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• Files in Figma

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on any plan.

  Anyone can create files in their Drafts. Only editors and admins can create files in teams.

  Files are what we call documents in Figma.

  Files provide the canvas where you can arrange your layers and objects to create designs.

  You can also use Files to build and animate realistic Prototypes. Or, handoff your designs to developers and engineers.

  File Structure

  There are five levels of file structure and organization within Figma. You can use these elements to create a system that works for you.

  1. Organization (Figma Organization only)
  2. Teams
  3. Projects
  4. Files
  5. Pages

  

  Files are where most of the design and collaboration process takes place. They provide the canvas where you can:

  • Brainstorm ideas
  • Wireframe basic interfaces
  • Create High-Fidelity mock ups
  • Build Prototypes
  • Create Presentations

  You can create a new file in your Drafts folder, or within a Project.

  You can open each page of a file in Presentation View. You can use this to preview designs, present slides, or test out Prototypes.

  You can collaborate with other people in the same file at the same time. Internally, we refer to this as "Multiplayer".

  Figma will periodically save versions of your file to Version History, or you can save your own versions. You can then view, save, share and restore file versions.

  You can also create as many pages as you need within a file. Pages give you even more space to explore.

  Create custom thumbnails to easily identify and organize files in your File Browser.

  File Permissions

  Want to share your files and collaborate with others? Share your files and projects, as soon as you're ready to collaborate. File permissions let you:

  • Invite others to files in your Drafts or projects.
  • Choose how collaborators can interact with your File using Permissions.
  • Team Members can interact with any Team Files based on their Team Permissions.
  • Give a Team member access to a File that's different permissions than their Team access.
  • Invite someone from outside of the Team to a specific File.

  Learn more in our articles below:

  • Invite Collaborators to a File
  • Share Files with others using Link Sharing
  • Transfer Ownership of a File
  • Adjust Permissions on a File
  • Remove a Collaborator from a File
  • Prevent Viewers from Copying or Sharing Files

  File Format

  Figma files us our own file format: .fig

  This file format is specific to Figma and cannot be opened by any other tool.

  You can save files in .fig format when you want to export, back up or move your Files between Figma accounts.

  If you want to export your design to other tools, we recommend that you copy and paste the Frames. Or, export SVGs and import them into other tools.

  Learn more in our Copy assets between design tools article.

  We also support imports of .sketch Files. Learn more in our Import Sketch Files article.

• Create a new file

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on any plan

  Anyone can create files in their Drafts

  Editors and Admins can create files in a team

  Coming from Sketch? Files are what we call documents in Figma. Learn more in this article.

  Files provide the canvas where you can arrange your layers and objects to create designs.

  Create a File in Drafts

  Every Figma user will have their own Drafts. You can think of your Drafts like a sketchbook or notebook. It's a place where you can explore early ideas and experiment with different concepts that might not be ready to move into your team.

  There are no limits to the number of files you can have in the Drafts space. To organize your files, move them into a project. Projects are only available in teams.

  There are a few ways to create a new file in your Drafts:

  • Click the button next to Drafts in the sidebar to create a new File in your Drafts
  • Click the New File button in the File Browser
  • Go to the link: figma.com/new

  Figma encourages an open and collaborative design environment. It's never too early to share your ideas and collaborate with others.

  • Invite collaborators to your Personal Files
  • Move files from your Drafts into teams and projects

  Create a file in a team

  If you are an Editor on a Team, you will be able to create Files that are shared with your Team.

  1. Open the Team Page in the File Browser
  2. Select the project you'd like to add the file to
  3. Click the New File button in the top-right corner of the toolbar.

  Tip! Create custom thumbnails to easily identify and organize files in your File Browser.

• Create and Manage Pages

  Before you Start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Any Figma plan

  Anyone can view and explore Pages in a File

  Users with Edit access access to a File can create and manage pages

  Within a File, you can create as many Pages as you need.

  Each Page has its own Canvas, where you can explore and iterate on your designs. You can even create separate Prototypes on each Page.

  You can access Pages when you open a File in the Editor.

  You can find, view and navigate between Pages at the top of the left-side panel ( Layers Panel). 

  To open the Page list, click on the arrow next to the current Page name:

  

  Add a Page

  You can create a New Page from scratch, or Duplicate an existing one.

  Create a New Page

  1. Click the + icon to add a new Page to your File: 
  2. Give your new Page a name.

  Duplicate an Existing Page

  This is super handy if you want to create a snapshot of your current work. Or, when building different Prototype flows out of the same designs.

  1. Find the Page you want to copy in the Page list.
  2. Right-click on the Page and select Duplicate 
  3. We'll add a copy of that Page to the File with the name Copy of.
  4. Right-click on the Page and select Rename to change the Page name.

