> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.presenton.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Slide canvas editor

> Edit every slide as a visual canvas with direct object controls, rich text, charts, tables, images, layouts, and AI-assisted changes.

Presenton does not flatten a generated presentation into screenshots. Template V2 slides remain structured and editable on a `1280 × 720` canvas, so you can refine the AI result without rebuilding the deck elsewhere.

## What the editor supports

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Direct manipulation" icon="arrows-up-down-left-right">
    Select, move, resize, rotate, duplicate, delete, copy, paste, and reorder slide objects.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rich text" icon="text-size">
    Edit mixed formatting, fonts, size, color, alignment, spacing, wrapping, and lists directly on the slide.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Images and icons" icon="image">
    Replace images, change fit, crop focus, zoom, flip, opacity, rounded corners, and supported SVG icon colors.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Charts and tables" icon="chart-column">
    Edit chart data and styling or update individual table cells without recreating the slide.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Shapes and lines" icon="shapes">
    Refine rectangles, ellipses, lines, fills, borders, opacity, radius, dash styles, and shadows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Responsive layouts" icon="table-columns">
    Work with containers, flex layouts, grids, grouped elements, padding, gaps, alignment, and child items.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Frame caption="Type-specific canvas controls for tables, shapes, charts, and images">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/presenton-521d9e2f/WyZNN3npwarofQJS/images/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/canvas-editor/element-editing.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=WyZNN3npwarofQJS&q=85&s=a3a8c56bfd13df4c7278da704ecb9128" alt="Four examples of Presenton canvas controls for editing tables, shapes, charts, and images" width="1672" height="941" data-path="images/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/canvas-editor/element-editing.png" />
</Frame>

## Enter edit mode

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a presentation">
    Generate a deck or open an existing presentation from the dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on Select Edit">
    Enable **Select Edit** in the presentation toolbar. The slide becomes an interactive canvas instead of a read-only preview.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the smallest useful object">
    Click a top-level component to move or resize it. Select a nested element when you want its type-specific toolbar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Double-click for inline editing">
    Double-click text, tables, charts, icons, or images to open the corresponding editing flow when supported.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The floating toolbar changes with the selection. Text controls appear for text, chart controls for charts, crop and replacement controls for images, and layout controls for containers, flex, and grid structures.

## Select and arrange objects

### Single and multiple selection

Click one object for a single selection. Use the normal modifier key for your operating system to add or remove top-level components from a multi-selection, then move the selected components together.

### Move, resize, and rotate

Drag a selected component to reposition it. Use the transform handles to resize or rotate supported objects. The editor commits the final geometry to the slide rather than storing a visual-only overlay.

### Layers and groups

Use the selection actions to:

* Bring an object forward or to the front.
* Send an object backward or to the back.
* Ungroup supported components into independently editable items.
* Duplicate a selection without using the system clipboard.
* Copy a selection and paste it with a safe offset and new identifiers.

<Frame caption="Select a component to ungroup, duplicate, reorder, or delete it while keeping the AI assistant in view">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/presenton-521d9e2f/WyZNN3npwarofQJS/images/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/canvas-editor/component-layer-controls.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=WyZNN3npwarofQJS&q=85&s=f53565f8b427259251d0ed0f2a56772d" alt="Presenton canvas with a grouped headline selected, its component actions menu open, slide thumbnails on the left, and the AI assistant on the right" width="1846" height="989" data-path="images/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/canvas-editor/component-layer-controls.png" />
</Frame>

Layer keyboard shortcuts use `Ctrl` or `Command` together with `Alt` and the arrow keys:

| Action         | Shortcut                         |
| -------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Bring forward  | `Ctrl/Command + Alt + ↑`         |
| Bring to front | `Ctrl/Command + Alt + Shift + ↑` |
| Send backward  | `Ctrl/Command + Alt + ↓`         |
| Send to back   | `Ctrl/Command + Alt + Shift + ↓` |

## Edit text and lists

Double-click text to edit it directly over the canvas. The rich-text editor supports:

* Font family and size.
* Bold, italic, underline, and mixed styles within one text box.
* Text color and opacity.
* Horizontal and vertical alignment.
* Letter spacing and line height.
* Bulleted and numbered list markers for list elements.

