Sketch
A Sketch is a drawing that lives on your Canvas like a Card or an Image. Use one when words aren't the right shape: a quick whiteboard drawing, a flowchart, or a chart of some numbers.
Every Sketch is one of three kinds:
| Kind | What it's for | You make it with |
|---|---|---|
| Draw | Freehand shapes and arrows | A whiteboard: pen, shapes, text |
| Diagram | Structure from Mermaid code | Text code that draws flowcharts, sequences, timelines… |
| Chart | Data charts from Vega-Lite code | A Vega-Lite spec (JSON) that draws bar, line, scatter… charts |
Create a Sketch
- Right-click a blank spot on the Canvas and choose Sketch ("Freehand drawings, diagrams"). A blank Sketch appears where you clicked.
- Double-click it. A menu beside it asks Choose what to make in it: Draw, Diagram or Chart.
- Start drawing or writing code.
A blank Sketch has no kind yet. If you pick a kind but close it without adding anything, it asks again next time. Once it has content, a small badge in its corner says Draw, Diagram or Chart.
You can also drag a connection out to empty space and choose Sketch, or ask Lino AI for a diagram or chart (see Diagram and Chart).
Edit a Sketch
Double-click the Sketch:
- Draw — you draw right there on the Canvas, inside the Sketch's box. See Drawing in a Sketch.
- Diagram and Chart — a code window opens beside the Sketch; the picture updates as you type.
Click outside the Sketch to stop editing. For more room, use Right Panel at the end of the toolbar, or the panel button in the Sketch's header: the Sketch opens in the Right Panel with the full set of tools.
Caption
Like an Image, a Sketch can have a caption under it — it's the Sketch's name in the Gallery and in References.
- Hover just below the Sketch until Double-click to add caption appears, then double-click and type.
- Hide caption / Show caption in the header switches it on and off.
- Right-click → Caption with AI ("Names it from what's drawn") has Lino AI name it. This is a Pro feature.
Copy and export
- Copy as PNG copies the picture.
- Download opens export options: format PNG, JPG or SVG, and a scale from 0.5x to 4x (not for SVG). Select several Sketches to download them together.
- View history shows earlier versions.
These are in the right-click menu, on the Gallery tile, and in the Right Panel's More menu. There you'll also find More sketch actions → Reset Sketch (Draw) or Clear code (Diagram, Chart), which empty the Sketch after asking.
Sketches in Cards
Type @ in a Card and pick a Sketch to show it as a picture block inside the Card's text, or right-click the Sketch → Copy as a reference and paste it into a Card. The block has Copy as PNG and Download on its toolbar. Draw and Diagram blocks show a picture; a Chart block is live while you edit the Card.