Importing and exporting

This article covers both halves of the Designer file lifecycle. The first half is about importing: every way content lands on the canvas, from Add elements to drag-and-drop to deep links from elsewhere in Magnific. The second half is about exporting: the Export panel, the Pages vs Assets distinction, per-element configuration, the four output formats, PDF specifics, the scale and naming rules, and what to do when something fails.

In this article

• The five ways to import media
• The Add elements tabs
• Drag and drop
• Paste from clipboard
• Copying, cutting, and duplicating
• Drop on an existing element
• Deep links from elsewhere in Magnific
• AI tools inside Designer
• Importing into dynamic content
• Size and quality on import
• Exporting: the two ways
• Opening the Export panel
• The Pages tab
• The Assets tab
• The end-to-end export flow
• Per-element export configuration
• Document-level defaults
• Export formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP
• PDF export
• Scale, size and file names
• Troubleshooting exports

The five ways to import media

Everything that lands on the canvas (images, vector graphics, text fragments) gets there through one of a handful of mechanisms. Pick the one that matches where your content currently lives.

The Add elements tabs

If the content is already in Magnific (uploaded earlier, generated by another tool, or part of the curated Elements library), the sidebar tabs are the fastest way to bring it in.

• Images. Your image library: uploads, AI generations from other Magnific tools, recently used assets. Click any to drop onto the active page.
• Elements. Curated vector graphics: icons, illustrations, shapes, decorative assets. Click to drop onto the active page.

The Add elements tabs also support search and category filtering, useful when your library has grown beyond what you can browse visually.

Drag and drop

The simplest way to bring a file from outside Magnific.

1. Drag the file

   Drag a file from your operating system file manager (Finder on macOS, File Explorer on Windows) onto the canvas.

2. Drop it

   Release. The file is uploaded and becomes an element on the page. The drop location determines where the element initially lands.

Supported file types:

• Image formats. Common raster formats (PNG, JPEG, WebP).
• HEIC / HEIF. Converted to a standard format automatically on import. There's nothing you need to do.
• Vector formats. SVG and other vector formats become editable graphic elements.

The drop location on the canvas determines where the element initially lands. After drop, you can move and resize as with any element.

If a file type isn't supported, the drop is rejected and a toast tells you so.

Unsupported file types

If another design tool uses a closed or proprietary format that Designer can't open directly, try exporting it from the original app to a supported format first, or use a trusted third-party converter before importing it into Designer.

Paste from clipboard

Paste (Cmd/Ctrl+V) is more powerful than drag-and-drop because it handles multiple types of content:

• Image from clipboard. Paste a screenshot or an image copied from another app. Designer creates a new image element.
• Text. Paste plain text. Designer creates a new text element with the pasted text.
• Designer fragment. Paste content you copied from another Designer document or page. Designer reconstructs the original elements (text, images, shapes, groups) with all of their properties (typography, color, effects, layout) preserved.

The last case is worth knowing about: copy-paste between Designer documents is structural, not just visual. Copying a group of elements from one design and pasting into another reconstructs the same elements on the destination canvas with all of their properties intact. This is the only way to migrate parts of one design to another without using templates.

This is the only way to migrate parts of one design to another without using templates.

Copying, cutting, and duplicating

Inside a Designer document:

The styles-only shortcuts (Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+C and Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+V) are the fastest way to make multiple elements share the same visual treatment without grouping them.

Drop on an existing element

A useful pattern: drop a new image onto an existing element instead of an empty area of the canvas. Designer recognizes the drop on:

• An image element. Replaces the bitmap with the dropped image. The frame, mask, sizing mode, adjustments, and effects all stay.
• A dynamic content. If the dynamic content is an image and the dropped content is an image, Designer fills the dynamic content. If it's currently linked to a workflow connection, dropping a static image breaks the link (with confirmation).

This is how to quickly swap a hero image in a near-finished design without rebuilding the element.

Deep links from elsewhere in Magnific

Designer is the natural place to continue working on assets generated elsewhere. Several Magnific surfaces offer deep-link actions that open Designer with the asset already imported:

• From the media viewer, after generating an image. Actions like 'Open in Designer' and 'Auto Layers' send the image to Designer and open the appropriate tool.
• From a Magnific creation card. Similar entry points.

When you arrive in Designer via a deep link, the design opens with the relevant element pre-selected and (for tool-specific deep links) the matching tool already open. You can act immediately.