  Rename a Page

  There are two ways to rename a Page:

  • Right-click on the Page and select Rename
  • Double-click on the Page name

  

  Update the Page name and click outside of the Page list to apply.

  Delete a Page

  1. Find the Page you want to delete in the Page list.
  2. Right-click on the Page and select Delete.

  Reorder my Pages

  You can change the order that your Pages appear in your Page List.

  1. Click and hold on a Page to select it.
  2. Drag it up or down to change the Page order.
  3. Release to apply.

  

  Move Layers between Pages

  You can move Layers between Pages. This is handy when you want to break up a large File. This also allows you to keep any Comments associated with those Layers intact.

  1. Select an Object, Frame or Group in the canvas or Layers Panel.
  2. Right-click to open the Context menu.
  3. Select Move to Page and then choose the Page you'd like to move it to 
  4. We will move the layers to the same coordinates on the selected Page.

  Note: If you want to copy Prototype connections from the page, you need to have the Prototype Tab open. If you copy from the Design Tab, we won't copy any Prototype Connections.

• Set custom file thumbnails

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on any plan

  Anyone with Edit access to the file can set a custom thumbnail

  Every file will have a thumbnail that shows you a preview of a file's contents. Figma shows the thumbnail alongside the file in the File Browser.

  You can choose create a custom thumbnail using any frame in your file. This is a great way to set expectations and communicate the file's contents.

  Otherwise, Figma will base the file thumbnail on the contents of the first page in your file.

  Thumbnail dimensions

  The exact dimensions of a file thumbnail will depend on the size of your display.

  To ensure your custom thumbnail always displays optimally, we recommend setting the frame’s dimensions to 1920 x 960.

  Figma will always display anything within the 1600 x 960“safe zone” of the frame.

  If you use any other dimensions, Figma will scale your selected frame so that it fills the entire thumbnail.

  

  Note: Figma also uses these thumbnail dimensions for Community files. This is something to be mindful of when you publish a file to the Figma Community.

  Set a file's thumbnail

  1. Open the file in the Editor.
  2. Find the frame you would like to use as the thumbnail. We recommend setting the frame’s dimensions to 1920 x 960 for a proper fit, but Figma will scale the selected frame so it fills the thumbnail.
  3. Right-click on the frame in the canvas to open the Context Menu.
  4. Select Set as Thumbnail from the options:

     

  5. We will update your file's thumbnail. We will also display the custom thumbnail icon next to the Frame.

     

  Want to remove the frame from the thumbnail? Right-click on the frame in the canvas and select Restore Default Thumbnail. Figma will use the contents of the first page in your file as the default thumbnail.

• Rename a File

  Before you Start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Any Figma plan

  Anyone can rename Files in their Drafts

  Editors and Admins can rename Files in a Team

  By default, we name new Files as Untitled. You can change this to something that better explains what you're working on.

  File names don't need to be unique. As we Search on File names, unique names do make it easier when it comes to finding the correct File.

  File Browser

  You can update the File name from anywhere the File appears in the File Browser.

  1. Right-click on the File to open the File menu.
  2. Select Rename from the options.

  Editor

  You can also update the File name in the File itself.

  1. Click on an empty spot in the Canvas to deselect and layers.
  2. Figma will display the Project and File Name in the toolbar
  3. Click on the File name to rename it. The name on the File will now be editable. Enter a new name in the field.
  4. Click outside of the File name - or press Enter - to apply your changes.
• Duplicate a File

  Before you Start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Any Figma plan

  Anyone can Duplicate Files in their Drafts

  Viewers, Editors and Admins can duplicate Files in a Team

  Viewers won't be able to duplicate a File if Allow Viewers to copy and share is disabled

  Duplicating a File will create a fresh copy of that File. This won't include any of the following from the original File:

  • Version History
  • Comments
  • Collaborators and Permissions

  You can duplicate a File from anywhere in the File Browser. We will add a duplicate of the File to the File's current location. This applies to Files in your Drafts or within a Project in a Team.

  We'll add a Copy of prefix to the File name, so you can distinguish between the original and the duplicate.

  Want to duplicate a File from the Community? Check out our Browse and Duplicate Community Files article.

  Duplicate a File

  1. Right-click on the File to open the File menu.
  2. Select Duplicate from the options.

  Tip! You can also duplicate a File by adding /duplicate to the end of the File URL. This will only work with the original File URL.
  
  If you have layers selected, you will need to remove the node string from the URL first e.g. ?node-id=21%3A0

  Duplicate a Deleted File

  You can duplicate a File in your Deleted Files. We will add this duplicate to your Drafts folder.

  1. Open your Drafts in the File Browser.
  2. Navigate to the Deleted Files tab.
  3. Right-click on the File to open the File menu.
  4. Select Duplicate to Drafts to create a copy of the File in your Drafts. We treat this as a new File with no Permissions, Comments or Version History.
• Delete a file

  Before you Start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Starter, Education, Professional or Figma Organization plans

  Users with Edit access to a file can delete it for all collaborators.

