# Settings

Every setting in pxstud.io: where to change it, its values, its default and where it's kept.

Most settings are in the **Settings** menu and the **View** menu, and a few sit next to what they
change (the color picker's own settings button, the timeline's playback controls). Tool options
have [their own reference](https://pxstud.io/docs/manual/reference/tool-options.md).

Settings are kept in one of these places, shown in each table's **Kept** column:

- **This browser, every sprite:** saved in this browser and the same for every sprite. Another
  browser or device has its own. A saved [workspace layout](https://pxstud.io/docs/manual/guides/workspace.md) can carry
  some of them, as noted under their tables.
- **Each sprite, in this browser:** each sprite has its own, saved in this browser.
- **In the sprite file:** part of the sprite, so it's saved and synced with it and undo covers it.
- **Each editor view:** each editor (View > New Editor) has its own, until you reload.
- **Until you reload:** shared by every view and back to the default when the page reloads.

## Appearance

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Theme** | The theme button at the right end of the menu bar | Match system, Light, Dark | Match system | This browser, every sprite | Light or dark, or whichever your system uses; every page of pxstud.io follows it. |

A saved workspace layout can carry these: Theme.

## Keyboard shortcuts

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Keyboard shortcuts** | Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts... | Any keys for any command, or none | The defaults | This browser, every sprite | Changes, adds or removes the keys for any command or tool. |

A saved workspace layout can carry these: Keyboard shortcuts.

How to change them is in [Keyboard shortcuts](https://pxstud.io/docs/manual/reference/shortcuts.md).

## View

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Pixel grid** | View > Grid > Show Pixel Grid | On or off | Off | Each editor view | Outlines every pixel when you zoom in far enough. |
| **Tiled mode** | View > Tiled Mode | Off, Both axes, Horizontal only, Vertical only | Off | Each editor view | Repeats the sprite around itself, to check that it tiles; you can paint across the copies. |
| **Onion skin** | View > Show Onion Skin | On or off | Off | Each editor view | Shows the frames around the current one, faded, as set in the onion skin settings. |
| **Tile grid** | View > Tile Grid | On or off | On | Until you reload | Outlines the tiles while a tilemap layer is active. |
| **Brush preview** | View > Show Brush Preview | On or off | On | Until you reload | Shows the brush's footprint under the pointer, or the Spray's splash circle. |
| **Zoom snapping** | Settings > Zoom Snapping | Off (smooth), Whole numbers, Powers of two | Whole numbers | This browser, every sprite | Whole numbers keeps every pixel the same size on screen, on Aseprite's levels (1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 8x, 12x ..., and 1/2, 1/3 ... below 100%); powers of two zooms ... 1/2, 1x, 2x, 4x ...; off zooms smoothly. |

## Touch and pen

For drawing on a tablet or touch screen. A pen's eraser end always switches to the Eraser while you
use it (see [Tools](https://pxstud.io/docs/manual/reference/tools.md#tool-eraser)).

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Draw with finger** | Settings > Draw with Finger | On or off | On | This browser, every sprite | When off, one finger pans the canvas instead of drawing, so only a pen or mouse draws; pinching and two- and three-finger taps work either way. |

## Mouse and trackpad

What the mouse, its wheel and a trackpad do on the canvas; [The workspace](https://pxstud.io/docs/manual/guides/workspace.md#zoom-pan-and-rotate)
explains them. Commands bound to mouse buttons and wheel directions are kept with the
[keyboard shortcuts](https://pxstud.io/docs/manual/reference/shortcuts.md).

