Creating with Flow

Images

You can insert images into your Flow documents and annotate them with drawing tools. You can trace something then remove the image afterwards for a clean look. Each document can contain up to 20 images.

Inserting an image

Tap the insert button and choose where to add your image from. If the image you are adding is not on your device already, tapping on it will download it before it can be added to your Flow document.

Add from files

You can choose any image file from your device Files browser. This includes iCloud, which is a seamless way to insert images you might already have on your Mac or other devices. You can also connect other locations like Dropbox, Adobe Creative Cloud, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive and Amazon.

Add from photo library

Choose a photo from your device photo albums.

Add from camera

Take a photo without leaving Flow and insert it directly into your document. Photos taken inside Flow are also stored in your device camera roll.

Add from clipboard

If you have an image in your clipboard, this option will be visible. If you have Universal Clipboard enabled, you can copy an image on another device and paste it straight into Flow.

From another app, select an image and tap Share. Choose the Flow icon and you will see a confirmation message. When you next launch Flow, a new document will appear in the list and contain your selected image.

Drag and drop

Pick up an image from another app with drag and drop, then drop it directly onto the Flow document.

Selecting an image

Images are selected and manipulated using the Lasso Knife tool. Unlike strokes, there are two ways of selecting an image:

As part of a group selection (multiple images and strokes) by drawing a marquee with the Lasso Knife
Independently selected by long-pressing with your finger on the image

When an image is independently selected, you can change the opacity by adjusting the vertical slider that appears. You can also reset the rotation back to zero degrees. These options are not available when images are part of a group selection.

Editing a selected image

Send to back

This changes the Z-order (depth) of your image to be behind everything else.

Flip vertically

Transform the image on a vertical axis.

Flip horizontallly

Transform the image on a horizontal axis.

Duplicate

Make an exact copy of the image, including existing changes like size and rotation.

Delete

Remove the image from your document (this does not delete it from the original source).

Colorise

Tap to apply a color filter to your image with your most recently used color. To use another color, tap and hold the colored circle and drag the eyedropper to another color on the document or a tool.

Note: colorising pure white will not change the image, and pure black will make the entire image black. If you want to darken an image, try using a shade of grey.

Gestures to edit images

Move

You can use your Apple Pencil or finger to drag the image around the document. If you pan the document, the image will be held in front so you can move it longer distances easily.

Resize

Pinch on the image when selected to resize it.

Rotate

Rotate with two fingers on the image to rotate. It will use your finger position as the rotation axis.

Advanced image settings

Opacity

With the image independently selected (long press with your finger while Lasso Knife is the active tool), slide the vertical bar that appears up and down to modify the opacity.

Reset rotation

With the image independently selected (long press with your finger while Lasso Knife is the active tool), tap the arrow button that appears under the opacity control. This will return the image to 0º if you have changed the rotation.