There are a number of ways to adjust canvas zoom in files. You can customize your view preferences for files in the Zoom/view options menu in the right sidebar. When you first open a file, the default zoom level will be set to Zoom to fit. Note: These zoom settings only apply to layers and objects on the canvas.
Understanding zoom behavior and where it applies
If you're using the desktop app, you can adjust the scale of Figma's interface, which includes the toolbar, and the left and right sidebars. You can view the current zoom percentage in the top-right corner of the right sidebar. You can enter a custom percentage value or choose from the default zoom percentages. By default, vectors in Figma are rendered as resolution-independent. To support pixel-precise editing, you can enable pixel preview. You can view pixel preview in either 1x or 2x mode. A checkmark will appear next to the setting in the menu.
For greater accuracy when placing and aligning objects, you can enable the pixel grid. The pixel grid is only visible at zoom levels of 400% or higher. When you enable this setting, we will align objects to the underlying grid when placing or moving them. To know if you’ve zoomed in to the canvas enough, turn on the pixel grid ⇧ Shift and zoom in until the grid is visible.
You can toggle the visibility of all layout guides in your files, from the Zoom/view options menu. This is great if you'd like to preview how a design will look, without having to remove or hide layout guides for individual objects.
Collaborative workflows and prototype visibility
If you're collaborating with other team members in a file, you will be able to see their cursors. You can enable Property labels to add additional context to settings in the right sidebar. A prototype is the network of frames and connections in a single page. If you only have can view access to a file, you can't create prototypes or make changes to an existing prototype. Note: If you have can edit access to the file, you won’t have the Prototyping setting in your view options. Instead, you can view prototype flows by switching to the Prototype tab.
New ParticipantView > Interface scale > make larger would work. Figma Learn - Help Center LikeHi Angie. Unfortunately, that doesn’t solve the issue. Doing as you suggest also zooms in the canvas, so at 100% zoom, you’re not actually viewing your frames at 100%, thus forcing designs to be outside of the pixel grid. This is really noticeable on non-retina screens. LikeMe toooo it’s so inconvenient. I was so happy about UI zoom for my bad eyes, but not being able to see the design at the correct size makes zero sense.
Interface scaling versus canvas zoom: a common concern
Yes, this is very important addition to have. It ‘s very annoying if you have a larger monitor with e.g. 200% OS scaling where you want to still have the canvas match closely what the “end product” will look like, but want the user interface to remain usable size. Now if if you scale the interface too much the canvas becomes way too large and hard to work on. New Member View > Interface scale > make larger would work. Figma Learn - Help Center This is incorrect. Interface scaling upsizes the Figma UI AND the Canvas. The request is to upsize the Figma UI only.
For example: If I set my interface scale to 130%, my canvas is also at 130%. So if I’m working on a screen that is 1512px wide, it appears to me as 1965.6px wide. The problem is that the fixed font size and element size in the sidebars can cause visual fatigue over long sessions. A separate zoom control for the side panels, similar to the one that exists for the canvas, would provide more flexibility and control.
Practical ways to zoom out and manage your view
The desktop app shortcuts help you adjust the interface scale and canvas view without losing context. In the desktop app, you can zoom in or out to adjust the interface scale by using keyboard shortcuts for both Mac and Windows. Reset to Default, Make Larger, and Make Smaller options let you tailor the UI while keeping the canvas view useful. In the browser, you can tweak the scale from the browser's View menu > zoom settings.
To maximize canvas overview while keeping UI legible, consider minimizing the UI. You can click Minimize next to the file name to collapse the navigation bar, left sidebar, and right sidebar. If you select an object while the panels are minimized, the left sidebar remains minimized while the right sidebar expands so you can update the properties of the selected object. Once all objects are deselected, the right panel minimizes again.
Tips for precise placement and layout guidance
To help with precision when placing or aligning objects, enable the pixel grid at higher zoom levels (400% or more). The grid visibility and alignment aid improve accuracy and reduce misalignment. The pixel preview can be toggled on or off depending on whether you need pixel-precise editing. You can view pixel preview in 1x or 2x mode, with a checkmark indicating the active setting.
Pixel grid and pixel preview together offer a workflow that preserves the canvas scale while providing low-level alignment accuracy for designers who require pixel-perfect results.
Tables and workflows inspired by user feedback
- Interface scaling affects both UI and canvas in a unified zoom, which some users find unintuitive for accessibility needs.
- A proposed improvement is a separate zoom control for side panels to reduce the impact on the canvas view.
- Users can still rely on existing shortcuts to adjust the canvas zoom and interface scale, balancing visibility with workspace efficiency.
In summary, you can manage zoom and interface scale through a combination of the Zoom/view options in the right sidebar, interface scale controls in the desktop app, keyboard shortcuts, and UI minimization. These tools help you achieve an optimal balance between canvas clarity and interface readability, especially on larger monitors or non-retina displays.