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Mouse wheel** | Settings > Mouse and Trackpad... | Zoom, Scroll the view | Zoom | This browser, every sprite | Zoom: the wheel zooms and a trackpad's two-finger scroll pans. Scroll the view: the wheel pans (Shift+wheel sideways) and Ctrl+wheel (⌘+wheel on a Mac) zooms. A trackpad pinch zooms either way. |
| **Zoom around** | Settings > Mouse and Trackpad... | Pointer, Center of the view | Pointer | This browser, every sprite | Whether wheel and trackpad zoom keeps the point under the pointer still, or the middle of the view. |
| **Invert brush-size wheel** | Settings > Mouse and Trackpad... | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Ctrl+Shift+wheel (⌘⇧+wheel on a Mac) changes the active tool's size, wheel up for bigger; this makes wheel up smaller, as in older Aseprite. |
| **Right button** | Settings > Mouse and Trackpad... | Tool's right-click (background color), Erase while held, Pick color while held, Pan the view | Tool's right-click (background color) | This browser, every sprite | What a right-button drag on the canvas does: the tool's own right-click (most paint with the background color), erase, pick a color, or pan. A pen's side button counts as the right button. |
| **Back and forward buttons open the tool wheel** | Settings > Mouse and Trackpad... | On or off | On | This browser, every sprite | Hold the mouse's back or forward button over the canvas to open the tool wheel, and let go over a tool to pick it; the browser doesn't go back. |
| **Cursor size** | Settings > Mouse and Trackpad... | 100%, 150%, 200% | 100% | This browser, every sprite | Draws the pixel cursors at 150% or 200%, still crisp, for big or dense screens. |

## Tools

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Remember brush per tool** | Settings > Remember Brush per Tool | On or off | On | This browser, every sprite | Each tool keeps its own brush size, shape and ink, so switching back to a tool brings back what it last used; when off, every tool shares one brush. |
| **Hold tool keys to borrow** | Settings > Hold Tool Keys to Borrow | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Tap a tool's key to switch to it; hold the key for a moment and the tool is only borrowed, so letting go returns you to the tool you had (hold E to erase, release to carry on with the pencil). |
| **Tool wheel: inner ring** | Settings > Tool Wheel... | Up to eight tools, in slots you choose | 8 tools | This browser, every sprite | The tools on the ring nearest the pointer, the easiest to reach; slots may stay empty. |
| **Tool wheel: outer ring** | Settings > Tool Wheel... | Up to eight tools, in slots you choose | 8 tools | This browser, every sprite | The tools on the ring behind the inner one, turned half a slot so each sits between two inner tools; slots may stay empty. |

## Grid

The grid's look and snapping are yours; its type, offset and cell size belong to the sprite.

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Show grid** | View > Grid > Show Grid | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Draws the sprite's grid over the canvas. |
| **Snap to grid** | View > Grid > Snap to Grid | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Snaps shapes, lines, selections, slices and gradients to the grid. |
| **Color and opacity** | View > Grid > Grid Settings... | Any color | #000000 at 50% | This browser, every sprite | The grid lines' color and how opaque they are. |
| **Type** | View > Grid > Grid Settings... | Rectangular, Isometric | Rectangular | In the sprite file | A grid of rectangles, or of diamonds for isometric art (View > Grid > Isometric Grid switches too). |
| **Ratio** | View > Grid > Grid Settings... | 2:1, 1:1, 3:2, 4:3 | 2:1 | In the sprite file | An isometric grid's slope: how many pixels across for each pixel down. |
| **Offset (X, Y)** | View > Grid > Grid Settings... | -32767 px to 32767 px | 0, 0 | In the sprite file | Where the grid starts, so it can line up with art that isn't at the corner. |
| **Cell size** | View > Grid > Grid Settings... | 1 px to 32767 px | 16 × 16 px | In the sprite file | Each cell's width and height; an isometric cell's height follows from its width and ratio. |

A saved workspace layout can carry these: View preferences (grid, checkerboard, onion skin, playback).

## Rulers and guides

Whether rulers and guides show, snap or are locked is yours; the guides themselves belong to the
sprite.

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Show rulers** | View > Guides > Show Rulers | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Rulers along the top and left of every editor view, in sprite pixels. Drag out of one to add a guide. |
| **Show guides** | View > Guides > Show Guides | On or off | On | This browser, every sprite | Draws the sprite's guides over the canvas. Hidden guides don't snap. |
| **Snap to guides** | View > Guides > Snap to Guides | On or off | On | This browser, every sprite | Pulls shapes, lines, selections, slices, gradients and Move tool transforms onto a guide within a few screen pixels. |
| **Lock guides** | View > Guides > Lock Guides | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Stops guides being moved or removed by dragging. New ones can still come out of the rulers. |

A saved workspace layout can carry these: View preferences (grid, checkerboard, onion skin, playback).

