Documentation
Everything you need to know to master Kodo - from basic tools to advanced features
New to Kodo? Start with to learn the basics.
Getting Started
What is Kodo?
Kodo is a professional design tool that bridges the gap between Figma's precision and Canva's ease of use. It combines powerful vector editing capabilities with AI-assisted design, real-time collaboration, and an intuitive interface.
For Beginners
Start with AI prompts, use templates, and leverage smart tools to create professional designs without prior experience.
For Professionals
Access advanced path editing, boolean operations, component libraries, and precise vector control.
Creating Your First Design
Sign Up & Get 35 Kodo Credits
New users receive 35 Kodo credits per month on the Free plan to try out AI features like design generation, background removal, and magic eraser. Credits refresh monthly.
Choose Your Starting Point
- AI Prompt: Describe what you want ("design a landing page for a coffee shop")
- Template: Browse pre-made designs (coming soon)
- Blank Canvas: Start from scratch with unlimited creative freedom
Start Designing
Use the toolbar at the bottom of the screen to add shapes, text, images, or switch between draw and design modes.
Save & Share
Your work auto-saves to the cloud. Share designs with your team or export to PNG, JPG, PDF, or .kodo format.
Quick Tips
- •Use keyboard shortcuts - Press ? or click the info icon in the toolbar
- •Leverage AI wisely - AI features cost credits, but manual tools are free
- •Organize with frames - Press F to create frames
- •Real-time collaboration - See team members' cursors and changes live
Interface Overview
Canvas Layout
The Kodo interface is designed for maximum productivity with minimal clutter.
Top Bar
Contains workspace selector, upgrade button, docs link, and user menu. Switch between Personal and Team workspaces here.
Left Sidebar
Layer tree, assets panel, AI chat, components library. Minimize with the toggle button for more canvas space.
Main Canvas
Infinite canvas with rulers, guides, and snap-to-grid. Zoom with Cmd +/- or scroll wheel.
Right Sidebar
Design, Prototype, and Inspect tabs. Properties panel shows options for selected layers (fill, stroke, effects, layout, etc.).
Bottom Toolbar
Mode switcher (Draw/Design), tool selection, and keyboard shortcuts reference. This is your primary tool access point.
Draw Mode vs Design Mode
Kodo features two toolbar modes to keep your workspace clean:
Draw Mode
For freehand drawing and sketching
- • Pencil tool (Shift+P)
- • Brush tool with various styles (B)
- • Pen/Curve tool for bezier paths (P)
- • Eraser tool (E)
Design Mode
For precise design work
- • Shapes (Rectangle, Ellipse, Star, Polygon)
- • Text tool (T)
- • Line & Arrow tools (L)
- • Image import
- • Alignment & distribution tools
Design Tools
Selection & Navigation
Selection Tool (V)
Click to select layers, drag to move, resize with handles. Hold Shift to add to selection, Alt to remove.
Hand Tool (Space)
Hold spacebar and drag to pan around the canvas. Works in any mode.
Zoom
Cmd + to zoom in, Cmd - to zoom out, Shift 0 to reset to 100%.
Shape Tools
Rectangle (R)
Draw rectangles and rounded rectangles. Hold Shift for squares.
✓ Individual corner radius control
Ellipse (O)
Draw circles and ellipses. Hold Shift for perfect circles.
✓ Arc and pie controls
Polygon
Create polygons with 3-20 sides. Adjust point count in properties panel.
✓ Variable sides, star radius
Star
Create stars with adjustable points and inner radius.
✓ 3-20 points, ratio control
Line & Arrow (L)
Draw straight lines. Toggle arrowheads in properties.
✓ Start/end arrows, stroke styles
Frame (F)
Create artboards and containers for organizing designs.
✓ Auto-layout, clip content
Text Tool (T)
Click to create auto-width text, or drag to create fixed-width text boxes.
