Getting Started with Designer

In this article, we’ll cover the basic functions and features of the OptiSigns Designer app.

• Opening Designer
• Designer App Overview
• Canvas
• Top Menu - Basic Functions
  • Naming Your Design
  • Move, Save, New Design, and Download Functions
  • Image
  • Text
  • Shapes
  • Background
  • Frame
  • Filter
  • Draw
  • Resize
  • Animate
  • Preview and Push to Screens
  • Close
  • Undo/Redo
  • Zoom
• Right Column - Positioning
  • Layers
  • History
  • Hand Tool
• Left Navbar - Advanced Functions
• Switching Between Designer 2.0 and Designer 1.0

The OptiSigns Designer app is our most feature-rich application, allowing complete creation of content for display on digital signs. This guide will get you started on creating content within the OptiSigns platform.

Opening Designer

To open designer, click Files/Assets, then App.

Next, hit Designer. This will open the Designer app.

Designer App Overview

The Designer app is broken into 4 main zones:

1. Top Menu - Basic Functions
2. Canvas
3. Toolbar - Positioning
4. Side Menu - Advanced Functions

We’ll be going over each in turn.

Canvas

The Designer viewer is where your design lives. Each element is visible and selectable within the window.

Elements can be moved, resized, deleted, and more from here.

Top Menu - Basic Functions

The Top Menu of the Design window is where basic functions can be found. These include adding images, text, shapes, backgrounds, filters, animation, and frames, naming your design, drawing, and resizing your design.

Naming Your Design

By default, each new design will be titled “Your new untitled design,” as shown below.

We recommend changing this name as soon as possible, as, while it is possible to save a design with the default name, it will be hard to identify in your Assets folder.

Once the design has been given a name, it will appear there throughout the design process. 

Move, Save, New Design, and Download Functions

The Move, Save, New Design, and Download functions are to the right of the name.

These work the same way as in most other applications:

Move - Lets you move the Design asset to different folders. When hitting this button, a popup will appear allowing you to Select Folder.

You can also create a New Folder here if needed.

Save - Saves your Design asset. This will overwrite any earlier versions of the asset, unless you give it another name.

Any time a change is made to your design without saving, a notification will appear in the Top Menu alerting you that you have unsaved changes:

New Design - Exits the current design and creates a new one. The New Design panel will appear on the left sidebar:

Here, you can determine the New Design’s orientation and size.

Download - Downloads the current design to your local device. You’ll be able to rename the file, and choose between PNG and JPG filetypes.

Image

The Image option allows you to upload images into your design.

When clicked, it will give you two options: My Device, and Image Assets.

Clicking My Device will let you upload an image from the current device you’re using, while Image Assets lets you upload an image directly from your Files/Assets library.

For more, see our Images in Designer article (coming soon!)

Text

The Text option allows you to insert text into the design.

Text can be chosen from either the Top Menu or the Side Menu. Either will open the Side Menu for more options:

Clicking Add a text box or one of the Predefined text options will add a text box to the Designer View:

Do as the prompt says, and numerous options open up to you. First, the Text itself has a full set of options:

Clicking the text also alters the Top Menu:

Double-clicking or selecting the text allows you to enter text directly.

Lastly, single clicking the text, then holding down the mouse button and dragging allows you to reposition the text.

For a complete breakdown of the Text function, see our Text in Designer article.

Shapes

The Shapes option allows you to add premade shapes or elements to the design.

Choosing Shapes from the Top Menu will open the Elements tab on the Left Navbar:

Here, you can choose between Shapes and Elements to add to the design. There are a vast number of these, so pick ones which suit your needs.

Clicking a Shape or Element will add it to the design:

Shapes are reactive and can be resized or rotated at will:

Clicking the Shape or Element will change the Top Menu and apply directly to the selection:

Finally, the Shape or Element itself has a full set of options:

For a complete breakdown of the Shapes and Elements bar, see our Shapes and Elements article.

Background

The Background option allows you to change the background color of your design.

Clicking it will open up the Canvas Background area on the Left Navbar:

Selecting any of the colors will apply it to your design:

If none of the default colors meet your needs, you can also select from the color picker and then use the drag-and-drop to pick color or HEX, RGBA, or HSLA color codes with the arrows.

Frame

Selecting the Frame option will allow you to add a frame around your design

Clicking it will open up the Frame area on the Side Menu:

Clicking one of these frames will apply it to your design:

Filter

Selecting the Filter option will allow you to apply one of several filters to the design.

