# Exporting a board

> Every format a board can leave as - PNG, SVG, animated SVG, GIF, MP4 and the portable .revquix file - and which one to pick.

Source: https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/boards-and-export
Last verified: 2026-09-04

---

A board can leave Canvas as a picture, as a video, or as a file that is still a board. This page is
about choosing between them.

## The Export menu

The **Export** button in the board header opens a menu grouped by what you get.

### Still images

Always available.

| Format         | Good for                                                    |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **PNG image**  | pasting into a doc, a slide, or a chat                      |
| **SVG vector** | anything that will be resized - it stays sharp at any scale |

### Animated

The animated group appears **only when the board has an animated flow**. If you do not see it, the
board has no flow to animate yet.

> **Note** - MP4 depends on your browser
>
> **Animated SVG** and **GIF** are always offered once a flow exists. **MP4** appears only when your
> browser can encode video. If the option is missing, the browser is the reason - use GIF or animated
> SVG, which need no encoder.

Animated SVG is usually the better choice where it is supported: it is a vector, so it stays sharp,
and it has no colour ceiling.

> **Warning** - GIF is a 256-colour format
>
> That is a property of GIF itself, not of Canvas. Gradients, soft shadows and subtle tints band
> visibly. If your board leans on those, export MP4 or animated SVG instead.

### Portable

**Revquix file (`.revquix`)** exports the whole board - elements, styles, flow and embedded images -
as one file that opens again with everything intact. This is the format to use for backups, for
moving a board between accounts, or for sending one to someone who will keep working on it.

PNG and SVG are pictures _of_ a board. A `.revquix` file **is** the board.

## Importing

Canvas opens `.revquix` files, and also imports from Excalidraw and draw\.io - see [importing a diagram](https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/importing-a-diagram).

## Putting a board somewhere else

Exporting a picture is not the only option, and usually not the best one:

- **In a code project** - link the board as a `.rqd` file and it stays live. See [pairing a board with a project](https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/pairing-with-a-project).
- **In a blog post** - insert it from the editor and it renders animated. See [embedding a board in a post](https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/embedding-a-board-in-a-post).
- **As a link** - see [sharing a board](https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/sharing-a-board).

## Related

- [Animating a flow](https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/animating-a-flow) - What the animated formats are exporting.

- [Paged mode and PDF](https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/paged-mode-and-pdf) - The other way a board becomes a document.

- [Importing a diagram](https://www.revquix.com/docs/canvas/importing-a-diagram) - Bringing a board in.