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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.

• Share files with collaborators

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Any Figma plan

  Users can invite anyone to files in their Drafts

  Only Team Owners, Team Admins, and Editors can invite collaborators to team files

  We recommend you read our Viewer, Editor and Admin permissions article first, before you read this one. This covers our different permission levels in detail.

  Figma encourages collaboration throughout the entire design and development process.

  Invite collaborators to your files when you:

  • Start to brainstorm a new project with your team
  • Need input from your copywriter or product marketing team
  • Need to share work in progress with a manager or client
  • Want feedback on a prototype during user testing
  • Handing off final designs to a developer

  Share Files in your Drafts, or files from teams. Choose what permissions collaborators have on your Files.

  Use the share modal

  Control who has access to a file via the share modal.

  • Editor: Click the Share button in the toolbar
  • Project: Right-click on the file and select Share

  From the share modal you can:

  1. View which project the file is in. From here you can move files between Drafts, teams, projects and accounts.
  2. Invite collaborators to the project
  3. View the team access:how members of your team can interact with the file
  4. View the link sharing settings:
     • Define how people can find and access your file
     • Define what level of access those collaborators will have
  5. See who the Owner of the file is
  6. See which collaborators have explicit access to the file
  7. Click the arrow to update permissions for each collaborator
  8. Click Copy link to copy a link to the File. If you have a specific Frame selected, you can also choose Link to selected frame.
  9. Click Get embed to copy the embed code.
  10. Click the icon to access advanced settings to Allow viewers to copy, share, or export from the file.

  Note: It's not possible to give an Editor on a team Can View access to an individual file. You can only do this in if you are inviting them to an invite-only or view-only project.

• Invite a Viewer or Editor to a file

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on any Figma plan

  You can share files from your drafts or from projects in a team

  Users with can view access to a file can use Components from that library. Learn more about permissions in a team.

  At Figma, we encourage collaboration throughout the entire design and development process.

  Invite collaborators to your Files when you want to:

  • Brainstorm new projects with your team
  • Get input from your copywriter or Product Marketing team
  • Share work in progress with a manager or client
  • Test a prototype with a user
  • Handoff final designs to a developer

  You can choose exactly what permissions collaborators have to your files. This lets you control how they can interact with your designs and prototypes.

  Tip! Share files by sending your collaborators a link. Learn more about how to share public and private files.

  Invite Viewers

  Viewers are collaborators that have can view access to a resource.

  Viewers can comment on any files and prototypes, but they can't make changes to layers, objects, or properties within a file. Learn more about what Viewers can and can't do.

  There are no limits to the number of Viewers you can add to a file.

  1. Open the file in the Editor.
  2. Click the Share button in the toolbar to open the share modal.
  3. Enter their email address in the field provided.
  4. Click the arrow to view the permissions menu and select can view from the options.
  5. Click Send Invite to email an invitation to the collaborator.

  Invite Editors

  Editors are collaborators that have can edit permissions to access to resource.

  Editors can make changes to a file or prototype, as well as its contents. Like Viewers, they can also comment on files. Learn more about what Editors can and can't do.

  There are some limits around adding Editors to files:

  • Starter teams: Invite a maximum of 2 Editors.
  • Education teams: Editors must confirm their Education status before they can edit.
  • Professional teams: Invite as many Editors as you need. Figma will include any Editors in your team's next invoice.

  Caution: If you are on a professional team, your monthly billing will increase when you add new Editors to a file, or the team. If you're replacing an Editor and your total number of Editors won't change, Figma won't charge you any extra. Learn more in our View your billing and invoices article.

  1. Open the file in the Editor
  2. Click the Share button in the toolbar.
  3. Enter the collaborator's email address in the field provided.
  4. Click the arrow to view the permissions menu and select can view from the options.
  5. Click Send Invite to send an invitation to the collaborator. They will need to accept the invitation before they can edit the file.

  Invited an Editor but they still can't edit? Figma will have sent an invitation to their email address. They will need to accept the invitation before they are able to edit the file.

• Create a new file

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Supported on any team or plan.

  Anyone with a Figma account can create files in their drafts.

  Only people with can edit access to a team can create files in that team.