AI tools inside Designer

If the content you want doesn't exist yet, generate or transform it on the canvas:

• Remove background. Strip the background from an existing image, leaving the subject on a transparent layer.
• Auto Layers. Turn an existing image into editable layers.
• Ask Agent on an existing image. Describe a change and generate a new version.

These don't replace import; they augment it. The AI tools in Designer have their own dedicated guide.

Importing into dynamic content

When a dynamic content is empty (not linked to a connection, no static fallback), you can fill it by:

• Linking it to a connection from the workflow.
• Dropping an image or text on the dynamic content directly.
• Pasting content while the dynamic content is selected (paste lands on the selected element).

After import, the dynamic content becomes static. To make it dynamic again, link a connection.

Size and quality on import

• Images upload at their original resolution. Designer doesn't downsample on import.
• Prefer source files over screenshots. A PNG of a logo is sharper than a screenshot of the logo on screen.

A few things that surprise new users

You don't need to import into a specific page. Drop a file on the canvas and it lands on whichever page is currently active. Paste preserves more than drag-and-drop: copying from another Designer document and pasting reconstructs full structure, while drag-and-drop only handles file-based content. HEIC works automatically: you don't need to convert to JPEG first. And deep links open specific tools, not just the editor: arriving via a deep link from the media viewer doesn't just open Designer, it often opens with a specific tool already active.

Exporting: the two ways

Exporting is the act of turning your Designer document into one or more delivered files. The Export panel is where you decide what to export (pages or individual elements), and the per-element configuration in the inspector decides how each thing exports (format, scale, naming).

Designer's export model is built on a single distinction:

• Pages. Entire pages of the document, exported as one file each. Use this when the design is the deliverable: a poster, a social card, a slide.
• Assets. Specific elements you've marked from the canvas, exported as individual files. Use this when only parts of your design are the deliverables, for example a logo and a few icons extracted from a larger layout.

Both share the panel and the formats. They differ in what counts as an exportable unit.

Opening the Export panel

The Export panel opens from the Export action in the header. This option is only available in the standalone version of Designer.

Exporting when Designer is a node

When Designer is used as a node in a Spaces workflow, the Export panel is not available. Instead, use the Export button in the inspector while inside the node, or access export options through Pages when working outside the node.

The panel is a floating overlay that takes over the right portion of the workspace. It has:

• A header with the title, the Pages/Assets segmented control, and a close button.
• A description for the active tab.
• A content area with the items available in the active tab.
• A footer with the action buttons.

You can switch between Pages and Assets via the segmented control. The footer adapts to the active tab.

The Pages tab

The Pages tab lists every page in your document. Each page appears as a card with:

• A thumbnail of the page.
• A label: the page number or the page name (for example, 'Page 1').
• A selection checkbox to toggle whether the page is included in this export.

Above the cards, the panel describes the tab:

Export pages from your document with your default format and size.

The 'default format and size' refers to the document-level export configuration, set in the inspector when nothing is selected.

Selecting pages

• Click a card to toggle its selection.
• Use the footer's Select all pages toggle to select or deselect everything.
• The footer's action buttons stay disabled until at least one page is selected. Hover the action when disabled to see 'Pick at least one page'.

Exporting pages

The Pages tab footer offers up to three actions:

• Cancel. Close the panel without exporting.
• Export PDF. Combine the selected pages into a single PDF and download it.
• Export. Export the selected pages individually using the document's default format.

While exporting, the action shows a progress state ('Exporting…' or 'Building PDF…') with a spinner. The grid is dimmed during the process.

The Assets tab

The Assets tab lists the elements you've marked for export from the inspector. An element is marked by toggling Include in export on it.

Above the cards, the panel describes the tab: 'Export the elements you marked from the inspector.'

Each marked element appears as a card with:

• A thumbnail of just that element (not the whole page).
• A label: the element's name or a fallback like 'Item 3'.
• The file names that will be produced. Each export configuration for this element produces its own file, with the name pattern visible.
• A selection checkbox.

Empty state

When no elements are marked, the Assets tab shows an empty state instead of cards:

No assets marked yet. Mark any element from the inspector to include it in this export.

The empty state offers a short demo video link and a link to this documentation. There's no footer in the empty state; the only way out is the close button in the header.

Selecting assets

• Click a card to toggle its selection.
• The footer's Select all assets toggle selects or deselects everything.
• The Export action is disabled until at least one asset is selected. Hover to see 'Pick at least one asset'.

