Skip to main content

​
Overview

Aseprite offers extensive customization options to tailor the interface to your workflow. From panel layouts to keyboard shortcuts, themes, and toolbar configurations, you can create a personalized workspace that maximizes your productivity.
A well-customized workspace reduces friction and speeds up your pixel art creation process. Invest time in setup to save hours later.

​
Workspace layouts

Arrange panels and windows to suit your working style:

​
Panel management

Drag panels away from the main window to create floating windows. Ideal for multi-monitor setups.How to float:
  1. Click and drag a panel’s title bar
  2. Drag it away from docking areas
  3. Release to create a floating window
Experiment with different layouts until you find one that feels natural. There’s no “right” layout—only what works best for you.

​
Common panel layouts

Classic layout

Timeline at bottom, tools on left, color/layers on right. Familiar to most pixel artists.

Animation-focused

Large timeline at bottom, preview window on second monitor, tools condensed.

Minimal layout

Only essential panels visible, maximizes canvas space. Great for small screens.

Multi-monitor

Main canvas on primary, all panels on secondary monitor. Requires two displays.

​
Saving and loading layouts

Preserve your custom workspace arrangements:
1

Arrange workspace

Position all panels, windows, and toolbars to your liking.
2

Save layout

Window → Workspace → Save Layout. Give your layout a descriptive name.
3

Switch layouts

Window → Workspace and select a saved layout to instantly switch.
4

Delete layouts

Window → Workspace → Manage Layouts to rename or delete saved layouts.
Create multiple layouts for different tasks: one for animation, one for pixel art, one for level design.

​
Keyboard shortcuts

Customize keyboard shortcuts for faster workflow:

​
Accessing keyboard shortcuts

  1. Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts (or Ctrl+Shift+K / Cmd+Shift+K)
  2. Browse or search for commands
  3. Click a command to assign a new shortcut
  4. Press the desired key combination
  5. Click OK to save

​
Shortcut categories

Assign single-key shortcuts to frequently used tools:
  • B for Brush
  • E for Eraser
  • G for Fill (Bucket)
  • M for Marquee (Selection)
  • K for Line
Speed up layer management:
  • Shift+N for New Layer
  • Ctrl+D for Duplicate Layer
  • Ctrl+E for Merge Down
  • Shift+P for Layer Properties
Navigate and edit frames faster:
  • Alt+N for New Frame
  • , (comma) for Previous Frame
  • . (period) for Next Frame
  • Enter for Play/Pause
Quick viewport adjustments:
  • 1 for 100% zoom
  • 2 for 200% zoom
  • + / - for zoom in/out
  • H for Pan tool
  • Tab for toggle timeline visibility
Standard editing shortcuts:
  • Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z for Undo
  • Ctrl+Y / Cmd+Y for Redo
  • Ctrl+C / Cmd+C for Copy
  • Ctrl+V / Cmd+V for Paste
  • Ctrl+X / Cmd+X for Cut

​
Shortcut tips

Use single keys

Single letter keys are fastest for frequent actions

Group related commands

Use similar shortcuts for related operations

Avoid conflicts

Aseprite warns if a shortcut is already assigned

Export/import

Share shortcuts between computers via export
Changing keyboard shortcuts affects muscle memory. Give yourself time to adapt to new shortcuts before changing them again.

​
Exporting and importing shortcuts

Share keyboard configurations:
  1. Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts
  2. Click Export button
  3. Save .aseprite-keys file
  4. Share file with collaborators or backup

​
Themes and appearance

Customize Aseprite’s visual appearance:

​
Built-in themes

Aseprite includes several themes:
The standard Aseprite appearance with gray UI and blue accents.