  New to Figma? Files are what we call design documents in Figma. Learn more about files in Figma →

  Files are what we call documents in Figma, they're where most of the design and collaboration process takes place. They provide the canvas for you to:

  • Brainstorm ideas with collaborators
  • Create wireframes to map out your ideas
  • Arrange text, shape, and image layers to create designs
  • Create and present slick slides and presentations
  • Build flows between designs and make animated prototypes

  Files allows you to create multiple pages within a given file, each with its own canvas. This allows you to explore ideas and iterate on designs and prototypes, while keeping all your designs in one easily accessible place.

  You can create files in your private drafts, or within teams of which you're a member.

  Create drafts

  Everyone with a Figma account will have their own drafts file space. You can think of your drafts like a sketchbook or notebook, a place where you can explore early ideas and experiment with different concepts.

  Drafts are private to you, only people that you specifically invite to your files will have access to any files in this space. There are no limits on how many files you can create in your drafts.

  There are a few ways to create a new file in your drafts.

  • 1

    Visit the link

    Type figma.com/new in the address bar or visit https://figma.com/new.

  • 2

    Left sidebar icon

    In the file browser, click the icon next to Drafts in the left sidebar.

  • 3

    Drafts folder

    • Open your drafts in the file browser.
    • Click the in the top-right corner of the menu bar at the top of the file browser.

  Note: There is no way to organize files in your drafts into folders or collections. If you're looking for a way to organize your work, we recommend creating a team. Teams allow you to create projects within your team workspace, these work like folders to group your files in whatever way suits you.

  Create files in a team

  If you have can edit access to a team, you can create new files inside the team's workspace. This will allow other members of the team to find and view them.

  To create a file in the team, you will need to choose which project the file will live in. If you change your mind at any point, you can move files between projects and teams.

  1. Click on the team name in the left sidebar to open the team workspace and select a project. To add this to a favorited projected, you can open the project straight from the left sidebar.
  2. Click the icon in the top-right corner of the toolbar.

  Tip! Make it easier for team members to identify important files with custom thumbnails. Learn how to set file thumbnails →

  Select a file template

  When you create a new file, Figma will give you the option to create a new file from an existing template. You will only have this option when you create a file from the file browser, not the new file link.

  It's not currently possible to create or set your own custom templates.

  1. Use the modal to choose a file template:

     • Blank canvas
     • Blank canvas with a mobile frame preset
     • Bank canvas with a desktop frame preset
     • Popular files from the Community

     Tip! Click the arrow next to the current device to choose another mobile or desktop preset.

  2. You can also change the file's location from the modal:

     1. Click the next to Create file in setting.
     2. Hover over a team to view the projects in the team.
     3. Click to select which project to create the file in.
  3. Click Create file to create a new file using your desired template. Click Cancel to return to the file browser without creating a new file.

  Tip! Figma will show you this window for every new file you create. Uncheck the box next to Show this next time to turn off the new file template picker.

  

  Note: Organization admins can turn off the template picker for their organization.

  Disable this setting from the file browser by heading to Admin settings > Settings > Other and toggling the New file template picker setting off:

• Share links to public and private files

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Anyone on Starter, Education, and Professional teams can use share files with link sharing.

  You can share files from your Drafts or from projects in a team.

  In a Figma Organization? Link sharing works differently within an Organization. Learn more about sharing files in an Organization →

  Every file and prototype in Figma has a unique URL. For example: http://www.figma.com/file/ABCDEFGHIJKL/file-name

  You can use this link to share designs and prototypes with members inside and outside your team.

  In this article, we'll show you a file's link sharing settings, and how to control who can view and edit files.

  Tip! Link sharing is just one of the ways you can share files with collaborators. You can also invite them to the file, a a specific project, or or add them to your team.

  Link sharing settings

  Use link sharing settings to define who can open a file, and whether they have view or edit access. You can update the link sharing settings for each file.

  The default settings for Professional, Education, and Starter teams are Anyone with the link and can view.

  Note: Figma will add anyone who views a file via the link to the file. You can view their name and permissions on the file in the file's share modal.

  Figma doesn't track people who view the file and don't have a Figma account. Team members can also view files without having an explicit role on the file.

  For this reason, we advise against using the share modal as a record of who has seen or interacted with the file.

  Discover files

  Choose how collaborators can access files in your team.