Exporting assets

The Assets tab footer offers:

• Cancel: close the panel.
• Export: export every selected asset using its own per-element configuration (which may include multiple formats and scales. One asset can produce several files).

A single click on Export can produce many files. The footer shows the count of files selected.

The end-to-end export flow

1. Build your design

   Create the design on the canvas as usual.

2. Decide the deliverable

   Pages (the whole design as files) or Assets (specific elements).

3. For Assets: mark each element

   Select the element, then toggle Include in export in the inspector.

4. Open the Export panel

   Click Export in the header. Pick the right tab: Pages or Assets.

5. Select what to export

   Click cards to toggle them, or use Select all.

6. Pick the action

   Export (per item) or Export PDF (Pages tab only).

7. Wait and download

   Watch the progress complete. Files download to your browser.

A toast confirms completion. Possible outcomes:

Per-element export configuration

The Export panel's Assets tab lists individual elements you've decided to export. The configuration for each element (what formats, what scales, what file names) lives in the inspector for that element.

Exporting an individual element is a two-step process:

1. Mark the element as exportable. Done in the inspector with the Include in export toggle.
2. Configure its outputs. Each element can have one or more output configurations: format, scale, file naming. Done in the inspector's Export section for that element.

Once marked and configured, the element appears in the Assets tab of the Export panel, ready to be selected and exported.

Marking an element

1. Select the element

   Click on an image, text, shape, graphic, or group on the canvas.

2. Open the Export section

   In the inspector, scroll to the Export section.

3. Toggle Include in export

   The element is now part of the assets list and appears in the Export panel's Assets tab.

To unmark, toggle the switch off. The element stays on the canvas; it just no longer appears in the assets list.

Output configurations

Each marked element carries one or more output configurations. A configuration is the recipe for producing a single file from the element:

• Format. PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF.
• Scale. The size multiplier or absolute dimension.
• Affix. An optional prefix or suffix added to the file name.
• Transparent background. For formats that support transparency (PNG, WebP). Only available when a page is selected; when an individual element is selected, the toggle does not appear.

A simple element might have one configuration (PNG at 1x). A more sophisticated element might have three:

• PNG at 1x, transparent background, suffix logo.
• PNG at 2x, transparent background, suffix logo@2x.
• JPEG at 1x, suffix preview.

When you export this element, all three configurations run, producing three files in a single Export click. This is the power of per-element configuration: one logo can produce its small social-media PNG, its high-resolution PNG, and its compressed JPEG preview from a single action, every time.

Adding, editing, and removing configurations

In the inspector's Export section for the selected element, click the Add configuration (+ button). A new row appears with default values: PNG, scale 1x, no affix. Each configuration row shows the controls inline:

• Format selector. Dropdown with PNG, JPEG, WebP, PDF. Each option shows its label in the picker.
• Scale input. The size specification. Common values: 1x, 2x, 4x. Width-based and height-based values are also supported (500w for '500px wide', 300h for '300px tall').
• Affix input. An optional string added to the file name. Pair with a prefix (appears at the beginning of the element name) or suffix (appears at the end of the element name) selector to choose its position.
• Transparent background. For PNG and WebP, the toggle that controls whether the background is transparent or filled with the element's actual background color.

Changes save immediately to the element's metadata. There's no 'Save configuration' action; every edit is captured as you go.

Each configuration row has a remove action (a small minus icon before the configuration). Removing the last configuration on an element doesn't unmark the element from export; it just leaves it with no output configurations. To fully remove the element from the Assets tab, untoggle Include in export.

Multi-configuration examples

A few realistic patterns:

Document-level defaults

The Export panel's Pages tab doesn't use per-element configurations. It uses the document-level defaults.

1. Deselect everything

   Click on the empty canvas or press Escape.

2. Open document settings

   The inspector switches to document settings.

3. Set the defaults

   Find the Default export configuration section. Pick the default format and scale for all pages.

The Pages tab will use these defaults when you export pages from it. Each individual page does not have its own export configuration; that's why the Pages tab is simpler than the Assets tab.

If you want per-page configuration (different formats for different pages), the workflow is: mark each page's important elements via the Assets tab, configuring each as you need.

