Access design tools from the toolbar
Who can use this feature
Users on any team or plan can access the toolbar in Figma Design files.
Users will need can edit access to use every tool in the toolbar. Users with can view access can use some functions in the toolbar.
The toolbar is your hub for interacting with—and adding objects—to the canvas. Here is an overview of the different tools in the toolbar.

When you open a design file, Figma selects the Move tool by default. Click the arrow to the right of the Move tool to access the Hand and Scale tools.
- Move: Select and move objects around on the canvas
- Hand: Click around a file without selecting and moving objects
If you're using Figma on a device with a touch screen, the Hand tool lets you pan around a file using your fingers.
Tip: You can press and hold the space bar to temporarily activate the Hand tool.
The Frame tool is selected by default. Click the arrow to access the Section and Slice tools.
- Frame: Frames are the main building blocks of Figma. A frame is a container that holds design elements such as shapes, text, and images. You can use them to organize and structure design elements on the canvas. Create a frame with your own dimensions in the canvas, or select a frame size from Figma's presets in the properties panel on the right-hand side of the screen.
- Section: Sections let you organize files for easier navigation, link others to a collection of designs, or mark content as "Ready for development" to help with the developer handoff.
The Shape tool gives you a number of default shapes to use. The Rectangle tool is selected by default. Click the arrow to choose from:
- Rectangle
- Line
- Arrow
- Ellipse
- Polygon
- Star
- Place Image
Tip: Place Image lets you select one or more images on your computer and insert them on the canvas. In Figma, an image is imported as a fill on a shape, which is why Place Image is located in the Shape tool.
- Pen: Create vector shapes and icons. You can build complex Vector Networks using vector paths, anchor points, and bezier curves.
- Pencil: Add freehand drawings or annotations to your design files. Figma will apply some basic smoothing to any paths you create with the Pencil tool. Select a drawing and press the Enter / Return key to edit the drawing in Vector Edit mode.
Text is one of the crucial components of interface design. Everything from the placement and arrangement of text, to the choice of font, has a part to play.
Select the Text tool, or press the T key to add text layers to your file.
- Click once in the canvas to add a text layer that grows horizontally
- Click and drag to create a text layer with a fixed size
Learn more about creating text layers →
The Comment tool lets you annotate the canvas with your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. Use comments to give or respond to feedback, tweak your designs, and iterate faster—all without leaving the design file. Comments are accessible to anyone with view or edit access to the file.
The Actions menu is a collection of productivity tools in design files to help you stay in the flow. From here, you can access:
- Commands for common actions in Figma, like collapsing all layers in the navigation panel, or toggling rulers on and off
Dev Mode is a developer-focused interface for inspecting and navigating designs. To enter Dev Mode, click the Dev Mode toggle or use the keyboard shortcut Shift D.

