Use frames in Freehand

Create frames

Think of frames as containers or artboards that allow you to organize your Freehand content.

1. Select Layouts >Frame  in the toolbar or type F on your keyboard.
2. Click and drag the cursor to draw the frame. You can create an empty frame and drag content into it, or draw the frame around existing objects.
3. Add a title by selecting Untitled frame above the frame. Enter the new name, then press Enter or click outside the frame.

Add, arrange, and remove items

Add other items to the frame, such as text, sticky notes, and cards. You can rearrange and remove items from a frame at any time. When moving a frame, all the items added to the frame move with it.

To add items to a frame, drag and drop existing items onto the frame. You can also use all the Freehand tools to create items directly in the frame.

To rearrange or resize items in the frame:

• For a single item: Select the item and drag the item handles to make the item bigger or smaller. Click and hold an item to drag it around the frame.
• For multiple items: Hold Shift and select each item. You can also click and hold and drag your mouse around all the items you want to arrange. Then, from the contextual menu, choose one or more options:
  • Select Align to change the alignment of the items.
  • Select Group to group the items together.
  • Select Arrange to grid icon to arrange the items in a grid formation.

To remove an item from a frame, select the item and delete it or drag it out of the frame. If the frame is moved, the item will not move with it.

Resize a frame

You can choose to resize a frame without changing the size of the items inside, or you can choose to have the items inside resize with the frame.

To resize a frame without resizing the items inside, select the frame, then click and drag the handles to resize.

To resize a frame and the items within it, click and drag your mouse over all items, including the frame. Click and drag the handles to resize the frame and the items inside.

Duplicate frames

You can duplicate a frame within the same freehand to give yourself double the real estate without the extra work.

1. Select the frame you want to duplicate.
2. In the contextual menu, click ••• More  > Duplicate or use the Cmd + D keyboard shortcut.

The duplicate frame appears nearby with the same title and contents as the original frame.

Arrange frames in a grid

You can arrange multiple frames in a grid. This is especially useful if you want to keep related frames aligned and easy to follow.

1. Select your frames by holding Shift and clicking the frames, or drag your mouse around all the frames you want to arrange.
2. Click and holdArrange to grid  and drag your mouse to change the orientation or spacing of the frames.

Placeholder frames

Placeholder frames help you improve asynchronous collaboration with your team and create custom templates that can be easily customized. You can add different integrations to a placeholder frame to adapt it to your team workflow and needs.

Create a placeholder in a frame

To create a placeholder in a frame, the frame must be blank. If there's any content in the frame, the placeholder won't show up.

1. Select an empty frame in your freehand.
2. In the contextual menu, select ••• More  > Add placeholder.
3. Add a prompt describing the action you want users to take. Include integrations by selecting + Include add-ons.
4. Select Save.

Edit a placeholder frame

Edit placeholder frames at any time.

1. Select the placeholder frame you want to edit.
2. In the contextual menu, select ••• More  > Edit placeholder.
3. Edit the description and remove or include integrations. To removeintegrations, hover over an add-on and click the X that's revealed. To include newintegrations, select + Include add-ons.
4. Select Save.

Remove the placeholder from a frame

You can remove the placeholder from a frame at any time. Removing the placeholder leaves a blank frame in the canvas.

1. Select the placeholder frame you want to remove.
2. In the contextual menu select ••• More  > Remove placeholder.

You can also select the frame and press Delete, which deletes the entire frame from the canvas.

Navigate frames

Use the Frames sidebar to navigate and share frames with your audience.

To get started, you need to create one or more frames. You'll then be able to preview and navigate the frames using the Frames sidebar.

1. On the bottom-right corner of the canvas, clickFrame.
2. Click a frame in the sidebar to be taken to the frame on the canvas, or use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the frames.

Reorder frames in the sidebar

The order of the frames in the sidebar is determined by their positioning (i.e. left to right, top to bottom) on the canvas.

You have two options to reorder frames:

• Change a frames position on the canvas and the sidebar automatically syncs.
• Drag and drop a frame to a different position in the sidebar. Note: if you use this option, you won’t be able to reorder frames by their position on the canvas.

Navigate through your content

To navigate through your frames:

1. Double-click a frame to jump to it.
2. Use your arrow keys to navigate to the previous/next frame.

Present your content

You can present your frames using Present mode in Freehand. To learn how to use Present mode, read Freehand presentations.

Frame options

When you select a frame or hover over a  frame in theFrame sidebar, click the More menu to see the following options:

• Rename: Customize the name of your  frame.
  
  This option is only available when hovering over a frame in the Frame sidebar.
• Copy link: Create a direct link to that specific  frame. This link will have the same sharing settings as the entire document.
• Export to image: Export the  frame as a PNG.
• Copy
• Duplicate
• Delete: Deleting a  frame will also delete all its contents. If you’ve deleted a  frame by accident, you can undo it by typing Cmd + Z. You can also revert to a previous version of the document using version history.