A few things that surprise new users

Configurations are per element, not per format: the same format can appear multiple times on an element at different scales. Marking an element doesn't auto-configure it: until you add a configuration, the element has no outputs. Multiple PDFs on one element get a counter prefix: if two configurations are PDF, the second one is prefixed pdf-2 automatically to avoid name collisions. And the Pages tab doesn't see per-element configurations: they're exclusive to the Assets tab.

Export formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP

Designer supports four export formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP, and PDF. This section covers the three raster formats. PDF gets its own section because it's fundamentally different: it's a document format, not a single image.

PNG

PNG is the safe default for most exports. What PNG gives you:

• Lossless compression. Every pixel exported is the same pixel the editor showed.
• Full alpha transparency. Areas that are transparent on the canvas stay transparent in the file.
• Universal support. Every browser, every operating system, every design tool reads PNG.

Trade-offs: larger file sizes than JPEG or WebP for photographic content. A 4K photo as PNG is several megabytes; the same photo as JPEG might be a fraction of that.

When to use PNG: logos, brand assets, icons; designs that need a transparent background (a graphic to be composited on top of a video or web layout); anything with sharp edges, text, or thin lines (PNG preserves crispness, JPEG can blur or introduce halos around edges); and when in doubt and the file size isn't critical.

Transparency in PNG. By default, PNG exports preserve the canvas's transparency. The configuration's Transparent background toggle controls this. On: transparent areas remain transparent. Off: transparent areas are filled with the element's fill color or the page background.

JPEG

JPEG is the photographic format. What JPEG gives you:

• Excellent compression for photographic content. Small file sizes for high visual fidelity.
• Universal support.

Trade-offs:

• Lossy compression. Every JPEG export reintroduces slight pixel-level artifacts. They're usually invisible at viewing scales, but they accumulate if you re-export many times.
• No transparency. JPEG has no alpha channel. Anything transparent becomes solid (typically white).
• Sharp edges and text don't compress well. High-contrast edges produce visible halos at typical JPEG quality.

When to use JPEG: photographic exports for web (hero images, social media posts where the main content is photography); when file size matters more than perfect fidelity; when the design doesn't need transparency.

Transparency in JPEG. JPEG does not support transparency. The Transparent background toggle is irrelevant for JPEG: any transparency in the source is flattened to the page background color (or white if no background is set) on export. If you need transparency, use PNG or WebP.

WebP

WebP is the modern web format. It's designed to replace both PNG and JPEG for web delivery, offering better compression than either at comparable quality.

What WebP gives you:

• Compression that beats PNG for graphics and JPEG for photos.
• Optional transparency (lossless WebP supports alpha).
• A single format covering both lossy and lossless use cases.

Trade-offs:

• Not universally supported by old software. Most modern browsers and OSes support WebP, but some legacy desktop tools (older Adobe versions, older Microsoft Office) don't.
• Less recognizable to non-technical recipients. Emailing a .webp to a client may confuse them if they're expecting .jpg.

When to use WebP: web delivery where you control the consumption (your own website, a CMS that accepts WebP, a modern image pipeline); when file size matters and the audience is on modern browsers; for designs that need both transparency and small file size.

Transparency in WebP. WebP supports transparency the same way PNG does. The Transparent background toggle controls preservation. For most use cases, treat WebP as 'PNG with better compression'.

Choosing between formats

PNG vs WebP usually comes down to audience and tooling. PNG has the broadest compatibility (safest choice when you're not sure what the recipient will do with the file). WebP has smaller files, same fidelity, and supports transparency (best when the consumption pipeline is modern). In a multi-output configuration, you can export both: PNG for compatibility, WebP for the web pipeline. The same element, two formats, one click on Export.

JPEG vs WebP for photographic content: JPEG is universal, accepted everywhere, expected by most non-technical recipients. WebP is smaller for the same quality, but the recipient may need to know what to do with it. WebP at 'high quality' produces files noticeably smaller than JPEG at the same visual quality. If file size matters and the consumer is modern, WebP wins.

Format gotchas

JPEG silently flattens transparency: a logo with transparent background exported as JPEG arrives with a white (or page-background-colored) background. Re-exporting JPEG degrades quality: each export is a fresh lossy compression. Avoid using JPEG as a working format if you'll re-export many times. WebP is fine in browsers but tricky in some apps: test that your destination accepts WebP before standardizing on it. And PNG file size for photographs is large: if file size is a concern, switch to WebP or JPEG for photographic exports.

