Refbox
Frames

Image Frames

View, annotate, crop, and navigate static and animated images in Frames.

Image Frames display static images and animated formats such as GIF, WebP, and AVIF. They support all common Frame controls plus an Image Editor, non-destructive annotations, rendering options, and animated-image playback controls.

Image Editor

Right-click an image or animated-image Asset in the Box, Gallery, or a Group and select Edit Image. You can also choose Edit Image from an Image Frame's context menu.

The Image Editor brings these actions together:

  • Crop the image
  • Create and edit annotations
  • Switch between smooth and pixelated rendering
  • Choose a background for transparency
  • Open the Asset's original source, when available
  • Open Asset Info

Rendering and background changes affect how the Asset is displayed in Refbox. Annotations are stored separately from the original image until you explicitly create an annotated copy.

Image Annotations

Choose Annotate in the Image Editor to draw or place text over an image. Annotations also appear everywhere that Asset is shown, including its Box thumbnail, Gallery, Group Frames, and Image Frames.

Annotation Tools

Select and move
Select an existing stroke or text object and drag it to a new position. Select text again to edit its content, color, or size.
Draw
Draw freehand strokes using the selected color and brush size.
Add text
Click the image to place text, then choose its color and size. Press Enter to finish or Shift+Enter for a new line.
Undo and Redo
Step backward or forward through changes made during the current editing session.
Delete selected
Remove the currently selected stroke or text object.
Clear all annotations
Remove every annotation from the image.

Choose Apply to save the editable annotations, or Cancel to leave annotation mode without applying the current edits.

Copying and Exporting Annotations

After an Asset has annotations, its context menu offers separate actions:

Copy Image / Save As
Copy or export the original image without annotations.
Copy Annotated / Save Annotated
Flatten the visible annotations into the copied or exported image. The original Asset and its editable annotations remain unchanged.

These choices are available from the Box, Gallery, Group Frames, and Image Frames. Copying an animated image to the clipboard creates a static image. Save Annotated preserves animation for supported GIF and animated WebP files; animated AVIF annotated exports use a static first frame.

Crop

Choose Crop in the Image Editor, adjust the visible region, and then choose:

Save
Replace the Asset with the cropped result. This cannot be undone.
Save Copy
Add the cropped result to the Box as a separate Asset.

If the Asset has annotations, use Include annotations to decide whether the cropped Asset keeps the annotations inside the selected region. An animated AVIF crop uses a static first frame.

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. Best for pixel art and low-resolution graphics.

Background Color

Control how transparent areas are displayed:

  • White: Show transparent areas over white
  • Black: Show transparent areas over black
  • None: Keep the Frame background transparent

Original Source and Asset Info

The Image Editor includes a source action when the Asset came from a file or URL that Refbox can open. Use Get Info to inspect its source details, dimensions, format, and other metadata.

GIF Playback

GIFs include playback controls. Click the Pause icon in the Frame to enter Playback mode:

  • Playback controls appear on hover or focus
  • Use the frame slider for precise control
  • Change the playback speed
  • Press Space while the Frame is focused to play or pause
Use the frame slider to study a specific moment of an animation, then add annotations that remain visible throughout playback.

Free Canvas Mode

Toggle Free Canvas from the context menu to pan and zoom beyond the image boundaries. Free Canvas is turned on automatically if you rotate a Frame.

Context Menu Actions

Right-click an Image Frame to access:

Opacity, Rotation, Flip, and Grayscale
Adjust how the image appears in the Frame.
Free Canvas
Toggle navigation beyond the image boundaries.
Edit Image
Open the Image Editor for crop, annotations, rendering, background, source, and Asset Info.
Color Picker
Sample a pixel from the live screen and copy it using the format selected in Settings.
Copy Image / Copy Annotated
Copy the original image or a flattened annotated version to the clipboard.
Save As / Save Annotated
Export the original image or a flattened annotated version.
Lock, Reset, Frame Docs, and Close
Lock interactions, reset the Frame, open these docs, or close the Frame.

Tips and Best Practices

Keep annotations editable by using Apply. Use Copy Annotated or Save Annotated only when you need a flattened version outside Refbox.
Use Pixelated rendering for pixel art, game sprites, or low-resolution graphics.
Adjust the background to reveal details in transparent images.
Use Free Canvas when you want 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.