Elements are the fundamental building blocks of every display slide in HipDeck. Whether you want to show a promotional video, a live weather widget, or a simple text announcement, you do it by placing Elements on a slide. This guide explains what Elements are, how to work with them in the editor, and provides a complete overview of every Element type available.
An Element is a self-contained content block that you place on a display slide. Each Element has its own content type, size, position, and display settings. Elements are independent of one another — you can freely move, resize, and configure each one without affecting the others on the same slide.
Think of a slide as a canvas and Elements as the objects you place on that canvas. A single slide can contain one Element or many, depending on the layout you want to create.
Elements are added to a slide directly from the slide editor. The process is straightforward and designed to give you precise control over placement and sizing from the moment you drop an Element onto the canvas.
Dragging from the Elements Panel
The Elements panel is located on the left side of the slide editor. It lists all available Element types grouped by category. To add an Element to your slide:
- Open the slide editor for the slide you want to edit.
- Locate the desired Element type in the Elements panel on the left.
- Click and drag the Element type onto the slide canvas.
- Release the mouse to drop the Element at your chosen position.
Resizing and Positioning
Once an Element is on the canvas, you have full control over its size and position:
- Drag the Element to reposition it anywhere on the slide canvas.
- Use the resize handles on the edges and corners to adjust the Element's width and height.
- Enter exact pixel values for position and size in the properties panel for precise placement.
- Use alignment guides and snap-to-grid to align Elements consistently across your slide.
HipDeck slides support multiple Elements on a single canvas, and Elements can overlap. This layering capability lets you build rich, multi-zone layouts — for example, a full-screen background image with a text overlay and a clock widget in the corner.
Key points about layering:
- Each Element occupies its own layer. Elements added later appear on top of earlier ones by default.
- You can reorder layers using the layer controls in the editor to bring Elements forward or send them backward.
- Each Element can have its own opacity setting, enabling transparent overlays and blended compositions.
- There is no hard limit on the number of Elements per slide, though keeping layouts focused improves readability on displays.
HipDeck provides a curated set of Element types to cover the full range of digital signage needs. Each type is purpose-built for a specific kind of content and comes with its own configuration options.
Media
- Image — Display a static image from your media library or an external URL, with options for fit and alignment.
- Video — Play a video file hosted in your media library, with autoplay and loop controls.
- Image Slideshow — Cycle through a collection of images automatically, with configurable transition speed and effects.
Text & Design
- Text — Display static or dynamic text with full control over font, size, color, alignment, and styling.
- Shape — Add solid color blocks, gradients, or decorative shapes to structure and enhance your layout.
- Frame — Apply a styled border or container frame around other content to create visual groupings on the slide.
Video & Streaming
- YouTube — Embed and play a YouTube video directly on the slide using a video URL or ID.
Documents
- PDF — Display a PDF document on the slide, with options to cycle through pages automatically.
Live Data
- Weather — Show current weather conditions and forecasts for a configured location, updated in real time.
- Clock — Display a live clock showing the current time, with options for 12-hour or 24-hour format and time zone.
Web & Embeds
- Website — Embed a live web page or web application inside a slide frame using any public URL.
- Embed — Insert third-party content using an embed code or iframe snippet from any supported external service.
- Canva — Connect your Canva account and display a Canva design directly on the slide, kept in sync with your latest edits.
News & Content Feeds
- RSS Feed — Pull and display headlines or content from any RSS feed, with configurable scroll speed and item count.
- New York Times — Display the latest headlines from The New York Times, automatically refreshed throughout the day.
- TechCrunch — Show the latest technology news and stories from TechCrunch, updated in real time.
Social
- Instagram Account (Beta) — Display recent posts from a connected Instagram account. This Element is currently in beta and functionality may change.
Specialty
- Bible Verses — Display rotating Bible verses on your slide, with options to select specific books, chapters, or translations.
- Timer — Show a countdown or count-up timer, useful for events, promotions, or scheduled announcements.
Each Element type has its own dedicated guide covering configuration options and best practices. Use the navigation to explore individual Element guides.
Each Element type has a dedicated guide with full configuration details and best practices. Jump directly to the guide for any Element type below:
