Get started with artboards

Last updated on Oct 27, 2025

Learn about artboards in Adobe Photoshop, their structure, benefits, and customization for multi-screen design.

Adobe Photoshop deeplink

Try it in the app
Learn to use artboards to streamline your design process in a few simple steps.

Overview

Artboards are special layer groups that clip the contents of any contained elements to their boundaries. Web and UX designers can use artboards to create designs for multiple devices and screen sizes simultaneously.

While creating artboards, you can choose from various preset sizes or define your own custom artboard size. Artboards are useful even if you design just one screen size. For example, while designing a website, you can use artboards to view designs for different pages side-by-side and in context. 

Structure and organization

  • Artboards clip the contents of the contained elements.
  • Artboards can include layers and layer groups, but not other artboards. They act as individual canvases within a document.
  • In the Layers panel, elements within an artboard appear alongside other layers and layer groups.
  • Any layers outside an artboard are grouped separately in the Layers panel and remain unclipped.

Benefits of artboards

  • Side-by-side designs: View multiple versions in one file for better screen consistency.
  • Organized layers: Layers within artboards are grouped and clipped automatically.
  • Flexible structure: Artboards hold layers and groups, but not other artboards.

Artboard customization

You can customize the visual appearance of your artboards to suit your workflow better.

Tip

Select Edit > Preferences > Interface > Appearance > Artboards to access these settings.

Photoshop Preferences dialog box showing artboard appearance settings, including color and border options.
Customize artboard appearance using the Color and Border options in Preferences.