.
Customize lines
When you first create or open a file, line styles are set to their default properties. For example, they're colored gray, have no text, and are a solid path. Once you add a line to the board, you can use its toolbar to make changes to text, color, line style, and end points.
FigJam remembers any styles last used for a line during your recent work in a file.
Color
Give your line's path a different color to illustrate separate flows, paths, or workstreams.
You can pick between solid and dashed styles for your lines. To alternate between them:
Create or select a line.
Click in the line's toolbar.
Select between solid and dashed.
Stroke
Lines can be given two different stroke weights: thick and fine. To change a line's stroke weight:
Create or select a line.
Click in the line's toolbar. By default, the weight is set to fine.
Click the weight you want for your line.
Text
Lines can have text labels added to their paths.
To add text to a path:
Create or select a line.
Click in the line's toolbar.
Add text.
Use Return / Enter to add a new row to the connector's text label.
Note
You can only bold or strikethrough text in a line.
Move text
Drag the text label anywhere along the line's path to make it easier for your team to see. This is only possible if the line is long enough to move the label.
Show text background
When you add text to a line, you can toggle its background on or off. To do so:
Create or select a line.
Click to add a label, then add your text. By default, the background is toggled off.
Click the color picker in the toolbar.
Click to show the text background.
Note
The text background color matches the line's color. There isn't a way to give the line and text background different colors.
Text is a crucial element for jotting down ideas while brainstorming and communicating information to others.
Links can be used to cross-reference other FigJam or Figma files, direct collaborators to product documentation, or link to external websites.
In this article, we'll take you through how to create and modify text and link objects in FigJam.
Create a text object
Click in the toolbar or press T to add text to the board.
Text objects are used to add text on top of other objects or directly to the board.
Single click
Single click creates a text box that resizes horizontally as you type, also known as point text. Drag the sides of a text box to adjust its width.
Select the text tool or press T .
Click anywhere on the board to create a text box.
Click and drag
Use click and drag to create a text box that wraps any horizontal overflow text to the next line. This is also known as area text. The object has a fixed width and grows vertically as you add more text.
Click and hold anywhere the board.
Drag your cursor to create a text layer with specific dimensions.
Tip
Double-click the bounding box of an area text to convert it to point text.
Text properties
Many objects in FigJam contain text, including text objects, shapes, sticky notes, and connectors. When you select text or enter text edit mode, a toolbar appears with options to change its properties.
Each kind of object has a specific number properties you can modify.
Bold
Apply the bold property to any text you want to stand out.
Click in the text toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut:
Mac: ⌘ CommandB
Windows: ControlB
Strikethrough
Apply the strikethrough property on any text you want to cross out. This is great for crossing off tasks in a to-do list or ideas you decided to not pursue, but want to keep a record of.
Click in the toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut:
Mac: ⌘ Command⇧ ShiftX
Windows: ControlShiftX
Lists
Lists are great for note-taking, task lists, ideating, or writing step-by-step instructions while keeping your content clean and organized.
Bulleted list
Click in the toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut.
Mac: ⌘ Command⇧ Shift8
Windows: ControlShift8
You can also create a bulleted list on a new line by typing *Space or -Space.
Numbered List
Use the keyboard shortcut:
Mac: ⌘ Command⇧ Shift7
Windows: ControlShift7
You can also create a numbered list on a new line by typing 1.Space. If a numbered list already exists directly above your new line, try using the next number in the sequence instead.
Increase and decrease indent
To increase or decrease the indent of a list item, use these keyboard shortcuts:
Increase indent: Tab
Decrease indent: Shifttab
Text size
There are five size presets:
Small (16px)
Medium (24px)
Large (40px)
Extra large (64px)
Huge (96px)
Custom size
By default, text is set to Small for all text objects. You can change the size of all the text or a selected portion.
To use a preset text size:
Select the line or portion of text you want to resize.
Click the size dropdown menu in the toolbar to change text size.
Pick a size for the selected text or enter a custom size in the field.
Text objects created with the tool can be given a custom size. To resize a text object:
Select the text object you want to resize.
Click and drag a corner of the text object.
Text objects can be resized in increments of 8 pixels, and will display as Teensy, Custom, or Ginormous in the size dropdown of the toolbar.
Markdown
Use Markdown to format any text. FigJam supports the following Markdown syntax:
Element
Markdown Syntax
Heading
H1 (#)
H2 (##)
H3 (###)
H4 (####)
Bold
**bold text**
Italic
*italicized text*
Blockquote
> blockquote
Ordered list
1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item
Unordered list
- First item
- Second item
- Third item
Curated colors
Change the color of your text to increase visibility, make it stand out, or group similar ideas. Choose from any of the eight curated colors in the color dropdown of the toolbar.
