Official agent skill

Canvas Design

by anthropics in anthropics/skills

Creates original posters and static art as PNG or PDF by first writing a short design philosophy, then expressing it visually on a canvas.

OfficialApache-2.0Auto-check passedMedia & Creative

Install Canvas Design

skills CLI
$ npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill canvas-design -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install anthropics/skills canvas-design --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/anthropics/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/canvas-design .claude/skills/canvas-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
canvas-design
GitHub stars
180k
Used in
52 other repos
Token cost
~3k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,641 words
Files
83
Skills in repo
16
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

Creates original posters and static art as PNG or PDF by first writing a short design philosophy, then expressing it visually on a canvas.

  • Works in 2 steps: Design Philosophy Creation (.md file) → Express by creating it on a canvas (.pdf…
  • Designing a poster for an event or campaign
  • SKILL.md covers DESIGN PHILOSOPHY CREATION, DEDUCING THE SUBTLE REFERENCE, CANVAS CREATION and FINAL STEP, plus 1 more section
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Canvas Design works in two steps. First the agent writes a design philosophy as a markdown file: it names an aesthetic movement in a word or two and describes in several paragraphs how it shows up in space, form, color, scale, rhythm, composition and hierarchy, insisting the result look carefully crafted.

Then it expresses that philosophy on a canvas, producing a PDF or PNG that is mostly visual with only minimal text. Your request guides the work without fixing it, and the skill tells the agent to create original designs rather than copying existing artists. A folder of fonts, each with its licence file, is bundled for the typography.

When your agent uses it

  • Designing a poster for an event or campaign
  • Making a piece of abstract or conceptual art as an image
  • Creating a static visual with a distinct aesthetic

Example prompts

  • “Design a poster for our autumn jazz night.”
  • “Make an abstract artwork about city traffic as a PNG.”
  • “Create a minimalist print for my studio wall in muted colors.”

Workflow steps

2 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Design Philosophy Creation (.md file)
  2. Express by creating it on a canvas (.pdf file or .png file)

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 683bc88. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Canvas Design loads about 3k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 76 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,641 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~76
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~3k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from anthropics/skills at commit 683bc88, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© anthropics). 1,641 words, ~2,985 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/canvas-design/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 82 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
canvas-design
description
Create beautiful visual art in .png and .pdf documents using design philosophy. You should use this skill when the user asks to create a poster, piece of art, design, or other static piece. Create original visual designs, never copying existing artists' work to avoid copyright violations.
license
Complete terms in LICENSE.txt

These are instructions for creating design philosophies - aesthetic movements that are then EXPRESSED VISUALLY. Output only .md files, .pdf files, and .png files.

Complete this in two steps:

  1. Design Philosophy Creation (.md file)
  2. Express by creating it on a canvas (.pdf file or .png file)

First, undertake this task:

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY CREATION

To begin, create a VISUAL PHILOSOPHY (not layouts or templates) that will be interpreted through:

  • Form, space, color, composition
  • Images, graphics, shapes, patterns
  • Minimal text as visual accent
THE CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING
  • What is received: Some subtle input or instructions by the user that should be taken into account, but used as a foundation; it should not constrain creative freedom.
  • What is created: A design philosophy/aesthetic movement.
  • What happens next: Then, the same version receives the philosophy and EXPRESSES IT VISUALLY - creating artifacts that are 90% visual design, 10% essential text.

Consider this approach:

  • Write a manifesto for an art movement
  • The next phase involves making the artwork

The philosophy must emphasize: Visual expression. Spatial communication. Artistic interpretation. Minimal words.

HOW TO GENERATE A VISUAL PHILOSOPHY

Name the movement (1-2 words): "Brutalist Joy" / "Chromatic Silence" / "Metabolist Dreams"

Articulate the philosophy (4-6 paragraphs - concise but complete):

To capture the VISUAL essence, express how the philosophy manifests through:

  • Space and form
  • Color and material
  • Scale and rhythm
  • Composition and balance
  • Visual hierarchy

CRITICAL GUIDELINES:

  • Avoid redundancy: Each design aspect should be mentioned once. Avoid repeating points about color theory, spatial relationships, or typographic principles unless adding new depth.
  • Emphasize craftsmanship REPEATEDLY: The philosophy MUST stress multiple times that the final work should appear as though it took countless hours to create, was labored over with care, and comes from someone at the absolute top of their field. This framing is essential - repeat phrases like "meticulously crafted," "the product of deep expertise," "painstaking attention," "master-level execution."
  • Leave creative space: Remain specific about the aesthetic direction, but concise enough that the next Claude has room to make interpretive choices also at a extremely high level of craftmanship.

The philosophy must guide the next version to express ideas VISUALLY, not through text. Information lives in design, not paragraphs.