PDF export

PDF is the only document format Designer exports. Every other format produces one file per element or per page. PDF is different: it can combine multiple pages into a single file.

When to use PDF

• Print delivery. Print shops generally expect PDF.
• Multi-page deliverables. A 4-page brochure as a single file is much easier to manage than four separate PNGs.
• Mixed content (raster + vector + text). PDF preserves vector elements as vectors and raster elements as raster, both at full quality. Text in PDF is selectable and searchable.
• Distribution to recipients with unknown tools. Everyone has a PDF reader. The format is the closest thing to a universal artifact for design.

Not the best choice when you need a raster image to drop into a web pipeline (use PNG, JPEG, or WebP), or when you need a single page from a multi-page design and don't want the others (mark the elements you need in the Assets tab instead).

Page combining (Pages tab)

The most powerful PDF behavior is combining selected pages into a single PDF.

1. Select pages

   From the Export panel's Pages tab, select the pages you want in the PDF.

2. Click Export PDF

   Use the Export PDF action in the footer.

3. Wait for building

   Designer combines the selected pages into one PDF file, in document order. During processing, the action shows 'Building PDF…'.

4. Download

   The single file downloads when ready.

The combined PDF contains one page per selected page from the document. Page order in the PDF matches page order in the document, not the order in which you selected them.

If you select 5 pages and click Export PDF, you don't get 5 PDFs, you get one PDF with 5 pages. To produce 5 separate PDFs, configure each as its own asset with a PDF configuration. If you select 5 pages and click Export (not Export PDF), you get 5 separate files in whatever the document's default format is.

PDF in per-element configurations (Assets tab)

In the Assets tab, you can configure individual elements to export as PDF. Each PDF configuration produces a one-page PDF containing just that element.

To set this up: mark the element with Include in export, add a configuration with format PDF, and the element will produce a one-page PDF on export.

Transparency in PDF

PDF supports transparency with caveats. Vector and text elements with transparent fills export correctly. Raster images with alpha channels are embedded with their alpha preserved. Some PDF readers (especially older ones) handle transparency inconsistently. If exact transparency is critical, test in the recipient's viewer.

The Transparent background toggle in the export configuration controls whether the page background itself is transparent or filled.

When PDF exports get large

Multi-page PDFs with many high-resolution images can grow large. Patterns to manage size: for pages that are mostly photographic, consider exporting the photo as JPEG separately and embedding the JPEG into a leaner PDF (Designer doesn't currently expose this trade-off as a single option). If only a few pages need to be PDF, mark them as assets with PDF configuration instead of selecting all pages.

Failures

Common failure mode: the PDF takes too long to build for the browser to wait. Designer flags this and provides a retry. For very large multi-page PDFs, splitting into separate exports may help. See the troubleshooting section for the full failure reference.

PDF gotchas

Export PDF and Export are different actions in the Pages tab: Export produces one file per page in the document's default format, Export PDF produces a single multi-page PDF. They're side by side; pick deliberately. PDF preserves vectors as vectors, unlike raster exports. Print shops can scale a PDF without loss. Text in PDF is searchable and selectable: recipients can copy text from your exported PDF. And PDF doesn't replace WebP or PNG for web use: each format has its place.

Scale, size and file names

The scale and file name fields look simple but encode genuinely powerful behavior: the scale input syntax lets you specify output size in three different ways, and the file-naming rules let you produce predictable, organized output files.

The scale input syntax

Each export configuration has a scale input field. It accepts three different syntaxes. Pick the one that matches how you're thinking about the output.

Scale (multiplier). The most common syntax: a multiplier of the source size.

• 1x: same size as the canvas.
• 2x: double the dimensions (4x pixels).
• 4x: quadruple the dimensions (16x pixels).
• 0.5x: half the dimensions.

Decimal values are allowed: 1.5x, 2.5x. Multipliers preserve the aspect ratio of the source. A 1080x1080 page exported at 2x becomes 2160x2160.

Scale multipliers (1x, 2x, 3x) are how you target different screen densities. 1x is the base size; 2x covers Retina displays (most modern phones and MacBooks); 3x covers high-density screens like high-end iPhones. If your logo is 200x200 px on the canvas, a 2x configuration exports it at 400x400 px, no manual resizing required.

Width (w). Specifies the width of the output in pixels. The height is calculated to preserve aspect ratio. Examples: 500w (output is 500 pixels wide), 1920w (HD width), 4000w. A square 1080x1080 page exported at 500w becomes 500x500. A landscape 1920x1080 page exported at 1280w becomes 1280x720.