  • Choose Anyone with the link to let anyone with the link open and access the file. Figma will give anyone who opens the file a role.
  • Choose Only people invited to this file if you only want team members or people you explicitly invite to the file to access it. If someone outside of those people opens the link they will get Figma's 404 page.

  Interact with files

  Choose what permissions collaborators have once they open the file.

  When someone opens a file link, Figma will give them a role on the file. This setting will determine what role Figma gives them.

  This only applies to people who open the file via a link. Thus doesn't apply to existing team members or other collaborators with an explicit role on the file.

  • Choose can edit to give anyone who opens the file the option to edit. This will make anyone who opens the file an Editor and include them in your team's billing.
  • Choose can view to allow people to view the file without being able to make any edits.
  • Choose can view prototypes only to only allow them to access the prototype, and not the designs in the file itself.

  Learn more about permissions in teams →

  Your Figma plan will determine what permissions you can use for link sharing:

  Team	can edit	can view	can view prototypes
  Drafts	✅	✅	🚫
  Starter	🚫	✅	🚫
  Education	✅	✅	✅
  Professional	✅	✅	✅

  Update link sharing settings

  File URLs stay the same regardless of their location or link sharing settings. It's not possible to set temporary links, custom URLs, or passwords for files or prototypes.

  We recommend updating link sharing settings before you share your file with others. Adjust the link sharing settings for each file from the share modal.

  1. Click the Share button in the file.
  2. Click the to choose how people can find and access the file.
  3. Click the to set the permissions for sharing links.
  4. Check the box if you want the URL or embed code to Link to selected Frame (optional).
  5. Click Copy Link to copy the file URL to your clipboard. If you're using Figma in the browser, you can also copy the file link in the address bar.

  

  Tip! You can also duplicate a File by adding /duplicate to the end of the file's URL. If you have layers selected, you will need to remove the node string from the URL first: ?node-id=21%3A. Collaborators will still be able to view the original file via the fill URL.

• 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.

• Restrict who can copy and share files

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Professional or Figma Organization Figma plans

  You can only prevent viewers from copying and sharing files in teams. It's not possible to prevent copying and sharing for files in your Drafts.

  You can't prevent Editors or Admins copying and sharing Files. You can adjust their Permissions to restrict their access.

  Link sharing is a great way to get your designs in front of other collaborators. By default, anyone with can view access to the file will be able to copy and share the file and its contents.

  If you are in a Professional team or an Organization, you can decide if Viewers should be able to copy, share, or export from the file.

  If you choose to restrict this access, people with can view access will no longer be able to:

  • Copy frames, layers, or text from the canvas
  • Duplicate the file to their account
  • Export any assets from the file
  • Save a local copy of the file (as a .fig file)

  Figma will apply this restriction to everyone with can view access to the file. This includes people who were added to the file via link sharing.

  Restrict copy, share, and export actions

  1. Click the Share button from the File.
  2. Click the  icon in the bottom-right corner.
  3. Select Allow viewers to copy, share, and export from this file to remove the check.
  4. Figma will prevent any Viewers from copying or sharing the File.

  

• 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.

• Adjust permissions on a file

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Users in Professional or Figma Organization plans

  Owners or Admins can adjust a file's permissions.

  You can create files within projects in a team. Or, work on files in your Drafts.

  Generally, any files created within a team will be accessible to all team members. Team members will be able to interact with any files based on their team permissions. 

  If you are in a team, you can also adjust a collaborator's permissions on each File.

  Outside of a team, you can adjust a collaborator's access to a file in your Drafts.

  Note: When you upgrade someone to an Editor on a file, this won't update their team permissions. Figma will also bill you for any new Editors you add to files, on your next invoice.

  Adjust file permissions

  Adjust anyone's permissions on a file via the share modal.

  1.  You can access the share modal from a few places:
     • Project Page: Right-click on the file in the File Browser and select Share.
     • The Editor: Click the Share button in the toolbar.
  2. Click the arrow next to the member's current access.
     • Select can view to make them a Viewer
     • Select can edit to make them an Editor
     • Select owner to transfer ownership of the file to the collaborator
  3. Click the ✕ to close the share modal and return to the file.

  

  Tip! In Education, Professional and Organization teams, you can restrict who can copy and share files.