October 28, 2026

How do I make a moodboard in MONA Canvas?

Click Canvas in the sidebar, then New canvas, and pick the Moodboard template or start blank. Drop in images, notes, links and files, pin comments, tag teammates or @MONA, then Share.

Quick answer: Click Canvas in the sidebar, then New canvas, and pick the Moodboard template or start blank. Click Upload to bring in images from your computer, your MONA Library, or Pinterest, add notes and links from the left toolbar, and organize them into columns and nested boards. Pin comments on images, tag teammates or @MONA, then click Share for a read-only client link.

Canvas is MONA's open board for moodboards, concept boards, and FF&E picks, similar to Milanote. It sits next to your projects, Library and schedules, so the images you collect are already in your Library and MONA can work on the board with you. It is on every plan and uses no credits.

Who can use Canvas?

Every plan. Canvas only needs a MONA login.
Studio or private. A new canvas is visible to everyone at your studio. In the Share panel, set Who has access to Private to keep a board to yourself.
Desktop first. Canvas is a pointer tool, so it lives in the desktop sidebar, not the phone's bottom bar.

How do I make a moodboard in Canvas?

Create the canvas. Click Canvas in the sidebar, then New canvas. You can also click New at the top of the sidebar and choose Canvas ("Moodboard & concept board"). For a client job, open the project, go to its Canvas tab and click New canvas; it is named "Project name mood board" and filed under the project.
Start from a template or blank. An empty canvas offers templates: Moodboard, Client concept board, FF&E picks, Project plan, Storyboard, Brainstorm, Weekly planner and Research. Or double-click anywhere to write a note.
Add cards from the left toolbar. Click or drag Note, Link, To-do, Line, Board, Column, Comment or Table onto the canvas. Draw gives you a sketch card and Color a swatch.
Bring in images and files with Upload (below), or drag them in from your desktop or another tab, or paste.
Organize. Drop related cards into a Column, and use a Board card for a room or concept; clicking it opens a nested board, and the breadcrumbs take you back up.
Rename it by clicking the canvas name in the header. Edits save automatically ("Saving…", then "Saved").

To link an existing canvas to a project, use the project picker in the editor header ("Link this canvas to a project").

How do I add images from my computer, Library, or Pinterest?

Click Upload in the left toolbar and choose:

From computer: images (JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, HEIC), videos (MP4, MOV, WebM), and documents such as PDFs and spreadsheets. iPhone HEIC photos are converted for you. 3D model files cannot go on a canvas.
From MONA Library: pick several renders, files, or saved products at once.
From Pinterest: paste a pin link or a public board link and click Import. A public board brings in its latest 25 pins. Each pin keeps a link back to Pinterest and is saved to your Library too. No Pinterest login is needed, but the board has to be public.

With the MONA Clipper Chrome extension, you can also clip a product or picture from any website straight onto a canvas: choose Canvas… under Save to in the clipper. See How do I use the MONA Clipper to save products from any website?.

How do I caption, pin, and mark up images?

Select an image card to see its toolbar:

Caption: type in "Add a caption…" under the image (up to 280 characters).
Pin a comment on the picture: click the spot you mean, write the comment, and click Done. Each pin has its own thread with Resolve and Reopen.
Mark up (pen, highlighter, circle, arrow): draw in red, yellow, blue, or black. Markup sits on top of the picture; the original file in your Library never changes. Use Show markup or Hide markup to toggle it.
Download saves the original image.

Each image holds up to 50 pins and 200 marks.

How do comments, @mentions, and @MONA work?

Comment on anything. Drag a Comment card next to what you are discussing, or pin one on an image.
Tag a teammate by typing @ and picking their name. They get a notification in MONA and an email that you mentioned them on the canvas. Only teammates who can see the canvas are notified.
Ask MONA by typing @MONA in a comment, a pinned comment, or a note: "@MONA render this corner with a walnut credenza" or "@MONA find three rugs like this under $3,000." A note that mentions MONA shows an Ask MONA button. MONA replies in the thread with an Open chat link, and anything it makes (a render, a doc, a deck) lands beside the card.

Asking MONA uses credits the same way a chat does, up to 5 asks a minute per person and one at a time per thread. See What can the MONA AI agent do, and how do I ask it for help?.

Click Share in the canvas header.
Switch from Private to Anyone with the link can view.
Click Copy link and send it. No MONA account is needed to open it.

The client sees the canvas read only: they can pan, zoom, open nested boards, play videos, and see your pins, captions, and markup. Teammate tags and MONA chat links are stripped. Switch back to Private to turn the link off; sharing again creates a new link, and the old one shows "This canvas link is no longer active."

What it does not do (yet)

No client comments on the share link. Clients view only; collect their feedback in a reply or on a call.
No PDF export. Download images individually, use Export this board in the More menu for a backup file, or build a PDF moodboard in Slides.
No live cursors. Teammates can edit the same canvas and MONA merges simultaneous saves, but you see their changes on reload.
Pinterest boards import their latest 25 pins. For more, import a second board or paste individual pins.

Want a hand?

Moving off Milanote or Pinterest boards? Book a 30-minute setup call and we will set up your first client concept board together.

Frequently asked questions

Is MONA Canvas like Milanote?

Yes, it works the same way: an open board where you drop images, notes, links, to-dos, columns and nested boards, then share it. The difference is that it lives next to your projects, Library and FF&E schedule, and you can ask MONA to work on it.

Should I use Canvas or Slides for a moodboard?

Use Canvas for a working board you keep adding to, with comments, pins and loose notes. Use Slides for a designed, page-by-page presentation you present or send as a PDF. If you ask the MONA agent to make you a mood board, it builds a Slides deck unless you say Canvas.

Can I import a Pinterest board into Canvas?

Yes. Click Upload, then From Pinterest, paste a pin link or a public board link and click Import. A public board brings in its latest 25 pins, each linked back to Pinterest and also saved to your Library. Private boards need to be made public first.

Can clients comment on a shared canvas?

Not yet. The share link is read only: clients can pan, zoom, open nested boards, play videos and see your pins, captions and markup, but they cannot comment or edit. Comments and @mentions are for your studio.

How does @MONA work on a canvas?

Type @MONA in a comment, a pinned comment or a note and ask for something, like render this corner in walnut. MONA replies in the thread, and anything it makes lands next to the card. Each ask uses credits like a chat, up to 5 asks a minute per person.