Rename frames

You can rename frames from the Frame sidebar, or directly on the canvas.

In the sidebar, the name of each frame appears below its thumbnail. Frames without a name say Untitled frame. Click the text and enter the new name.

To rename a frame in the canvas:

1. Select the frame you want to rename.
2. Select the name of the frame.
3. Enter the new name, then press Enter or click outside the frame.

Send collaborators directly to a frame

When someone joins a freehand, you can ensure they're directed right to your frame or other item by using its deep link. When someone follows a deep link, the canvas centers and zooms in on the specific element.

1. Select the frame you want to link to.
2. In the contextual menu, select ••• More  > Copy link.

Download frames

Download frames by exporting them to an image. Frames export as a PNG file.

1. Select the frame you want to download.
2. In the contextual menu, select ••• More > Export to image.

Create frames

Frames are containers/artboards that allow you to organize your Freehand content.

To create a frame:

1. Select the Frame toolin the toolbar or type F on your keyboard.
2. Click and drag the cursor to draw the frame. You can create an empty frame and drag content into it, or draw the frame around existing objects.
3. Add a title by clicking Untitled frame above the frame. Enter the new name, then press Enter or click outside the frame.

Add, arrange, and remove items

Quickly edit a frame by adding, arranging, or removing an item. If an item is added to a frame and the frame is moved, the item will move with the frame.

To add an item to a frame:

1. In the toolbar on the left, select the tool you want to use to add an item to the frame.
2. With the tool selected, use the tool to draw within the frame.
3. Optionally, change the size or arrangement of the item within the frame:
   • For a single item: Select the item and drag the item handles to make the item bigger or smaller. You can also move the item to another part of the frame.
   • For multiple items: Select multiple items in a frame by holding down Shift on the keyboard and clicking the frames, or drag your mouse around all the items you want to arrange. Then, from the contextual menu, choose one or more options:
     • Select the Align icon  to change the alignment of the items.
     • Select the Group icon  to group the items together.
     • Click and drag the Arrange to grid iconto arrange the items in a grid formation.

To remove an item from a frame, select the item and delete it or drag it out of the frame. If the frame is moved, the item will not move with it.

Resize a frame

You can choose to resize a frame without changing the size of the items inside, or you can choose to have the items inside resize with the frame.

To resize a frame without resizing the items inside, select the frame, then click and drag the handles to resize.

To resize a frame and the items within it, click and drag your mouse over all items, including the frame. Click and drag the handles to resize the frame and the items inside.

Duplicate frames

You can duplicate a frame within the same freehand to give yourself double the real estate without the extra work.

To duplicate a frame:

1. Select the frame you want to duplicate.
2. Click the More iconabove the frame, and select Duplicate or use the Cmd + D keyboard shortcut. The duplicate frame will appear nearby and will have the same title as the original frame.

Arrange frames in a grid

You can arrange multiple frames in a grid. This is especially useful if you want to keep related frames aligned and easy to follow.

To arrange frames in a grid:

1. Select your frames by holding down Shift on your keyboard and clicking the frames, or drag your mouse around all the frames you want to arrange.
2. Click the Arrange to grid iconand drag your mouse to change the orientation or spacing of the frames.

Walkthroughs

Use Walkthroughs to easily navigate through your content and seamlessly share frames with your audience.

To get started, you need to create one or more frames by clicking the Frame tool in the toolbar on the left (or by typing F on your keyboard). You will then be able to preview and navigate the frames using Walkthroughs.

To use Walkthroughs:

1. On the right sidebar, click the Walkthroughs icon.
2. Click a frame in the sidebar to be taken to the frame on the canvas, or use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the frames.

Navigate through your content

To navigate through your frames:

1. Double-click a frame to jump to it.
2. Use your arrow keys to navigate to the previous/next frame.

Present your content

You can present your frames using Present mode in Freehand. To learn how to use Present mode, see here: Presenting in freehand.

Frame options

When you select a frame or hover over a frame in the Walkthroughs menu , you can click the More menuto see the following options:

• Rename: Customize the name of your frame.
• Copy link: Create a direct link to that specific frame. This link will have the same sharing settings as the entire document.
• Export to image: Export the frame as a PNG.
• Copy
• Duplicate
• Delete: Deleting a frame will also delete all its contents. If you’ve deleted a frame by accident, you can undo it by typing Cmd + Z. You can also revert to a previous version of the document using version history.

Rename frames

To rename a frame:

1. Select the frame you want to rename.
2. In the contextual menu, click the More menu.
3. Click Rename.
4. Enter the new name, then press Enter or click outside the frame.

Deep link to frames

To link directly to a frame:

1. Select the frame you want to link to.
2. In the contextual menu, click the More menu.
3. Click Copy link.

Download frames

To export a frame:

1. Select the frame you want to rename.
2. In the contextual menu, click the More menu.
3. Click Export to image.

The frame will be downloaded as a PNG.