Start Here

Start here

This page takes you from an empty project to a saved and exported figure. The project format is the same on desktop, tablet, and phone, although the controls are arranged differently.

1. Open the editor

Go to figureloom.org.

You do not need an account. FigureLoom opens a local project and starts saving changes in the browser.

2. Choose the interface mode

Open Settings when you need to change the layout:

• Automatic chooses from the device size and input type.
• Desktop uses the compact mouse-and-keyboard layout.
• Tablet keeps the full editor with roomier touch targets.
• Phone uses the phone dock and sliding panels.

Changing the interface does not change the project data.

3. Name the project

Select the project title at the top of the editor and replace Untitled figure with a useful name.

Good project names describe the work rather than the export format. For example:

• Soil carbon pathway
• Figure 2 treatment response
• Conference poster draft
• Microscopy panel layout

The name is used in the project list and in suggested download filenames.

4. Choose a page format

Open Format or the page-size controls.

Choose a preset such as:

• Screen or presentation
• Square
• A4, A3, A2, A1, or A0
• Single-column or double-column figure
• Custom physical size

Choose portrait or landscape before detailed alignment. A later format change may require rearranging objects.

5. Add something

Open Add and try:

1. A text label.
2. A rectangle or rounded rectangle.
3. An arrow or connector.

Select an object to edit its size, position, fill, stroke, opacity, and other properties in the inspector.

On a phone, use the bottom Edit button to open the inspector.

6. Move and arrange objects

Drag an object to move it. Use the selection handles to resize it and the rotation handle when available.

For exact placement, enter position and size values in the inspector.

On Desktop and Tablet, Undo and Redo sit directly beside Delete in the selected-object action group. On a phone, Undo and Redo remain in the compact header.

7. Add scientific content

Open Illustrations to search the scientific artwork library. Search by a plain term such as cell, mouse, DNA, water, pump, or bacterium.

Inserted artwork remains editable. It can be moved, resized, rotated, layered, and recolored where the source allows it.

For equations, charts, maps, and specialist annotations, see:

• Data, tables, and charts
• Equations, code, and scientific notation
• Scientific illustrations and maps
• Pro Tools and advanced science

8. Add another page

Open Pages and add a page.

Pages can have different backgrounds and can be reordered. Multi-page projects can be exported with Export all pages as SVG or shown in presentation mode.

9. Check the work

Use Check or the publication tools to look for common problems such as:

• Text that is too small for print
• Low color contrast
• Objects outside the page
• Missing alt text
• Unresolved comments
• Broken connectors
• Missing references or attribution

A check is a warning system, not a guarantee that a journal or printer will accept the result.

10. Save a project backup

Open Export and download the complete editable project.

The file ends in .figureloom. It contains the project pages, objects, data, settings, and other editable information needed to open the work again.

Keep this file somewhere outside the browser. For important work, save a new backup after major changes.

11. Export the finished figure

Use the current export choices:

• Export all pages as SVG for one editable SVG per project page
• Editable SVG (per page) for the active page
• Print page dimensions when physical SVG dimensions matter
• Include editor grid only when the grid is intentionally part of the output
• Presentation mode for showing project pages directly in the browser

PNG, PDF, TIFF, or PowerPoint output requires converting a checked SVG in another application.

See Export, backup, and presentation for details.

Next steps

• Learn the full layout in Interface and navigation.
• Follow a complete project in Tutorials.
• Read Projects, saving, and recovery before relying on browser storage for long-term work.