PHILOSOPHY EXAMPLES

"Concrete Poetry" Philosophy: Communication through monumental form and bold geometry. Visual expression: Massive color blocks, sculptural typography (huge single words, tiny labels), Brutalist spatial divisions, Polish poster energy meets Le Corbusier. Ideas expressed through visual weight and spatial tension, not explanation. Text as rare, powerful gesture - never paragraphs, only essential words integrated into the visual architecture. Every element placed with the precision of a master craftsman.

"Chromatic Language" Philosophy: Color as the primary information system. Visual expression: Geometric precision where color zones create meaning. Typography minimal - small sans-serif labels letting chromatic fields communicate. Think Josef Albers' interaction meets data visualization. Information encoded spatially and chromatically. Words only to anchor what color already shows. The result of painstaking chromatic calibration.

"Analog Meditation" Philosophy: Quiet visual contemplation through texture and breathing room. Visual expression: Paper grain, ink bleeds, vast negative space. Photography and illustration dominate. Typography whispered (small, restrained, serving the visual). Japanese photobook aesthetic. Images breathe across pages. Text appears sparingly - short phrases, never explanatory blocks. Each composition balanced with the care of a meditation practice.

"Organic Systems" Philosophy: Natural clustering and modular growth patterns. Visual expression: Rounded forms, organic arrangements, color from nature through architecture. Information shown through visual diagrams, spatial relationships, iconography. Text only for key labels floating in space. The composition tells the story through expert spatial orchestration.

"Geometric Silence" Philosophy: Pure order and restraint. Visual expression: Grid-based precision, bold photography or stark graphics, dramatic negative space. Typography precise but minimal - small essential text, large quiet zones. Swiss formalism meets Brutalist material honesty. Structure communicates, not words. Every alignment the work of countless refinements.

These are condensed examples. The actual design philosophy should be 4-6 substantial paragraphs.

ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES
  • VISUAL PHILOSOPHY: Create an aesthetic worldview to be expressed through design
  • MINIMAL TEXT: Always emphasize that text is sparse, essential-only, integrated as visual element - never lengthy
  • SPATIAL EXPRESSION: Ideas communicate through space, form, color, composition - not paragraphs
  • ARTISTIC FREEDOM: The next Claude interprets the philosophy visually - provide creative room
  • PURE DESIGN: This is about making ART OBJECTS, not documents with decoration
  • EXPERT CRAFTSMANSHIP: Repeatedly emphasize the final work must look meticulously crafted, labored over with care, the product of countless hours by someone at the top of their field

The design philosophy should be 4-6 paragraphs long. Fill it with poetic design philosophy that brings together the core vision. Avoid repeating the same points. Keep the design philosophy generic without mentioning the intention of the art, as if it can be used wherever. Output the design philosophy as a .md file.


DEDUCING THE SUBTLE REFERENCE

CRITICAL STEP: Before creating the canvas, identify the subtle conceptual thread from the original request.

THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE: The topic is a subtle, niche reference embedded within the art itself - not always literal, always sophisticated. Someone familiar with the subject should feel it intuitively, while others simply experience a masterful abstract composition. The design philosophy provides the aesthetic language. The deduced topic provides the soul - the quiet conceptual DNA woven invisibly into form, color, and composition.

This is VERY IMPORTANT: The reference must be refined so it enhances the work's depth without announcing itself. Think like a jazz musician quoting another song - only those who know will catch it, but everyone appreciates the music.


Show full SKILL.md (743 more words)Show less

CANVAS CREATION

With both the philosophy and the conceptual framework established, express it on a canvas. Take a moment to gather thoughts and clear the mind. Use the design philosophy created and the instructions below to craft a masterpiece, embodying all aspects of the philosophy with expert craftsmanship.

IMPORTANT: For any type of content, even if the user requests something for a movie/game/book, the approach should still be sophisticated. Never lose sight of the idea that this should be art, not something that's cartoony or amateur.

To create museum or magazine quality work, use the design philosophy as the foundation. Create one single page, highly visual, design-forward PDF or PNG output (unless asked for more pages). Generally use repeating patterns and perfect shapes. Treat the abstract philosophical design as if it were a scientific bible, borrowing the visual language of systematic observation—dense accumulation of marks, repeated elements, or layered patterns that build meaning through patient repetition and reward sustained viewing. Add sparse, clinical typography and systematic reference markers that suggest this could be a diagram from an imaginary discipline, treating the invisible subject with the same reverence typically reserved for documenting observable phenomena. Anchor the piece with simple phrase(s) or details positioned subtly, using a limited color palette that feels intentional and cohesive. Embrace the paradox of using analytical visual language to express ideas about human experience: the result should feel like an artifact that proves something ephemeral can be studied, mapped, and understood through careful attention. This is true art.