Font family, weight, size, line height, letter spacing
Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, alignment
Multiple fills, strokes, shadows, blur effects
Path & Vector Tools
Pen/Curve Tool (P)
Create bezier curves and custom shapes. Click to add points, drag to create curves.
- • Click to add straight points
- • Drag to create curve handles
- • Close path by clicking first point
- • Edit existing paths by selecting with V tool
Pencil Tool (Shift+P)
Draw freehand paths. Auto-smoothed for clean results.
Boolean Operations
Combine shapes with Union, Subtract, Intersect, and Exclude operations.
Drawing & Painting Tools
Brush Tool (B)
Paint with various brush styles and effects.
Eraser Tool (E)
Erase parts of paths and brush strokes. Adjustable size and hardness.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Pro Tip: Click the info icon in the bottom toolbar or press ? to view shortcuts in-app.
Selection
Tools
Edit
Transform
View
History
Collaboration
Creating a Team
Teams allow you to collaborate with others and share designs. To create a team:
- Click on the team selector in your dashboard
- Select "Create New Team"
- Give your team a name
- Invite members by email
Sharing Designs
Share individual designs with team members or external collaborators:
- Open the design you want to share
- Click the "Share" button in the top right
- Set permissions (View, Edit, or Comment)
- Share the link or invite by email
AI Features
Note: AI features consume credits from your account. Monitor your usage in the top-right user menu.
Text to Design
Describe what you want to create, and Kodo's AI will generate a design for you.
Example prompts: "Create a landing page for a coffee shop", "Design a mobile app login screen", "Make a social media post about summer sale"
Background Removal
Automatically remove backgrounds from images with one click. Perfect for product photos and profile pictures.
Magic Eraser
Remove unwanted objects from images intelligently. The AI fills in the area naturally.
Export & Sharing
Note: Free users can export while they have Kodo credits remaining. Paid subscribers can always export while their subscription is active, even if credits are exhausted.
Supported Formats
Billing & Subscription
Plans
35 Kodo credits/month
100 Kodo credits/month
280 Kodo credits/month
All plans include unlimited designs, export to all formats, and real-time collaboration. Manual tools are always free - you only use credits for AI features.
- New users get 35 Kodo credits/month on the Free plan
- Credits refresh monthly on all plans
- Upgrade anytime from the pricing page
- Manage subscription from the billing page
- Cancel anytime with no penalties (access continues until period end)
Understanding Credits & Limits
Kodo Credits
Kodo credits are used for AI-powered design features:
- AI Design Generation (text-to-design): 5-10 credits per design, depending on complexity
- Background Removal: ~1 credit per image
- Other AI features: Varies by feature
Example: A typical landing page or app screen design consumes 5-10 credits. With 35 credits (Free plan), you can create approximately 3-7 designs per month.
AI Image Generations & Magic Editor
These are separate monthly limits that operate independently from Kodo credits:
- AI Image Generations: Create images from text prompts. Each generation counts toward your monthly limit (e.g., Free: 3/month, Basic: 10/month)
- Magic Editor: Remove objects from images intelligently. Each use counts toward your monthly limit (e.g., Free: 3/month, Basic: 10/month)
Important: These limits are separate from Kodo credits. Using AI Image Generation or Magic Editor does not consume your Kodo credits - they each have their own monthly allowance.
Summary
Three separate systems:
- Kodo Credits - For AI design generation and background removal (consumes credits)
- AI Image Generations - Monthly limit for creating images from text (separate limit)
- Magic Editor - Monthly limit for removing objects from images (separate limit)
Support
Get Help
FAQ
Do I need to pay to use Kodo?
New users get 35 Kodo credits per month on the Free plan. All manual design tools are completely free forever. You can export while you have credits, and only need a subscription for more credits or unlimited export access.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes! Cancel from the billing page. Your subscription remains active until the end of your billing period.
What happens if I run out of AI credits?
You can still use all manual tools. AI features will be disabled until your credits reset monthly or you upgrade.
Is my data safe?
Yes. All designs are stored securely with automatic backups. We use industry-standard encryption and never share your data.