Dashboard Assembly: Canvas, Layout, and Save
Place charts, notes, and images on the dashboard canvas, configure layout, and save. Covers canvas modes, item types, formatting presets, and the save modal.
Every sheet you build in the chart builder is automatically placed on the dashboard canvas as you create it. When you click View Dashboard, all your charts are already there, arranged and ready. From the canvas you rearrange, resize, and remove items, add notes and images, configure the canvas size and formatting, then save.
Canvas Modes
Before placing items, decide which canvas mode fits the destination.
The default. The canvas expands vertically as you add items. There is no defined bottom edge.
Use scrollable when:
- The dashboard is for internal use where scroll is acceptable
- You are still building and the final number of charts is not settled
- The dashboard will be viewed in a browser where vertical scroll is natural
No configuration required. Items stack and the canvas grows to fit them.
Locks the canvas to a specific width and height. Items outside the bounds are still accessible by scrolling, but the defined area is the intended visible layout.
Use fixed when:
- The dashboard will be presented on a screen of a known size
- You are building for embed and need a contained, predictable layout
- You are sharing with stakeholders who expect a print-like or slide-like output
To enable: open Canvas Size in the options panel and toggle on Fixed Canvas. Then choose a category and preset, or enter custom dimensions.
Available presets:
| Category | Preset | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Desktop Browser | 1366×768 |
| Desktop | Generic Desktop | 1000×800 |
| Desktop | Desktop Wide | 1400×800 |
| Desktop | Desktop HD | 1600×900 |
| Desktop | Desktop FHD | 1920×1080 |
| Tablet | Tablet Landscape | 1024×768 |
| Tablet | Tablet Portrait | 768×1024 |
| Mobile | Mobile | 375×667 |
| Mobile | Mobile Large | 414×896 |
| Presentation | HD Presentation | 1920×1080 |
| Presentation | 4K Presentation | 3840×2160 |
| Custom | Custom Size | Enter width and height |
How to Assemble a Dashboard
Open the dashboard canvas
From the chart builder, click View Dashboard in the bottom bar. The canvas opens full screen. The options panel appears as a drawer on the right side.
Choose a canvas mode
If you need a fixed-size layout, open Canvas Size in the options panel now, before placing items. Enable Fixed Canvas, select a preset category and size. Switching presets after placing items resets item positions for that preset.
If you are building for internal use or are still deciding on the final chart count, leave the canvas in scrollable mode and switch to fixed later.
Review the pre-placed sheets
When the canvas opens, all sheets you created in the chart builder are already placed. Each sheet occupies approximately one-third of the canvas width (33 columns) and 40 rows tall, flowing left to right in creation order. The dashboard title is also pre-populated from the draft.
You do not need to place sheets manually. The canvas is the starting point for rearranging, resizing, or removing items, not an empty space you fill from scratch.
To remove a sheet from the canvas, hover over it and click the delete control. To add a sheet that is not on the canvas, open the Sheets section in the options panel and click the sheet name. A sheet already on the canvas cannot be added a second time.
Add a title block
Open Dashboard Title in the options panel. Type the title text in the input field. Click the + icon to place a title block on the canvas.
The title block spans the full canvas width (100 columns, 6 rows tall) and anchors to the top. All other items shift down automatically to make room.
The title block text is separate from the Dashboard Title you enter in the Save modal. The block is a visible canvas element. The Save modal title identifies the dashboard in the Visualize home screen and in shared links.
Formatting controls for the title block: font (Inter, Open Sans, Roboto, Monospace), size, bold, italic, alignment, background color, font color.
Add notes and images
Notes are free-text blocks you place alongside charts on the canvas.
Open Notes in the options panel and click Add Note. A note block appears on the canvas. Click the note on the canvas to type directly into it.
Each note has:
- A title field and a description field, formatted independently
- Per-field controls: font family, size, bold, italic, alignment, text color
- A Show toggle on the title field. Turn it off to display only the description.