Click the alignment icon in the toolbar and choose:
Text align left
Mac: ⌥ Option⌘ CommandL
Windows: AltControlL
Text align center
Mac: ⌥ Option⌘ CommandT
Windows: AltControlT
Text align right
Mac: ⌥ Option⌘ CommandR
Windows: AltControlR
Add links to text
Add clickable links to text to reference Figma files, FigJam files, documentation, or external websites.
Select an object or a specific string of text.
Click , or use the keyboard shortcut:
Mac: ⌘ CommandK
Windows: ControlK
Enter or paste the URL from your clipboard.
Tip
If you already have the URL copied to your clipboard, select the text and press ⌘ CommandV / ControlV to insert your link.
Tip
If you need a reminder of keyboard shortcuts, open your file's menu > Help and account > Keyboard Shortcuts. A tray will appear at the bottom of your window where you can explore different shortcuts.
Spell check
Spell check helps you review and correct spelling errors. Spell check identifies errors while you are in text edit mode and only for the text layer you currently have active.
The following default languages are available to use for spell check:
Figma desktop app: Any language supported on your operating system
Figma web app: English (US, CA, UK) and Russian
Note
Installing the Figma font installer allows you to access any language supported on your operating system in the Figma web app. If you have the Figma desktop app installed, the Figma font installer is installed automatically.
There are some differences depending on the operating system you are using:
On Mac: Figma auto-detects and uses your system’s preferred language for spell check
On Windows: If you don’t see the language you want to use, you may need to install a language pack. Language packs for Windows →
Spell check is enabled by default for most users. Spell check is only disabled if you do not have the Figma font installer installed and your browser’s preferred language is something other than English or Russian. Since the Figma web app cannot pull in the additional languages supported on your operating system without the Figma font installer, spell check is disabled to prevent it from flagging all text in a file as incorrect.
Note
Spell check preferences set in the web app are not applied to the desktop app or vice versa. If you switch between the two apps, you must configure your spell check preferences again.
Enable or disable spell check
Click on the menu.
Go to Text > Spell check.
Click Check spelling to enable or disable spell check.
Change preferred spell check language
Click on the menu.
Go to Text > Spell check.
Select from the list of available languages.
Add words to your personal dictionary
You can add words to your dictionary to prevent them from being flagged by spell check. Your dictionary applies to all files you can edit. For example, if you add a word to your dictionary in a Figma design file, spell check will recognize that spelling in your other Figma design or FigJam files. Once a word has been added to your dictionary, it cannot be removed.
Highlight the word you want to add to your dictionary.
Access your team's components and stickers curated by Figma with the library.
Browse libraries
To browse your libraries:
Click in the toolbar or use ⌥ Option2 / Alt2 to open the library.
Search for stickers and components or browse your libraries.
Click and drag an object from the library to your board.
Tip
Right-click a sticker from the Recents section of the library and select View stickers in this set to navigate to the library it was chosen from.
Select variants
If your component has variants, you can select variants from the inline menu.
Add the component to the board.
If it has variants, the menu will show when it's selected.
Click to open the menu and select a variant:
Pin libraries to board
When you open the library in FigJam, it initially floats above your board and disappears once you've dragged an object to your board.
If you want to keep the library open while you browse for multiple objects, you can pin it to either side of your board.
Click in the toolbar or use ⌥ Option2 / Alt2 to open the library.
Click to automatically pin to the left.
Manage libraries
In addition to Figma's built-in stickers, you can also add regular component libraries to your FigJam files. You can choose which libraries are available in each file.
Add library
Want to add the library to all files?
To make a library available in all FigJam files, team admins can toggle libraries for all team Figma design or FigJam files. Enable libraries in team files →
Click in the toolbar and select Stickers.
Under Libraries, click Add your own to add a library.
From Manage libraries, you can view any libraries you have access to. Use the search field to find a specific library or browse the list of available libraries.
Click Add to file to make that library available in the current file.
Update library
Accept updates from published libraries to see the updated instances on your board.
To update libraries in FigJam:
Click in the toolbar to open your libraries.
You'll see a banner notifying you of any updates to your components.
Click Update to accept the changes in FigJam.
Remove library
If you don't want a library to show up in the file anymore, you can remove it. This will only remove the library from this file and won't remove any components you've added to the board.
Click in the toolbar and select Stickers.
Under Libraries, click Add your own to add a library.
From Manage libraries, you can view any libraries you have access to. Use the search field to find a specific library or browse the list of available libraries.
You'll see any libraries you've added at the top of the modal. Hover over the Added button for the library you want to remove.
Click Remove to remove the library for this file only.
Want to remove a sticker library?
It's not currently possible to remove Figma's default stickers from your libraries, or change the order they appear.