## Checkerboard

The checkerboard shows through transparent pixels.

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Square size** | Settings > Checkerboard... | 1 px, 2 px, 4 px, 8 px, 16 px, 32 px, 64 px | 16 px | This browser, every sprite | The side of each square of the checkerboard behind transparent pixels, in sprite pixels. |
| **Colors** | Settings > Checkerboard... | Two colors of your choice | The theme's | This browser, every sprite | The two colors of the squares; Reset to Theme follows the light or dark theme again. |

A saved workspace layout can carry these: View preferences (grid, checkerboard, onion skin, playback).

## Onion skin

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Previous frames** | Settings > Onion Skin... | 0 to 16 | 1 | This browser, every sprite | How many frames before the current one show. |
| **Next frames** | Settings > Onion Skin... | 0 to 16 | 1 | This browser, every sprite | How many frames after the current one show. |
| **Opacity** | Settings > Onion Skin... | 0% to 100% | 50% | This browser, every sprite | How opaque the nearest frames are. |
| **Opacity step** | Settings > Onion Skin... | 0% to 100% | 10% | This browser, every sprite | How much fainter each frame further away gets. |
| **Red/Blue tint** | Settings > Onion Skin... | On or off | On | This browser, every sprite | Tints earlier frames red and later frames blue. |
| **Current tag only** | Settings > Onion Skin... | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Shows only frames in the tag the current frame belongs to. |
| **Loop through tag frames** | Settings > Onion Skin... | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | With Current tag only, wraps around the tag's ends, as the animation does when it loops. |
| **Position** | Settings > Onion Skin... | Behind sprite, In front of sprite | Behind sprite | This browser, every sprite | Draws the other frames behind the current one, or over it. |

A saved workspace layout can carry these: View preferences (grid, checkerboard, onion skin, playback).

## Playback

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Playback speed** | The timeline's and the preview's playback controls | 0.25x, 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 3x, 4x | 1x | This browser, every sprite | Plays the animation faster or slower; the frame durations in the sprite don't change. |
| **Playback mode** | The timeline's and the preview's playback controls | Play tags & repetitions, Play all frames (ignore tags), Play once, Play subtags | Play tags & repetitions | This browser, every sprite | Whether playback follows the tags and their repeats, plays every frame, plays once, or plays the subtags. |

A saved workspace layout can carry these: View preferences (grid, checkerboard, onion skin, playback).

## Canvas info

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Show canvas info** | View > Show Canvas Info | On or off | On | This browser, every sprite | Shows a readout of the cursor position, tool, frame and so on in a corner of each canvas. |
| **Position** | Settings > Canvas Info... | Top left, Top right, Bottom left, Bottom right | Bottom left | This browser, every sprite | The corner of the canvas it sits in. |
| **Items** | Settings > Canvas Info... | Any of Cursor position, Selection size, Shape size / rotation angle, Foreground color, Active tool, Active layer, Frame, Canvas size, Color mode, Zoom | Cursor position, Selection size, Shape size / rotation angle, Active tool, Frame, Canvas size | This browser, every sprite | What the readout lists; the selection and shape sizes show only while there's one. |

## Keystrokes

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Show keystrokes** | View > Show Keystrokes | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Shows each key you press and the command it runs, for recording tutorials. |
| **Position** | Settings > Keystrokes... | Top left, Top center, Top right, Bottom left, Bottom center, Bottom right | Bottom center | This browser, every sprite | Where on screen the keys appear. |
| **Relative to canvas** | Settings > Keystrokes... | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Places them in a corner of the canvas instead of the window. |