​
Changing themes

1

Open preferences

Edit → Preferences (or Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
2

Select theme

Navigate to Theme section
3

Choose theme

Select from dropdown menu or Select Other Theme
4

Apply changes

Click OK to apply the new theme

​
Custom themes

Create or install custom themes:
  1. Download a theme file (.aseprite-extension or theme folder)
  2. Edit → Preferences → Extensions → Add Extension
  3. Select the theme file or folder
  4. Restart Aseprite if required
  5. Select the new theme from the theme dropdown
Themes are defined in XML files within extensions:
  1. Navigate to Aseprite extensions folder
  2. Create a new folder for your theme
  3. Add theme.xml defining colors and UI elements
  4. Add sheet.png with custom UI graphics
  5. Package as .aseprite-extension for sharing
Community themes are available:
Match your Aseprite theme to your IDE or OS theme for a cohesive development environment.

​
UI scaling

Adjust interface size for different screen resolutions:
  1. Edit → Preferences → General
  2. Adjust UI Scale slider
  3. Restart Aseprite to apply changes
UI scaling is especially useful for high-DPI displays (4K monitors, Retina displays) or accessibility needs.

​
Toolbar customization

Personalize the main toolbar:

​
Rearranging tools

1

Open toolbar editor

Right-click on the toolbar and select Customize Toolbar.
2

Drag tools

Click and drag tool icons to reorder them.
3

Remove tools

Drag unwanted tools out of the toolbar to remove them.
4

Add tools

Drag tools from the available tools list into the toolbar.
5

Save changes

Click OK to save your custom toolbar layout.

​
Toolbar organization tips

Group by function

Place related tools together (all selection tools, all drawing tools)

Prioritize frequency

Put most-used tools in easy-to-reach positions

Use separators

Add visual separators between tool groups

Remove unused

Hide tools you never use to save space
Keep your toolbar minimal. If you use keyboard shortcuts, you may not need many tools visible at all.

​
Context bar customization

The context bar shows tool-specific options:

​
Context bar location

Move the context bar to different positions:
  • Top: Default position, below the menu bar
  • Bottom: Above the timeline, near your work area
  • Floating: Drag it to create a floating panel

​
Hiding the context bar

  • Toggle with View → Context Bar
  • Or use keyboard shortcut (customizable)
  • Hide when using keyboard-driven workflows
The context bar changes based on the active tool. Hiding it removes quick access to tool options.

​
Grid and guide settings

Configure visual aids for precise editing:

​
Grid settings

1

Enable grid

View → Grid → Show Grid (or Shift+G)
2

Configure grid

View → Grid → Grid Settings to adjust:
  • Grid width and height
  • Grid color and opacity
  • Snap to grid behavior
3

Snap to grid

View → Grid → Snap to Grid to align drawing to grid cells

​
Guides

Add manual guides for alignment:
  1. Drag from rulers (if visible) to create horizontal/vertical guides
  2. View → Show Rulers to enable rulers
  3. Double-click a guide to set precise position
  4. View → Show Guides to toggle guide visibility
  5. View → Lock Guides to prevent accidental movement
Use guides to align character features, UI elements, or create perspective lines.

​
Preferences

Fine-tune Aseprite behavior:

​
Important preferences

Edit → Preferences → General
  • UI Scale: Adjust interface size
  • Language: Change Aseprite’s language
  • Cursor: Choose cursor style (crosshair, brush preview)
  • Expand menu bar items on mouseover: Automatic menu expansion
Edit → Preferences → Editor
  • Zoom with scroll wheel: Enable/disable scroll zoom
  • Auto-select layer: Click to select layer automatically
  • Right-click behavior: Color picker or context menu
  • Flash layer when switching: Visual feedback for layer changes
  • Auto-add colors to palette: Indexed mode behavior
Edit → Preferences → Timeline
  • Show thumbnails: Display cel previews in timeline
  • Thumbnail size: Adjust thumbnail dimensions
  • First frame: 0-based or 1-based frame numbering
  • Auto-show timeline: Open timeline with new sprites
Edit → Preferences → Experimental
  • Enable new features: Test upcoming Aseprite features
  • Performance optimizations: Experimental speed improvements
Experimental features may be unstable. Use with caution.