Height (h). Specifies the height of the output in pixels. The width is calculated to preserve aspect ratio. Examples: 300h, 1080h. A portrait 1080x1920 page exported at 400h becomes 225x400.

Manual resolution (w or h) is for when the destination has a fixed pixel requirement that a multiplier wouldn't produce. Instead of a scale factor, you set the exact width or height you need, say 1200 px wide for a social media banner, and Designer calculates the other dimension to preserve the aspect ratio.

Why three syntaxes? Different mental models suit different tasks. Multipliers are natural when you want a clean 'double the resolution' relationship to the source. Width is natural when the destination has a fixed width, like a column in a CMS or a banner slot of known size. Height is natural when the destination has a fixed height, like a header row or a navigation bar item.

Maximum size

There's an upper limit on the output dimensions. The current recommended safe maximum is 8192 pixels on the long side. Exceeding it triggers a warning: 'Final size exceeds the maximum allowed size'. Reduce the scale, width, or height to stay within the limit.

File-naming rules

Every export configuration produces a file with a specific name. The name is composed from up to five parts, in order:

1. User affix prefix (if you set the affix position to prefix).
2. Auto prefix for the scale (for example, @2x, jpg-2).
3. Element name (for example, logo, or asset-3 if the element has no name).
4. User affix suffix (if you set the affix position to suffix).
5. File extension matching the format.

If you're exporting the same image at different scales, you can add a prefix or suffix to differentiate between each of them using the Prefix/Suffix dropdown, and add custom text in the filename field.

Auto prefix

Designer adds an automatic prefix to disambiguate outputs:

• For raster scales other than 1x, the prefix is @{scale}: for example, @2x, @4x, @500w, @300h.
• For multiple PDF configurations on the same element, the second and later PDFs get the prefix pdf-{N}: for example, pdf-2, pdf-3.

The auto prefix is not optional. It's there to prevent two configurations from producing files with the same name.

User affix

The user affix is a string you choose. You also pick its position: prefix (placed at the very beginning of the name) or suffix (placed at the end of the name, before the extension). The position defaults to suffix.

Affix behavior: the user affix wins over the auto prefix when set. Concretely, if you set a user affix, the user affix is the only one applied (the auto prefix is suppressed). If you don't set a user affix, the auto prefix is applied automatically. This is intentional: the auto prefix exists as a fallback to ensure unique names. If you've already taken control of naming with your own affix, Designer respects your choice.

Naming examples

Element name: logo. Format: PNG (unless noted).

The interaction between auto prefix and user affix is the most easily misunderstood part of the system. If you want all your exports named the same regardless of scale, set a user affix. If you want Designer to disambiguate them for you, leave the user affix blank.

Naming and the file system

• Designer doesn't put exports in subfolders by default. Every file lands in the user's download location with the name produced by the rules above. If you need folder structure, organize after download or use the user affix to encode 'folder' prefixes manually.
• Designer doesn't sanitize unusual characters in affixes. Avoid /, \, :, ?, ", , >, | in user affixes, those break filenames on some operating systems.
• Spaces are allowed but produce 'my logo.png'. Consider underscores or hyphens for cleaner names if you'll process the files programmatically.

Scale and naming gotchas

Auto prefix is suppressed when you set a user affix: if you set dark as a suffix on a 2x configuration, your file is logo-dark.png, not logo-dark@2x.png. To keep the auto prefix, leave the user affix empty. Width and height inputs only affect that axis: the other axis is derived from aspect ratio. Decimal scales work but produce non-round dimensions: 1.5x of a 1080x1080 page is 1620x1620. For round numbers, use w or h. And two configurations with identical naming produce identical file names, and the browser may overwrite one with the other. Always vary either the format, the scale, or the affix between configurations.

Troubleshooting exports

Exports usually run cleanly, but a handful of conditions can fail or behave unexpectedly. This section covers the errors you might see, what each one means, and how to recover.

The toast vocabulary

Final size exceeds the maximum allowed

The toast or banner reads: 'Final size exceeds the maximum allowed size'.

This happens when the scale (4x of an already-large page) exceeds the maximum output dimension, or when a width/height input exceeds the maximum. The current recommended safe maximum is 8192 pixels on the long side.