Clicking it will open the Frame panel on the Side Menu:

These filters can be applied to the entire design, or to individual image or background elements like so:

Certain filters are automatically applied. Others have sliders which can provide fine tuning. Lastly, each filter can be stacked with others.

Draw

Selecting the Draw option will allow freeform drawing on your design.

Clicking it opens up the Draw panel on the Left Navbar:

Here, you’ll have a few options:

• Stop Drawing - Keeps the Draw panel open, but allows adjustments to be made to the image. When clicked, this will change to Start Drawing.
• Brush Type - Selects which type of brush to use when drawing.
• Brush Size - Lets you customize the size of your brush.
• Brush Color - Select brush color from a set of default colors or through the color picker.

Once the options you want have been selected, you can draw whatever you like on the design:

These drawn elements can be selected and edited just like any other element of the design.

Resize

Selecting the Resize option allows you to change the size of the design.

Clicking it will open the Resize area on the Side Menu:

Here, you’ll have a few options:

• Orientation - Switch between Landscape and Portrait orientation.
• New Size - Let’s you change the width and height of the design. The default or custom numbers will swap to adjust to selected orientation.
• Maintain Aspect Ratio - When checked, any change to width or height will be mirrored by the other value.
• Use Percentages - Changes the width and height values from pixels to percentages. Will grey out the orientation selections.
• Resize Canvas Size Only - When checked, will only alter the size of the canvas, not any of the elements present in the design. If not checked, all elements of the design will be resized to match the canvas.

Once you’ve made the adjustments you’d like, hit the Resize button and your design will be resized.

Animate

Selecting the Animate button will allow you to add animations to your design elements.

Clicking it will open the Animate area on the Side Menu:

In order to add animations, you’ll need to select an element of your design. Then, hit Add:

There are numerous options for adding Animations to your design. For more information on this, see our Animations article.

Preview and Push to Screens

These options allow you to Preview what the design will look like when displayed on a screen, or immediately push the design to a screen.

Preview

The Preview button will show what your design will look like if pushed to a screen.

Please note that this Preview may be slightly different than what will actually appear depending on the hardware you are using to run OptiSigns and various other factors. 

Push to Screens

Here, you can assign the asset to a screen or tag. For more information, see our article on Pushing Contents to Screens.

Close

Hitting the Close button will close the design. If this button is clicked before the design has been saved, the following popup will appear:

This gives you the option to Keep Editing, Discard Changes, or Save Changes and close.

Undo/Redo

The Undo option does what it says on the tin - it undoes the last action. If this button is pushed in error, the Redo button will fix it.

Toolbar - Positioning

The Toolbar on the right hand is primarily used for positioning elements of your design via Zoom, Layer, History, and the Hand Tool functions.

Zoom

Shows the level of Zoom on the design. Can be adjusted with the ‘+’ or ‘-’ buttons.

Can be adjusted with the ‘+’ or ‘-’ buttons.

Layers

The Layers button allows you to change the layering of the elements on your design.

When clicked, it will open the Position window on the Left Navbar, under the Layers tab.

Here, the different elements of your design will be arranged in from the top layer to the bottom layer. They can be dragged and dropped to rearrange the layers, like so:

Note that widgets cannot be rearranged and will always be overlaid on top of the design.

History

Selecting the History button will allow you to view the history of all changes made to the design.

Clicking it will open the Position window on the Left Navbar, under the History tab:

This will display the actions taken in descending order, from how the design was when it first opened through each individual change. Clicking each will bring the design back to that point:

Please note that the History tab will clear each time the design is closed and reopened.

Hand Tool

Selecting the Hand Tool will allow you to move the entire design as opposed to just individual elements of it.

When selected, the hand tool icon will turn green and your cursor will change to a hand. The canvas can then be moved:

Side Menu - Additional Functions

The Side Menu is where most of the Additional Functions for the OptiSigns Designer app live. 

These functions are what allow you to transform your design from a simple, static image into dynamic signage with:

• Our vast Template Library
• Your Templates and Components
• Widgets
• Photos, GIFs, Stickers / Emojis, and QR Codes
• Dynamic DataSources & Repeaters with OptiSync
• Text
• Shapes & Elements
• Brand Kit

Each of these major functions are covered in more detail in their respective articles, linked above (coming soon, in some cases!).

Switching Between Designer 2.0 and Designer 1.0

To go back to the old 1.0 version of Designer, simply click the Use Designer 1.0 button in the upper right corner of the screen.

That’s all!

OptiSigns is the leader in digital signage software. If you have any additional questions, concerns or any feedback about OptiSigns, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@optisigns.com.