What Voidcanvas is and how its parts fit together
Voidcanvas is a free design suite that runs in your browser. Studio holds the job, the Editor makes the design, Effects and the quick tools give you one-click looks, and work moves between them without leaving your device.
Beginner3 min readUpdated 25 September 2026Editor, Studio, Effects
On this page
This page explains what each part of Voidcanvas is for, so you know where to start a piece of work and where to take it next. Read it once before your first project and the rest of the library will make more sense.
One app, three modules
Voidcanvas is one web app made of three modules. Each one works on its own, and each can pass work to the others. You switch between them with the Studio, Editor and Effects switch at the top of Studio and Effects, or from the V menu at the top left of the Editor.
| Module | Address | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | /studio | Every client job, from the brief to the files you hand over. Jobs move through Direction, Design, Review and Delivered. Studio also holds client brands and the brand guideline builder. |
| Editor | /editor | A layered image editor: image, text, shape and adjustment layers, masks, selections, retouching, 58 live filters, boards and export. |
| Effects | /effects | One-click image effects. Load a photo, pick an effect, tune it, download it or send it to the Editor. |
Next to the modules sit three quick tools: Halftone Generator at /tools/halftone, Dither Generator at /tools/dither and Glitch Image Generator at /tools/glitch. Each is a single page that does one effect well, with an upload button, sliders, Download PNG and Send to Layer Stack.
Which one to open first
- You have a client job with a brief. Start in Studio with Start a job. Studio keeps the brief, references, directions and deliverables together, and opens the Editor when it is time to design. See Studio overview.
- You need one design: a post, a flyer, a slide. Open the Editor and pick a size. See Make your first design.
- You want a look on a photo quickly. Open Effects or a quick tool, then send the result to the Editor if you want to add type or layout. See Using Effects.
How work moves between modules
Every module can hand work to the Editor. Effects has Open in Editor, the quick tools have Send to Layer Stack, and Studio has buttons such as Start key visual in the Editor and Open as a board. The work arrives as real layers: a photo with the effect on its own live filter layer, a Studio palette in your swatches, a brand guideline as one board per page.
This handoff happens inside your browser. The sending module writes the images and settings to a local inbox, the Editor opens, takes them out and clears the inbox. Nothing goes over the network. Moving work between tools covers each route.
Where your work lives
There is no account and no cloud copy. Designs, templates, versions, Studio jobs, brands and your brand kit are all saved in one database inside this browser, on this device. The Editor autosaves as you work. The flip side is that clearing your browser data, or moving to another computer, leaves your work behind unless you exported it first. Saving and your files explains how to keep a portable copy.
Good to know
- Voidcanvas is free. The on-device AI tools are free too: there are no credits.
- It works on phones. Below tablet width the Editor switches to a phone layout built for thumbs. See Designing on a phone.
- You can install it as an app and use it offline after the first visit. See Install Voidcanvas as an app.
- Voidcanvas is made by MotionPlay Labs.