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Make your board match the space where it will be displayed. Choose a preset or enter exact measurements when you start, then use Board settings to resize the whole design if your display space changes.
About 6 minutesNew and existing boardsMeasurements in inches
1. Measure the display space
Board size describes the full composition in inches. Measure the usable width and height of the bulletin board, wall area, door, or display before choosing your canvas.
Width is the horizontal measurement; height is the vertical measurement.
Leave room for frames, trim, and anything that should remain clear around the display.
Choose landscape when width is greater than height, portrait when height is greater than width, or equal values for a square.
2. Start with a preset
Open Boards. Select Create a Board. The Templates gallery opens first; select Start blank for the size picker.
Choose a size. Select the preset card showing the dimensions you want under Standard sizes.
Check the new board. The editor opens an Untitled Board. Its dimensions are available in Board → Settings → Board size in the right-hand inspector.
Name and save it. Use the Board menu to rename your design, then check that the toolbar shows Saved.
All six presets are landscape. Their dimensions are width × height:
Preset | Shape | Possible use |
|---|---|---|
96 × 48 in | 2:1 | A long display with several sections. |
72 × 48 in | 3:2 | A broad classroom bulletin board. |
48 × 36 in | 4:3 | A general classroom composition. |
36 × 24 in | 3:2 | A compact display or learning station. |
3. Enter a custom size
For a portrait, square, or exact-size board, use Custom size in the Start blank tab.
Enter the horizontal measurement in Width (in).
Enter the vertical measurement in Height (in).
Select Create custom board to create the board and open it in the editor.
New custom boards accept 1 to 100 inches per side. You can enter decimal measurements, such as 47.5. If a field reports an error, correct the number before creating the board.
4. Resize an existing board
Resizing changes the canvas and the elements already on it. Save your current work first. For a major change, make a copy from Boards → the board card's three-dot actions → Duplicate, then open the copy.
Open Board settings. Select the Board tab in the right inspector and find Settings. If the inspector is hidden, show it using the toolbar's inspector toggle.
Select Resize. Find Board size at the top of Settings and select Resize.
Choose whether to keep the shape. The padlock between Width (in) and Height (in) starts locked. Leave it locked to keep the current proportions; changing either field updates the other. Select the padlock to unlock it before entering width and height independently.
Enter the new size. For 48 × 36 to become 24 × 18, leave the lock on and enter 24 in Width. For a different shape, unlock first and enter both dimensions.
Apply or cancel. Select Save within the size panel to apply the resize. Select Cancel to discard the pending values.
Review the board. Use Fit to screen in the top toolbar, inspect your layout, and adjust any items that need attention.
Save the design. Use the toolbar's Save button when needed and wait for
5. Understand what happens to the layout
Keeping the same shape
When width and height change by the same factor, the layout generally scales together. For example, resizing 48 × 36 to 24 × 18 halves both dimensions and keeps the same 4:3 shape. The artwork becomes physically smaller, even if it looks the same size on your screen after Fit to screen.
Changing the shape or orientation
To change the example from 24 × 18 to 24 × 36, open Resize, unlock the padlock, and change Height to 36 while keeping Width at 24. Save the resize and inspect the result.
When width and height change by different factors, BoardCraft adjusts element positions to the new canvas and scales most items proportionally. It does not simply stretch every item to match the board's new width and height.
That means the new composition may need work: gaps can change, items can overlap, and wide titles can extend beyond a narrow board. Banners and repeating borders have their own layout controls, so check their curves, spacing, tiles, and edges afterward.
Resizing also scales decorative details such as patterns, outlines, shadows, and the board's simple border. Check these alongside the text and artwork before printing.
6. Correct invalid dimensions
The resize panel needs numeric width and height values greater than zero, with neither side exceeding 100 inches. A blank, zero, negative, or oversized value prevents Save. Read the message beneath the fields, correct the value, or select Cancel to keep the existing size.
7. Keep board size, zoom, and paper size separate
Control | What it changes | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
Board size | The physical dimensions of the full composition, with existing elements resized along with it. | Board → Settings → Board size → Resize. |
Zoom / Fit to screen | How large the board appears in the editor. It does not change design dimensions. | The top toolbar. |
Export paper size | The paper used to lay out separate items for printing. | Export → Export for Printing; Board → Settings → Export also offers a default US Letter or A4 page size. |
Use the full display measurements for your board, even if you will print its pieces on smaller sheets. Choose Export for Printing in Export to prepare a Print Pack for cutting and assembling. Resizing the board also changes the intended sizes of its pieces, so review them before exporting.
See Which BoardCraft Export Should I Use? and Print, Cut, and Assemble Your Board with Print Pack for the next steps.
