# The ReadyPixl editor at a glance: every part of the screen explained

URL: https://helpcenter.readypixl.com/articles/editor-layout
Markdown: https://helpcenter.readypixl.com/articles/editor-layout.md
Section: Getting Started
Summary: A visual map of the ReadyPixl editor — what every panel, button, and section does. Read this once and you'll know where everything lives.

The ReadyPixl editor packs a lot into one screen. Once you know what each part does, it stops feeling overwhelming.

This article is a map. Open the editor at [readypixl.com](https://readypixl.com) and follow along.

## The big image

The editor has **five main areas:**

- **Top bar** — sign in / settings / account
- **Tool sidebar** (left) — pick which tools to add
- **Canvas** (center) — the live preview
- **Selected Tools panel** (right) — your pipeline
- **Filmstrip** (bottom) — thumbnails of every loaded image

## The top bar

Across the top of the screen:

- **ReadyPixl logo** — click to go back to the home view
- **Account menu** (top-right) — sign in / sign out, account settings, billing
- **Help / chat widget** (bottom-right corner of the page) — opens the help center chatbot
- **Daily download counter** (visible to guests + free users) — shows how many of today's batches you've used

## The tool sidebar (left)

This is where you pick which tools to add to your pipeline.

- **Search box** at the top — type to filter tools (e.g. type "color" to find Color Removal V2)
- **Tool list** below — grouped by category (cleanup, transform, effects, watermarks)
- **Click any tool** to add it to your pipeline. Paid AI tools (AI Background Removal, AI Upscale) require signing in.

## The canvas (center)

The big visual area in the middle.

- **When empty:** shows the drop zone with "Drop image here"
- **When loaded:** shows a **live preview** of what your first image looks like with all your current pipeline steps applied
- **The preview always shows your first image** — to preview a different one, click it in the filmstrip
- **Updates in real time** as you change pipeline settings

Above the canvas: the **canvas toolbar** with controls like **Download All** (appears once you have 2+ images loaded — tooltip: *"Process and download all images"*), undo/redo, and a download-this-one button.

## The Selected Tools panel (right)

This is your pipeline. Every tool you've added shows up here as a step.

- **Steps run top-to-bottom** in the order shown
- **Drag a step to reorder** (the order matters — see [The pipeline concept](pipeline-concept))
- **Click a step to expand its settings**
- **Hover a step** for quick remove / duplicate options
- **Save Current Preset button** at the bottom — saves the whole pipeline (steps + settings) for one-click loading later
- **Reset all button** — resets all settings to defaults and switches off all your steps
- **Remove all button** — removes every step from the pipeline

## The filmstrip (bottom)

Thumbnails of every image you've loaded.

- **Click any thumbnail** to make that image the live preview
- **The currently-previewed image** is highlighted
- **Drop more images into the filmstrip** to add to your batch (you don't have to clear it first)
- **Right-click a thumbnail** for options like remove from batch

The filmstrip is where you check that your pipeline works on more than just the first image. Click through a few before clicking Download All.

## Sign-in and account

When you're not signed in, the top-right shows a **"Sign in"** button. Click to:

- **Sign up free** (no credit card, takes 30 seconds)
- **Sign in to an existing account**
- **Reset password** if you forgot

When signed in, the top-right shows your avatar / initials. Click for:

- **Account settings**
- **Billing** — your plan, credit balance and buying credits (everything is one-time; no subscriptions)
- **Sign out**

## Quick tips for the layout

- **The Selected Tools panel is the most-used part of the screen** once you're working. Resize it wider if your screen has space.
- **The filmstrip is easy to forget.** Use it — checking one image's preview isn't enough for a 200-image batch.
- **Search the tool sidebar** instead of scrolling. Even if you know the tool exists, typing "trim" or "color" finds it faster.
- **Save your pipeline as a preset early.** Don't lose your setup to an accidental refresh.

## What to read next

- **[The pipeline concept](pipeline-concept)** — the why behind the Selected Tools panel
- **[Loading your images](loading-images)** — every way to get images into the editor
- **[Saving and loading presets](presets)** — the time-saver
- **[Keyboard shortcuts](keyboard-shortcuts)** — speed up everything