We’re by no means not engaged on enhancing Sketch — and these previous few months have been no exception — whether or not it’s leveling up annotations, or introducing new experimental options 👀 And whereas we’re pleased with the headliners, we additionally need to take the time to focus on and have fun all of the smaller enhancements we’ve made. So at the moment, we’ll be sharing a complete listing of tiny – however no much less dazzling – gems you may need missed in Sketch.
And should you’re not so huge on studying, we’ve bought you coated. Our very personal Joseph Todaro is again with a brand-new video to catch you up on every of those gems. However should you favor just a little scrolly-telling, then let’s get cracking on that listing beneath!
Table of Contents
Open your Figma recordsdata in Sketch
What higher strategy to begin our listing of gems than with one which’s further shiny? We’re speaking about importing Figma recordsdata. That’s proper, now you can open any of your .fig recordsdata in Sketch. All you must do is head to File > Open Native doc — or hit ⇧⌘O — and import the .fig file of your selection.
If you happen to favor, you may also do it the previous drag-and-drop manner. Simply drag your .fig file over the Sketch icon within the Dock, and also you’re all set.
Higher shade profile notifications
Beforehand, everytime you’d select a brand new shade profile, you’d get just a little pop-up notification on the backside of your Canvas. We now completely present the colour profile within the title bar, underneath your doc identify.
Flip your paperwork into Workspace templates
Now you can flip any doc right into a template that anybody in your Workspace can use, which is right should you’re all the time digging out the shopper presentation doc, duplicating it and deleting the previous content material.
Simply head to File > Doc Settings — or press ⇧⌘,. Then, underneath Set As, swap Doc to Template — and also you’re good to go.
Tons of lovely new templates
Kickstart your subsequent challenge by selecting from a big selection of lovely, free templates — from mockups to moodboards, and all the pieces in between. You possibly can discover all of them within the Workspace Window beneath your individual templates, and be taught to benefit from them with our final information!
Allow Libraries for particular paperwork
Now you can allow Libraries for a particular doc. Simply head to File > Doc Settings… > Libraries, and use the checkboxes to allow the Libraries you need. After that, anybody that opens that doc will discover that the checked Libraries are routinely enabled.
Handle your share settings within the Mac app
Talking of collaboration, now you can handle your share settings straight throughout the Mac app — in a number of methods! You’ll discover the Share… possibility underneath File, or whenever you head to the overflow menu subsequent to your avatar on the toolbar. You possibly can even discover it by right-clicking a doc or challenge within the Workspace Window.
Annotations within the Mac app
Now, when your collaborators add annotations to your work, you may view and reply to them straight in your Mac app’s Canvas, permitting you to maintain up with discussions precisely the place they matter.
And whenever you need to begin your individual, we’ve added a model new Remark button within the toolbar that you need to use to strike up a dialog anyplace on the Canvas.
Resolve your annotations
Executed with a dialog? You may also resolve your annotations — whether or not you’re utilizing the Mac app or internet app. Simply hit the checkmark on the top-right of an annotation’s popover, or right-click any annotation marker and select Resolve.
Reveal your annotations — or conceal them
However don’t fear — whereas resolving annotations does conceal them from the Canvas, you may nonetheless preserve monitor of them. You possibly can simply toggle their visibility by heading to View > Feedback > Embrace Resolved — or by urgent ⌃⇧N.
Want to cover your annotations, even when they aren’t resolved but? Simply press ⌃N to toggle between hiding and revealing them.
Protect areas when hiding Symbols
Let’s discuss Symbols and Sensible Format. When you choose a nested Image inside a Image occasion that makes use of Sensible Format, you’ll now see a brand new Protect area when hidden possibility in the Inspector. Toggling it’s going to come in useful for when it is advisable conceal a nested Image with out shedding the area it occupied in your design.
Work smarter with layers inside Image situations
Working with layers inside Image situations can get tough. That’s why we’ve added a couple of extra visible cues. Now, when you choose layers inside a Image occasion, you’ll see a dashed border across the guardian occasion as a reminder that the entire occasion will transfer should you drag it.
A neater strategy to choose a Image’s guardian
To make working with Image situations much more hassle-free, we’ve additionally added a brand new button subsequent to the guardian so you may simply choose it.