## Color picker

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Modes** | The Color picker's settings button | Any of Shades, Spectrum, Wheel, Sliders, Normal map | Shades, Spectrum, Wheel, Sliders | This browser, every sprite | The pickers offered in the picker's mode bar; at least one stays on. |
| **Mode** | The Color picker's mode bar | Shades, Spectrum, Wheel, Sliders, Normal map | Shades | This browser, every sprite | The picker showing. |
| **Color space** | The Color picker's settings button | HSV, RYB (painter's wheel), OKLCH (even lightness) | HSV | This browser, every sprite | The color space of the Shades, Spectrum and Wheel pickers. |
| **Slider channels** | The Sliders mode's channel buttons | RGB, HSV, HSL, OKLCH | RGB | This browser, every sprite | The channels the Sliders mode shows. |
| **Harmony** | The Color picker's settings button | None, Complementary, Analogous, Split complementary, Triadic, Tetradic, Square, Monochromatic | None | This browser, every sprite | Marks the colors that go with the current one on the pickers, by a color-wheel rule. |
| **Discrete steps** | The Color picker's settings button | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Snaps the pickers to a fixed number of hues and tones. |
| **Hue steps** | The Color picker's settings button | 6 hues, 8 hues, 10 hues, 12 hues, 16 hues, 18 hues, 24 hues, 36 hues | 12 hues | This browser, every sprite | How many hues Discrete steps allows. |
| **Tone steps** | The Color picker's settings button | 3 levels, 4 levels, 5 levels, 6 levels, 8 levels, 10 levels, 12 levels, 16 levels | 8 levels | This browser, every sprite | How many saturation and lightness levels Discrete steps allows. |
| **Wheel start** | The Color picker's settings button | 0° to 330° | 0° | This browser, every sprite | Where red sits on the wheel, turning counterclockwise from the right, in 30° steps. |
| **Normal map** | The Color picker's settings button | Green up, Y+ (OpenGL), Green down, Y− (DirectX) | Green up, Y+ (OpenGL) | This browser, every sprite | Which way green points in the Normal map picker. |
| **Text format** | The format button next to the Color picker's text field | HEX, RGB, HSL, OKLCH | HEX | This browser, every sprite | How the color is written in the picker's text field; click to step through them. |

## Symmetry

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Axes** | The Symmetry button in the tool options bar | Horizontal, vertical and the two diagonals, in any combination | None (off) | Each sprite, in this browser | The lines strokes and shapes are mirrored across. |
| **Axis position** | Drag an axis on the canvas | Anywhere on the canvas, on a pixel edge or a pixel's middle | The canvas center | Each sprite, in this browser | Where the axes cross; the Symmetry button's arrow has Reset to center. |

## Text tool

The Text tool's options are kept in this browser, so the last font you used is still chosen next
time. Fonts you load are kept in this browser too.

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Font** | The Text tool's options bar | A bundled pixel font, or a font file loaded in this browser | Spleen 5x8 | This browser, every sprite | The typeface new text is drawn in. |
| **Scale** | The Text tool's options bar | 1x to 16x | 1x | This browser, every sprite | How many pixels wide each of a bitmap font's pixels is drawn. |
| **Size** | The Text tool's options bar | 4 px to 256 px | 16 px | This browser, every sprite | The size a loaded TTF, OTF or WOFF font is drawn at. |
| **Letter spacing** | The Text tool's options bar | -16 px to 64 px | 0 px | This browser, every sprite | Extra pixels between characters. |
| **Line spacing** | The Text tool's options bar | -32 px to 128 px | 0 px | This browser, every sprite | Extra pixels between lines. |
| **Align** | The Text tool's options bar | Left, Center, Right | Left | This browser, every sprite | Whether lines line up on their left edges, centers or right edges. |
| **Bold** | The Text tool's options bar | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Heavier letters: a loaded font's bold, or, for a bitmap font, every pixel doubled to its right. |
| **Italic** | The Text tool's options bar | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Slanted letters: a loaded font's italic, or, for a bitmap font, rows shifted right a pixel at a time going up. |

## Workspace

Which panels are open and where they're docked is covered in [The workspace](https://pxstud.io/docs/manual/guides/workspace.md).

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Lock layout** | View > Workspace > Lock Layout | On or off | Off | This browser, every sprite | Stops panels from being moved, docked or resized by accident. |

## New sprites

| Setting | Where | Values | Default | Kept | What it does |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Palette** | File > New Sprite... | The starter palette, one of My Palettes, or a built-in one | The starter palette | This browser, every sprite | The palette a new sprite starts with: the New Sprite dialog remembers the last one you chose. |