- A background color picker
When to use notes:
- Data caveats: "Revenue excludes refunds and chargebacks"
- Methodology: "Churn rate calculated on 30-day rolling window"
- Refresh cadence: "Data refreshes every Monday at 08:00 UTC"
- Section labels: a note that reads "Q1 Performance" above a group of Q1 charts
- Call-out text for a key number you want to highlight without building a full chart
Images are uploaded PNGs placed as static visual elements on the canvas.
Open Images in the options panel. Click the + upload button and select a PNG file (max 16 MB). The image appears in your library. Click the + icon on any image thumbnail to place it on the canvas.
When to use images:
- Company or client logos on dashboards shared with external stakeholders
- Brand headers for embedded dashboards
- Static visuals that provide context a chart cannot: org charts, process diagrams, annotated screenshots
Images are stored server-side and persist across sessions. You can reuse them across dashboards without re-uploading. Set a transparent or solid background color per image from the Images panel.
Arrange and resize items
All items on the canvas are draggable and resizable.
- Drag: hover over an item to reveal the drag handle at the top centre. Grab it and move the item.
- Resize: drag the handle at the bottom-right corner of any item.
- Keyboard nudge: click an item to select it, then use the arrow keys to move it one grid unit at a time.
- Deselect: click the canvas background.
The canvas uses a 100-column grid with a 10px row height. All positions snap to this grid. Items stack vertically and cannot overlap.
Apply formatting
Open Format in the options panel.
Theme presets:
| Preset | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Clean | White or dark background, subtle card borders | Internal reports, everyday dashboards |
| Card | Rounded corners, raised shadow, distinct card look | Stakeholder presentations, polished output |
| Borderless | Flat layout, no borders or shadow | Dense dashboards, data-heavy layouts |
Additional controls under Format:
- Background Color: canvas background color picker
- Show Grid: overlays a faint column and row guide on the canvas while editing. Does not appear in saved output.
- Border Shadow: toggle shadow on or off for all items. When on: shadow color, top, right, bottom, and left offset controls.
Layout actions:
- Snap to Grid (columns icon): rearranges all non-title items into a 3-column equal-width flow, ordered by their current vertical position
- Distribute Vertically (vertical align icon): stacks all non-title items into a single centred column at 80% canvas width, ordered by their current vertical position
Reset Formatting (top of options panel): restores item positions, title style, and note styles to the baseline captured when you opened the canvas. Does not delete items. Does not reset title text or note content.
Save
Click Save at the bottom of the options panel.
Prop
Type
The Save button is disabled until the title is at least 10 characters and the description is at least 100 characters. The character counters next to each field turn red if you are below the minimum.
Unsaved dashboards are drafts. Drafts not modified within 7 days are deleted automatically.
Item Reference
| Item | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet | chart block | One chart from one table. Auto-placed when created. Cannot be placed twice. Default size: approximately one-third canvas width, 40 rows tall. |
| Title Block | text block | A full-width text block pinned to the top of the canvas. Added from the Dashboard Title panel. Only one title block per dashboard. All other items shift down when it is added. |
| Notes | text block | A free-text block with a title and description field. Added from the Notes panel. Multiple notes allowed. Use for caveats, methodology, section labels, or contextual information a chart cannot carry. |
| Images | image block | An uploaded PNG image placed as a static visual element. Added from the Images panel. PNG only, max 16 MB. Stored server-side, reusable across dashboards. Use for logos, brand headers, or static reference visuals. |
FAQs
Related Docs
Build Your First Chart
Create sheets in the chart builder before assembling them on the dashboard canvas.
Filters
Add hidden filters or show filters to the dashboard before saving.
Sharing and Permissions
Share a saved dashboard with internal team members or external viewers.
Embed
Generate an embed token and place the dashboard in an external surface.
Need help? Email support@edilitics.com with your workspace, job ID, and context. We reply within one business day.
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