Distinguish hidden objects from seen layers
We’ve additionally made the choice bins for hidden objects dashed, so you may simply distinguish them from a visual layer in the identical spot.
Pan and zoom to any layer
Now you can double-click on a layer’s icon within the Layer Checklist to rapidly pan and zoom to that layer on the Canvas — making it simpler to leap between completely different layers.
Use hex codes with alpha values
Desire a smarter manner so as to add opacity to your colours? Head over to the Inspector, the place now you can enter hex codes with alpha values by tagging two digits on the finish of your shade codes. For instance, should you enter #FF000080, it’ll provide the shade #FF0000 and an opacity of fifty%.
We’ll routinely parse the final two digits you enter and apply them to the Opacity area. Simply keep in mind, the opacity values are hexadecimal and vary from 00 to FF — similar to the colour digits.
An in depth gradient enhancing expertise
Talking of colours, enhancing gradients simply bought much more intuitive, with extra on-Canvas cues to information your selections. We’ll present you the place of your stops, label Begin and Finish factors, and even the values for angle, size, and ratio — relying on the kind of gradient you’re utilizing.
Oh, and by the way in which — Radial Gradients now resize with their form!
Foresight for mixing modes
Selecting a mixing mode usually comes with a little bit of trial and error. That’s why we made the method just a little simpler with Foresight for mixing modes. Now, whenever you hover over every mixing mode, you’ll see instantaneous previews in your Canvas. We’ve additionally added labels to every group of mixing modes, making it simpler to grasp what they do.
Scale your borders manner down
If you happen to’ve ever used the Scale command, you may need seen that borders beforehand had a minimal width of 0.5. pixels. Now, you may scale all of them the way in which right down to 0.1 pixels.
New settings to distribute your layers
We’ve added a brand new setting so that you can resolve what occurs when you may’t distribute layers evenly utilizing complete pixels. Meaning, as an alternative of getting requested each time, now you can set and overlook your preferences. Simply head to the Layers pane of your Sketch Settings, search for When Distributing: and choose a setting.
Sensible Distribute simply bought smarter
Whenever you’ve chosen a bunch that’s a part of a tidied set of things, you may regulate its place and the spacing round it utilizing the Sensible Distribute handles. Beforehand, you’d solely get handles for the kids of the group.
Get snappy with rulers
Working with rulers simply bought smoother. Now, whenever you place or transfer rulers, they’ll snap to the center level of any layer you’ve chosen.
Soar into textual content layers like a professional
Obtained a number of textual content layers to edit? Now, whenever you’re enhancing one, clicking on one other one will routinely take you straight to edit mode — making it simpler to edit a number of textual content layers, one after the opposite.
Spot textual content layers extra simply
To make your textual content layers even simpler to identify, we’ve additionally added an underline whenever you hover over them.
Checking your textual content layer’s Width and Top
Talking of textual content layers, you’ll now discover that the Width and Top fields within the Inspector mirror whether or not they’re set to Auto Width, Auto Top, or Mounted Measurement — based mostly on whether or not the values are proven in grey. However don’t fear, you may all the time enter your individual mounted values if you’d like!
Attempt experimental Sketch options in Labs
If you happen to head to your Sketch Settings window — simply press ⌘, — you’ll discover a model new Labs pane, the place you’ll be taught extra about experimental options you may check out. You’ll additionally discover buttons to seek out out extra about every characteristic and share your suggestions to assist make Sketch even higher 🙌
Experiment with Sensible Format in teams
And final however not least, the primary experimental characteristic so that you can check out and share your suggestions on: Sensible Format in teams. This experimental characteristic means that you can apply a vertical or horizontal structure to a bunch — which turns out to be useful for sustaining the padding and spacing between layers whenever you change a layer’s dimension or delete it.
We nonetheless have work to do, so we’d love so that you can allow it, give it a attempt, and tell us what you suppose!
And there you will have it — tiny however shiny and dazzling gems we hope will make your Sketch expertise even smoother. You should definitely get the newest Mac launch to attempt all of them out. And should you like what you see, come share your suggestions in our group discussion board!
Within the meantime, comfortable designing.
Kickstart your subsequent challenge with these stunning templatesThese are the most effective keyboard shortcuts to get began in Sketch