How to fix: reduce the scale (2x of an HD page is rarely needed; try 1x for delivery, 2x for retina), use a smaller width/height value, or for very large output requirements, split the design into multiple smaller pages and export them separately, then assemble in another tool.

No elements in the scene

The Export panel shows: 'No elements in the scene'. A selected page has no elements to render. Exporting an empty page produces nothing.

How to fix: verify the right page is selected in the Pages tab, add at least one element to the page before exporting, or if the page is supposed to be empty, deselect it in the Pages tab (it can't be exported as nothing).

Nothing to export yet (Assets tab)

The Assets tab is empty. The empty state reads: 'No assets marked yet. Mark any element from the inspector to include it in this export.'

How to fix: select an element on the canvas, and in the inspector's Export section, turn on Include in export. The element appears in the Assets tab. If you have many elements you want to export, repeat for each.

The export takes a long time

Large designs with many high-resolution images, heavy effects, or complex vector content can take time to render. Things that contribute to slow exports:

• Many pages selected in a single PDF export.
• High scale values (4x or higher) on large pages.
• Many high-resolution images on a page.
• Strong blur, drop shadow, or filter effects on large elements.

How to fix: export fewer pages or assets at a time, or use a lower scale.

Per-element configuration issues

My element didn't appear in the Assets tab. Verify that Include in export is on in the inspector for that element. If it's off, the element isn't part of the assets list.

The file name isn't what I expected. The file-naming rules combine an auto prefix (for scale) with a user affix (if you set one). The auto prefix is suppressed when you've set a user affix. If you wanted both, you'll need to include the scale information in your user affix manually. For example, instead of leaving the affix blank on a 2x configuration (which gives @2x), set a user affix of 2x-dark to get logo-2x-dark.png.

Format-specific issues

My JPEG has a white (or weird) background instead of being transparent. JPEG does not support transparency. Transparency on the canvas is flattened to a solid color on export. Switch the configuration's format to PNG or WebP. Both support transparency.

My PDF is huge. PDFs with many raster images at high scale grow quickly. Use 1x scale unless you specifically need higher, reduce the number of pages in the export, or for photographic content, consider exporting photos as JPEG separately and assembling outside Designer.

My WebP file isn't opening in some app. Older or specialized tools may not support WebP. Switch the configuration to PNG or JPEG for those recipients.

Workflow-specific issues

My dynamic content is showing the wrong content on export. Check that the dynamic content is linked to the right connection. The connection's current value is what exports. If the dynamic content is showing the static fallback when you expected dynamic content, the link may have been removed. Re-link via the inspector.

My design exports differently than what I see on canvas. A few specific behaviors to know:

• Page clipping is honored on export. If clipping is off and elements overflow the page, the overflow renders in the export. To stop this, turn page clipping on or move the elements inside the page.
• Hidden elements don't export. If an element is hidden via the layer panel, it's invisible on canvas and absent from the export. Unhide if needed.
• Locked elements still export. Locking only prevents selection; it doesn't affect rendering.
• Heavy effects render on export. What you see is what you get. If a heavy blur looks slightly different on export, it's typically due to render-time precision rather than a fundamental difference.

Export progress is stuck. If the export progress indicator stops advancing for an extended period: wait first (large exports can take time, especially multi-page PDFs); if the panel offers a cancel action, use it; refresh the page if necessary, then retry with smaller scale or fewer items.

Cancellation

You can cancel an in-progress export from the panel. The cancel sends an 'Export canceled' toast. Any files that completed before cancel are still delivered. Cancelling doesn't undo what's already downloaded; it only stops the rest.

Reporting an issue

If an export consistently fails despite trying the fixes above, gather:

• The design's name or URL.
• The selected pages or assets and their configurations.
• The exact toast or error text.
• Browser and OS details if the failure could be platform-specific.

Report through the standard Magnific help channels.

Troubleshooting gotchas

Partial success is per file: a multi-file export with one failure still delivers the rest. Look at the toast for the count. Browser download permissions matter: if your browser blocks multi-file downloads, the first file may download but subsequent ones don't. Check browser settings. The maximum size is a hard limit, not a soft warning: if you exceed it, the export refuses to run. Reduce. And Designer rounds scaled output to integers: a 1.5x scale on a 1080x1080 page produces 1620x1620, not 1620.0x1620.0. For predictable integer outputs, use w or h syntax.

If you can't find what you need, use the Contact Support button in the help center.