  Only the File owner can choose to Delete Forever

  If you no longer need a file, you can delete it. When you delete a file Figma will:

  • Move the File to the file owner's Deleted Files folder
  • Remove the File for all collaborators

  Delete a file

  Caution: This action will delete the file for all collaborators. Proceed with caution.

  1. Open the project or file page in the File Browser
  2. Right-click on the file to open the file menu.
  3. Select Delete from the options.
  4. Figma will move the file to your Deleted files. This will also remove the file for all collaborators.

  Want to undo a deleted file? You can restore or duplicate a deleted file. Learn more in our restore a deleted file article.

  Delete a file forever

  Caution: This action will delete the file for all collaborators. Proceed with caution.

  Only the file owner can choose to delete a file forever. This action is permanent and can't be undone.

  1. Open your Drafts in the File Browser.
  2. Navigate to the Deleted Files tab.
  3. Right-click on the File to open the File menu.
  4. Select Delete Forever from the options.
• Restore a deleted file

  Before you Start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Starter, Education, Professional or Figma Organization Figma plan

  Only people with Edit access to the file can restore it.

  When you delete a file, Figma will remove the file for all collaborators and send it to Deleted files. You can then access the deleted file via your Drafts.

  View deleted files

  You can view any deleted files that you have/had access to. There are a few view options available for viewing and restoring deleted files.

  1. Click on the Drafts page in the File Browser.
  2. At the top of the page, go to the Deleted tab.
  3. Use the Created by... to view deleted files by creator. Choose from:
     • Created by Anyone: All deleted files, includes files you own and files from other collaborators.
     • Created by You (default): Files you own.
     • Created by Others: Files owned by other collaborators.
  4. Use the drop-down to Sort your results
     • Date deleted (default)
     • Alphabetical
     • Date created
     • Last modified
  5. Choose between Ascending or Descending order.
  6. Use the icons in the top-right corner to switch between List and Grid view.

  

  You can then choose to restore or duplicate the file. 

  Restore a file

  If the project still exists—and you have access to it—you can restore the file to its original location. This restores the file for anyone who previously had access to it, at the time it was deleted.

  This will also keep the permissions, comments, and version history of the original file.

  1. Right-click on the file to open the file menu.
  2. Select Restore to restore to the File to its original location.

  

  Tip! Click the Show in Project link to view the file's in its location.

  Duplicate a file

  If the project the file used to live in was deleted—or you no longer have access to that team or project —then you won't be able to restore the file to it's original location.

  Instead, you can make a copy of that file in your Drafts. This won't include any of the permissions, comments, or version history from the original file.

  1. Right-click on the file to open the file menu.
  2. Select Duplicate to Drafts to create a copy of the File in your Drafts. 
  3. Switch back to the Drafts tab to view and access the file.

  

• Version History

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users in Professional or Figma Organization plans have unlimited Version History.

  Users on Starter plans get up to 30 days of Version History. Upgrade the team to unlock unlimited Version History.

  Overview

  Version History allows you to view earlier versions of a file and restore or duplicate any version.

  Versions are automatically saved when there have been no changes to the file for 30 minutes.

  For example: Yuhki works in his file continuously for 3 hours, and then stops editing. After 30 minutes of inactivity (after stopping his work or closing the file) a single version will be created. Yuhki's changes are automatically saved. If he closes his tab, the version will still be saved.

  Viewing Versions

  To view a file’s Version History:

  1. Click a blank area of the canvas to deselect everything and show the file name in the toolbar
  2. Select the drop down icon to the right of the file name
  3. Choose Show Version History

  Version History will replace the Properties Panel on the right side of the Canvas. You can see when the file was edited and who made the changes.

  You can close the Version History view and return to the Properties Panel by pressing the blue Back to Editing button in the upper left corner of the toolbar.
  Selecting a specific version will show that design and reveal who made the changes. You can also click on the menu icon to: name, restore, or duplicate the version.

  

  Naming or adding a version

  You can name an existing version by viewing it and then selecting Name This Version from the menu dropdown.

  You can also manually create a new version anytime by using the keyboard shortcuts:

  • macOS: ⌘ Command + ⌥ Option + S
  • Windows: Ctrl + Alt + S

  or by selecting Save to Version History from the File Menu.

  When you name or save a version, you’ll be able to add a title and short description. You can add details to describe the changes you’ve made in this design iteration, or any other details that may be relevant, such as a milestone.

  

  Duplicating versions

  Duplicating a version creates a new file which is an exact copy of the version without any of the version history, comments, or sharing permissions.

  Restoring a version

  You can restore a Figma file to a previous version by selecting Restore This Version from the menu next to the version. This will restore the file to that specific version and create a new auto-save version in your history.