​
Resetting preferences

Restore default settings:
1

Backup first

Export keyboard shortcuts and save workspace layouts before resetting.
2

Reset preferences

Edit → Preferences → Reset Preferences (at bottom of dialog)
3

Restart Aseprite

Close and reopen Aseprite for full reset to take effect.
Resetting preferences removes ALL customizations, including shortcuts, themes, and workspace layouts. Back up your configuration first.

​
Extensions and scripts

Extend Aseprite’s functionality:

​
Installing extensions

1

Obtain extension

Download an .aseprite-extension file from a trusted source.
2

Add extension

Edit → Preferences → Extensions → Add Extension
3

Select file

Choose the .aseprite-extension file
4

Enable extension

The extension appears in the list. Check the box to enable it.
5

Restart if needed

Some extensions require restarting Aseprite.

​
Finding extensions

Community-created extensions:

​
Popular extensions

Animation Curves

Advanced easing curves for animations

Export Layers

Export each layer as a separate file

Pixel Perfect

Enhanced pixel-perfect drawing modes

Dithering Tools

Additional dithering patterns and algorithms
Extensions can add new commands, tools, file format support, and UI elements. Always download from trusted sources.

​
Mouse and tablet settings

Optimize input device behavior:

​
Tablet configuration

1

Open preferences

Edit → Preferences → Tablet
2

Enable tablet support

Check Use Windows Pointer API (Windows) or equivalent for your OS
3

Pressure sensitivity

Adjust Pressure sensitivity curve for brush size/opacity
4

Test settings

Draw with your stylus to test pressure response

​
Mouse settings

Edit → Preferences → EditorConfigure scroll wheel to:
  • Zoom in/out
  • Change brush size
  • Navigate frames
  • Disabled (no action)
Choose between:
  • Color picker: Sample color from canvas
  • Context menu: Show right-click menu
Usually assigned to pan/hand tool by default
If you use a graphics tablet, spend time calibrating pressure sensitivity to match your drawing style.

​
Performance optimization

Customize Aseprite for better performance:

​
Performance settings

Disable thumbnails

Turn off cel thumbnails in timeline for faster rendering

Reduce UI scale

Lower UI scale requires less GPU resources

Close unused panels

Fewer open panels = less rendering overhead

Limit undo history

Reduce undo levels to save memory (advanced users only)

​
Working with large files

Close the preview window when working on complex animations.
Reduce layer count by merging when possible.
Create art at target size, not larger than needed.
Free up system resources by closing unused programs.
Aseprite stores the entire undo history in memory. Large sprites with many edits can consume significant RAM.

​
Backup and sync

Preserve your customizations:

​
Configuration file locations

Aseprite stores settings in platform-specific locations:
%APPDATA%\Aseprite\Contains:
  • user.aseprite-keys (keyboard shortcuts)
  • user.aseprite-preferences (preferences)
  • extensions/ (installed extensions)
  • workspaces/ (saved layouts)

​
Backing up configuration

1

Export shortcuts

Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts → Export to save keyboard configuration.
2

Save workspace layouts

Window → Workspace → Save Layout for each layout you’ve created.
3

Copy extensions

Back up the extensions/ folder to preserve installed extensions.
4

Store theme files

Copy custom theme files from extensions folder.
5

Export preferences

Manually copy user.aseprite-preferences file for complete backup.
Use cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive) to sync your Aseprite configuration across multiple computers.

​
Best practices

Start simple

Don’t over-customize initially. Learn defaults first.

Customize gradually

Add customizations as you identify workflow friction.

Document changes

Keep notes on your customizations for reference.

Back up regularly

Export configurations before major updates.

Share with team

Standardize configurations across collaborators.

Review periodically

Reassess customizations as your workflow evolves.

​
Related topics

Timeline

Customize timeline appearance and behavior

Scripting API

Extend Aseprite with custom scripts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Full list of default keyboard shortcuts