Refbox
Frames

Image Frames

View and navigate around static images and animated GIFs in Frames.

Image Frames display static images and animated GIFs. They support all common Frame controls plus image-specific features like crop, rendering modes, and GIF playback controls.

An Image Frame with transformations applied

Image Settings

Right-click an Image Frame and select Image Settings to access advanced options:

Crop

Adjust the visible area of the image. Save over the original image (cannot be undone) or Save a Copy.

GIFs cannot be cropped.

Cropping an image in Image Settings

Rendering Mode

Choose how the image is rendered:

Smooth
Standard rendering with anti-aliasing. Best for photographs and detailed artwork.
Pixelated
Nearest-neighbor rendering that preserves sharp pixel edges. Perfect for pixel art and low-resolution graphics.

Comparison of Smooth and Pixelated rendering modes

Background Color

Control how transparent areas are displayed:

  • White: Transparent areas show with a white background
  • Black: Transparent areas show with a black background
  • None: Maintain transparency with no background

Different background color options for transparent images

Open Original URL

If the image was imported from a URL, you can open the original source webpage from Image Settings.

GIF Frames

Animated GIFs have additional playback controls:

Playback Mode

Click the Pause icon in the Frame to enter Playback mode. In Playback mode:

  • Playback controls appear on hover/focus
  • Frame-by-frame slider for precise control
  • Playback speed multiplier
  • Spacebar toggles play/pause when the Frame is focused

GIF Frame with playback controls

Use the frame-by-frame slider to reference specific frames of an animation for drawing or timing studies.

Free Canvas Mode

Toggle Free Canvas from the context menu to allow panning and zooming beyond the image boundaries.

Free Canvas mode is automatically turned on if you change a Frame's rotation.

Free Canvas mode allowing panning beyond image bounds

Context Menu Actions

Right-click an Image Frame to access:

Opacity
Quick opacity adjustment slider.
Rotation
Quick rotation controls.
Flip
Flip horizontal or vertical.
Grayscale
Toggle grayscale mode.
Free Canvas
Toggle Free Canvas mode on/off.
Image Settings
Open the settings dialog for crop, rendering, and background options.
Color Picker
Copy the HEX color code of any pixel on your screen.
Copy Image
Copy the current Asset to your clipboard.
Save As
Export the Asset to your computer.
Lock
Lock the Frame to prevent keyboard or mouse interaction.
Reset
Reset all transformations to default.
Close
Close the Frame.

Tips and Best Practices

Use Pixelated rendering for pixel art, game sprites, or any low-resolution graphics to maintain crisp edges.
Adjust background color for transparent PNGs to more clearly see any details.
Enter GIF Playback mode to study specific frames of an animation for timing or drawing reference.
Use Free Canvas if you prefer to be able to navigate beyond an Asset's borders.

Frames

Frames are movable canvases for working with Assets that float above your workspace.

Video

Play and reference video content in Frames.