Text as a contextual element: Text is always minimal and visual-first, but let context guide whether that means whisper-quiet labels or bold typographic gestures. A punk venue poster might have larger, more aggressive type than a minimalist ceramics studio identity. Most of the time, font should be thin. All use of fonts must be design-forward and prioritize visual communication. Regardless of text scale, nothing falls off the page and nothing overlaps. Every element must be contained within the canvas boundaries with proper margins. Check carefully that all text, graphics, and visual elements have breathing room and clear separation. This is non-negotiable for professional execution. IMPORTANT: Use different fonts if writing text. Search the ./canvas-fonts directory. Regardless of approach, sophistication is non-negotiable.

Download and use whatever fonts are needed to make this a reality. Get creative by making the typography actually part of the art itself -- if the art is abstract, bring the font onto the canvas, not typeset digitally.

To push boundaries, follow design instinct/intuition while using the philosophy as a guiding principle. Embrace ultimate design freedom and choice. Push aesthetics and design to the frontier.

CRITICAL: To achieve human-crafted quality (not AI-generated), create work that looks like it took countless hours. Make it appear as though someone at the absolute top of their field labored over every detail with painstaking care. Ensure the composition, spacing, color choices, typography - everything screams expert-level craftsmanship. Double-check that nothing overlaps, formatting is flawless, every detail perfect. Create something that could be shown to people to prove expertise and rank as undeniably impressive.

Output the final result as a single, downloadable .pdf or .png file, alongside the design philosophy used as a .md file.


FINAL STEP

IMPORTANT: The user ALREADY said "It isn't perfect enough. It must be pristine, a masterpiece if craftsmanship, as if it were about to be displayed in a museum."

CRITICAL: To refine the work, avoid adding more graphics; instead refine what has been created and make it extremely crisp, respecting the design philosophy and the principles of minimalism entirely. Rather than adding a fun filter or refactoring a font, consider how to make the existing composition more cohesive with the art. If the instinct is to call a new function or draw a new shape, STOP and instead ask: "How can I make what's already here more of a piece of art?"

Take a second pass. Go back to the code and refine/polish further to make this a philosophically designed masterpiece.

MULTI-PAGE OPTION

To create additional pages when requested, create more creative pages along the same lines as the design philosophy but distinctly different as well. Bundle those pages in the same .pdf or many .pngs. Treat the first page as just a single page in a whole coffee table book waiting to be filled. Make the next pages unique twists and memories of the original. Have them almost tell a story in a very tasteful way. Exercise full creative freedom.

© anthropics, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 82 other files in skills/canvas-design of anthropics/skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • LICENSE.txt
  • canvas-fonts/ArsenalSC-OFL.txt
  • canvas-fonts/ArsenalSC-Regular.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/BigShoulders-Bold.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/BigShoulders-OFL.txt
  • canvas-fonts/BigShoulders-Regular.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/Boldonse-OFL.txt
  • canvas-fonts/Boldonse-Regular.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/BricolageGrotesque-Bold.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/BricolageGrotesque-OFL.txt
  • canvas-fonts/BricolageGrotesque-Regular.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/CrimsonPro-Bold.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/CrimsonPro-Italic.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/CrimsonPro-OFL.txt
  • canvas-fonts/CrimsonPro-Regular.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/DMMono-OFL.txt
  • canvas-fonts/DMMono-Regular.ttf
  • canvas-fonts/EricaOne-OFL.txt
  • canvas-fonts/EricaOne-Regular.ttf
  • … and 63 more

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 683bc88

Used in at least 32 other repositories

We found 100 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 52 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in anthropics/skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

…and 50 more copies not listed here.

Compare with similar skills

Canvas Design next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Canvas Design compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Canvas Design this skillanthropics/skills180k52 repos~3kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Photo Abstract EditorialZzzLc0405/photo-abstract-editorial5.9k—~815Automated safety check: PassProprietary
Mono Coloryanliudesign/mono-color-skill3.4k—~8.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Gathered Scenes Zine PosterZeejay0/gathered-scenes-zine-skill5.3k—~3.8kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
CRT Interface IllustrationTaiT-tt/tait-crt-interface-skill519—~9.4kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Lemo-Opuscar Short Film Directorlemomo-ai/lemo-opuscar1.4k—~596Automated safety check: PassCustom licence

Similar skills

  • Photo Abstract Editorial

    ZzzLc0405/photo-abstract-editorial

    Creates one vertical editorial image from an uploaded photo, keeping the photo untouched and adding an abstract panel and short English title derived from it.

    5.9k GitHub stars~815 tokensUpdated 1 mo ago
    Media & CreativeAuto-check passed
  • Mono Color

    yanliudesign/mono-color-skill

    Generate original one-ink or controlled two-ink editorial images from any theme, sentence, article idea, object, or reference photo.

