Canvas Modes

Use the Canvas Size inspector to specify your type of canvas; choose between:

• Fixed Size
• Flexible
• Infinite Canvas

Fixed Size

The canvas is a size of your specification, based on the values set in the Width and Height fields. Choose a Fixed Size canvas when you know the dimensions of the thing you are creating; for example, an app icon.

Flexible

A canvas that can be expanded in any direction: up, down, left, right, or any combination of the four. Choose a Flexible canvas when you want the canvas to expand or collapse to the size of objects on the canvas.

Use the Autosizing Switches to enable canvas expansion in that direction.

• Width: Tap or to decrease or increase the width of the canvas, respectively. Changing the Width after the Autosizing Switches have been set turns off the left and right switches.
• Height: Tap or to decrease or increase the height of the canvas, respectively. Changing the Height after the Autosizing Switches have been set turns off the top and bottom switches.
• Canvas Padding: Tap or to adjust the amount of padding to surround a canvas.

Infinite Canvas

A canvas that infinitely extends in all directions. Choose an Infinite Canvas when you have a document that needs a lot of space.

Contextual Menus and the Canvas

With nothing selected on the canvas, a single-tap on the canvas reveals its contextual menu:

Menu Item	Description
Select All	Selects everything on the canvas.
Paste	Available if something has been copied to the clipboard; pastes the contents of the clipboard at the tapped location.
Full Screen Exit Full Screen	Enters or exits Full Screen.
Previous Canvas	Navigates to the previous canvas in the document.
Next Canvas	Navigates to the next canvas in the document.

To reveal an object’s contextual menu, touch and hold the object until the menu appears.

Menu Item	Description
Cut	Removes the selected object(s) from the canvas and places them on the clipboard for pasting.
Copy	Copies the selected object(s) and makes it available on the clipboard for pasting.
Paste	Available if something has been copied to the clipboard; pastes the contents of the clipboard at the tapped location.
Copy As JavaScript	Copies the properties of the selected object(s) and makes that information available for use in the Automation Console, accessible by tapping in the toolbar.
Copy Style	Copies the style of the selected object; the style properties are copied to the clipboard for pasting.
Paste Style	Available if the style properties of another object have been copied to the clipboard; pastes the style properties from the clipboard to the selected object(s).
Duplicate	Copies and instantly pastes a copy of the selected object on the canvas.
Delete	Deletes the selected object(s).
Select All	Selects everything on the canvas.
Lock/Unlock	Locks or unlocks the current selection.
Arrange...	Opens the Arrange... submenu, with commands for manipulating the position of the selection.
Group	When two or more objects are selected, creates a group from those objects.
Ungroup	If a group or table is selected, the selection is ungrouped.
Convert Text to Shape	Converts the characters of a selected text block to shapes.
Full Screen Exit Full Screen	Enters or exits Full Screen.

The Arrange... submenu contains commands for manipulating the position of the selected object or objects.

Menu Item	Description
Bring to Front	Brings the selected object(s) to the front of the object stack.
Bring Forward	Brings the selected object(s) one position forward in the object stack.
Send to Back	Sends the selected object(s) to the back of the object stack.
Send Backward	Sends the selected object(s) one position back in the object stack.
New Artboard Under Selection	Places an artboard under the selected object(s). If no artboard layer exists, one is created.
Make Table	Creates a table out of the selected object(s).