Inline changes are buffered while you type and committed when editing closes, which avoids rebuilding the entire slide on every keystroke.

<Frame caption="Edit and format text directly on the slide canvas">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/presenton-521d9e2f/WyZNN3npwarofQJS/images/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/canvas-editor/text-editing.gif?s=1fe8d3fa171c27a52e048eaa87998d66" alt="Editing a heading directly on the Presenton canvas with the inline text formatting toolbar" width="1457" height="948" data-path="images/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/canvas-editor/text-editing.gif" />
</Frame>

## Replace and crop images

Select an image to choose its fit mode:

| Mode    | Behavior                                                      |
| ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Fill    | Covers the frame and allows crop focus and zoom               |
| Contain | Shows the complete image inside the frame                     |
| Stretch | Fills the frame without preserving the original crop behavior |

The crop editor keeps the frame fixed while you move and scale the image behind it. You can also flip horizontally or vertically, change opacity, and adjust rounded corners. Replacing an image uploads the new asset and updates the selected element while keeping its place in the layout.

Icons are image-like SVG elements. For supported icons, open the icon editor to search for a replacement and update the icon color.

## Edit chart data and presentation

The chart editor supports common bar, horizontal bar, stacked bar, line, area, pie, donut, polar, radar, scatter, and bubble configurations. Depending on the chart type, you can edit:

* Categories, series names, and numeric values.
* Chart type and multiple series.
* Title and title color.
* Series or category colors.
* Data labels and legend visibility.
* Axis visibility, titles, grid lines, and colors.

Use the data table in the chart editor for exact values. Verify source numbers before export; visual editing does not validate the meaning of the data.

## Edit tables cell by cell

Double-click a table cell to edit its content inline. Table controls support cell selection and table-specific formatting while preserving the element's position and size on the slide.

Use tables for exact values and charts for patterns. If an AI-generated table contains important metrics, compare every value with the source document before publishing.

## Work with containers, flex, and grid layouts

Some template elements manage their children automatically:

* **Container** controls fill, border, radius, shadow, padding, and alignment.
* **Flex** arranges children by direction, gap, growth, shrink behavior, and alignment.
* **Grid** places children into cells with spans and alignment.
* **Group** keeps related objects together until you ungroup them.

When a child snaps back after dragging, inspect the parent layout. A flex or grid parent may intentionally calculate the child's position; adjust the parent controls or ungroup the content when independent positioning is required.

## Use AI on a selected element

Select Edit also works with prompt-based editing. Select the target text, image, or supported component, open its AI edit action, describe one focused change, and apply the result.

Good requests identify both the target and the change:

```text theme={null}
Shorten this paragraph to two sentences and keep the 18% growth figure.
```

```text theme={null}
Replace this image with an overhead photograph of a renewable-energy site.
```

```text theme={null}
Make this heading more concise without changing the meaning.
```

Use the AI assistant panel for changes that affect a whole slide or the presentation structure, such as adding a new chart slide or rewriting several slides in one tone. Use selection editing when only one element should change.

## Undo, redo, and deletion

Click the slide surface first so it is the active canvas, then use:

| Action           | Shortcut                                         |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| Undo             | `Ctrl/Command + Z`                               |
| Redo             | `Ctrl/Command + Y` or `Ctrl/Command + Shift + Z` |
| Delete selection | `Delete` or `Backspace`                          |

Undo and redo apply to the active slide editor history. If a shortcut appears to affect nothing, click the intended slide surface and try again.

## Preview and export safely

The canvas editor and exported slide use the same structured Template V2 data, but fonts, browser rendering, and the target presentation application can still introduce small differences.

Before sharing:

1. Exit Select Edit and review the slide at normal size.
2. Check text wrapping, image crops, table overflow, chart labels, and layer order.
3. Preview the complete presentation.
4. Export a test PPTX when recipients will continue editing in PowerPoint.
5. Export a PDF when fixed visual delivery matters more than editability.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="AI assistant" icon="robot" href="/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/core-concepts/ai-assistant">
    Make presentation-wide or slide-wide changes through conversation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Images, charts, and media" icon="images" href="/open-source/v0.9.0-beta/features/media-and-images">
    Choose the right visual type and configure image providers.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