    3.4k GitHub stars~8.5k tokensUpdated 1 mo ago
    Media & CreativeAuto-check passed
  • Gathered Scenes Zine Poster

    Zeejay0/gathered-scenes-zine-skill

    Turns a photo into a tactile collage poster where part stays an untouched photographic anchor and the rest becomes a simplified, color-fading illustration of the hidden scene.

    5.3k GitHub stars~3.8k tokensUpdated 1 mo ago
    Media & CreativeAuto-check passed
  • CRT Interface Illustration

    TaiT-tt/tait-crt-interface-skill

    Generates one finished retro CRT computer-interface illustration from a portrait, photo, creature, object or theme, as an exaggerated 1980s bitmap caricature.

    519 GitHub stars~9.4k tokensUpdated 1 mo ago
    Media & CreativeAuto-check passed
  • Lemo-Opuscar Short Film Director

    lemomo-ai/lemo-opuscar

    Directs a short film made entirely in code in one of the Lemo-Opuscar library's named visual styles, from fetching the library through production and delivery.

    1.4k GitHub stars~596 tokensUpdated yesterday
    Media & CreativeAuto-check passed
  • Anidoodle

    alexgreensh/anidoodle

    Code-drawn stills, drawing timelapses, films, explainers and interactive web animations in 31 styles, with composed scores.

    865 GitHub stars~2.7k tokensUpdated 4 days ago
    Media & CreativeAuto-check passed

More from anthropics/skills

All 16 skills in this repo
  • MCP Server Builder

    anthropics/skills

    Official

    Guides the design and implementation of Model Context Protocol servers in TypeScript or Python, from tool naming and error messages to evaluation.

    180k GitHub starsUsed in 63 repos~2.3k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • PDF Processing

    anthropics/skills

    Official

    Handles everyday PDF jobs in Python and on the command line: extract text and tables, merge, split, rotate, watermark, fill forms, encrypt and OCR.

    180k GitHub starsUsed in 48 repos~2k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Web Artifacts Builder

    anthropics/skills

    Official

    Builds multi-component claude.ai HTML artifacts as a small React, TypeScript and Tailwind project, then bundles it into one shareable HTML file.

    180k GitHub starsUsed in 41 repos~769 tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Official

    Creates original generative art in two steps: a written algorithmic philosophy, then a p5.js sketch with seeded randomness and an interactive viewer for exploring parameters.

    180k GitHub starsUsed in 38 repos~4.9k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • DOCX Creation and Editing

    anthropics/skills

    Official

    Creates, edits and reviews Word documents: new files with docx-js, edits through the underlying XML, plus tracked changes, comments and conversions.

    180k GitHub starsUsed in 5 repos~1.7k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Web Application Testing

    anthropics/skills

    Official

    Tests local web applications with Python Playwright scripts, checking frontend behavior, capturing screenshots and reading browser console logs.

    180k GitHub starsUsed in 51 repos~966 tokens
    Auto-check passed

Questions about Canvas Design

What does Canvas Design do?

Creates original posters and static art as PNG or PDF by first writing a short design philosophy, then expressing it visually on a canvas. Canvas Design works in two steps. First the agent writes a design philosophy as a markdown file: it names an aesthetic movement in a word or two and describes in several paragraphs how it shows up in space, form, color, scale, rhythm, composition and hierarchy, insisting the result look carefully crafted.

When should I use Canvas Design?

Canvas Design fits situations like: designing a poster for an event or campaign; making a piece of abstract or conceptual art as an image; creating a static visual with a distinct aesthetic.

How do I install Canvas Design in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill canvas-design -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/canvas-design in anthropics/skills) into .claude/skills/canvas-design in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Canvas Design in Codex?

Run `npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill canvas-design -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/canvas-design in anthropics/skills) into .agents/skills/canvas-design in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Canvas Design in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill canvas-design -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/canvas-design, .gemini/skills/canvas-design, .github/skills/canvas-design and .opencode/skills/canvas-design in your project.

What does Canvas Design need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Canvas Design is instructions for the agent only.

Does Canvas Design access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Canvas Design safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Canvas Design use?

Canvas Design is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (from the LICENSE file in the skill folder). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Canvas Design use?

About 3k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 12k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Canvas Design?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Canvas Design: Photo Abstract Editorial (ZzzLc0405/photo-abstract-editorial, 5.9k stars), Mono Color (yanliudesign/mono-color-skill, 3.4k stars), Gathered Scenes Zine Poster (Zeejay0/gathered-scenes-zine-skill, 5.3k stars) and CRT Interface Illustration (TaiT-tt/tait-crt-interface-skill, 519 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Canvas Design?

anthropics (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in anthropics/skills, which has 180,048 GitHub stars. The repository holds 16 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 8, 2026.

Source: anthropics/skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.