Figma | New Eraser and Paint Tools for Vector Editing
Figma is making vector editing more direct with new Eraser and Paint tools that let designers reshape and recolor artwork directly on the canvas. The update brings familiar illustration interactions into Figma's vector edit mode and Figma Draw, reducing the need to manually manipulate individual paths or fills when cleaning up and coloring more complex vector artwork.
Figma makes vector editing more hands-on
The new Eraser tool lets designers remove sections of vector paths or shapes directly by dragging across the artwork. Instead of selecting individual points and rebuilding a path manually, the eraser creates new editable vector points around the removed area while keeping the remaining vector network available for further adjustment.
Designers can configure the eraser's weight and shape from the right sidebar before editing. The tool works inside vector edit mode and Figma Draw, and the keyboard shortcut Shift+E provides quick access without changing the existing Shift+E behavior used for the Prototype tab in Design mode.
Paint makes recoloring complex vector regions faster
The Paint tool focuses on fills inside closed regions of a vector network. Designers can choose a solid color or gradient, hover over a region to preview the affected area, and then click to add or change its fill.
The more useful addition for illustration work is drag-to-fill. Instead of clicking every region separately, creators can drag across several closed areas and apply the selected color or gradient to all of them in one motion. This can speed up coloring for icons, illustrations, characters, diagrams, and other artwork built from many individual vector regions.
Paint can also remove existing fills
Figma changes the Paint cursor depending on the relationship between the selected fill and the region underneath it. If the selected color differs from the current fill, the region is highlighted so a new fill can be applied. If the selected fill already matches, the interaction can instead remove that fill.
This gives the Paint tool a more flexible role than a simple color bucket. Designers can use the same workflow to add, replace, or remove fills while remaining inside the vector editing environment, rather than repeatedly switching between individual objects and their fill settings.
The tools fit into Figma's broader vector workflow
Eraser and Paint join Figma's existing vector editing tools, including Variable Width, Shape Builder, Cut, Bend, and Lasso. Designers can enter vector edit mode by selecting vector layers and pressing Enter, then move between these tools from the secondary toolbar as different parts of the artwork need adjustment.
The new interactions are available on any Figma plan for users who have editing access to the file. This makes the update relevant not only to dedicated Figma Draw illustration workflows but also to everyday design files containing icons, custom shapes, interface graphics, logos, or other editable vector assets.
Daisuki's Take: What This Means for Designers
The main advantage is speed. Vector editing often becomes unnecessarily technical when a simple visual correction requires selecting several anchor points or changing fills region by region. Erasing and painting directly on the canvas makes those operations feel closer to drawing.
Drag-to-fill is particularly useful for artwork with many enclosed areas. Applying one color or gradient across several regions in a single gesture can make experimentation with palettes much faster, especially during early illustration and icon development.
We see these additions as another step toward making Figma useful for more detailed illustration work without losing its editable vector structure. Designers still retain access to individual paths and points when precision is required, but common cleanup and coloring tasks no longer need to begin at that level.
Sources and Recommended Links
- Erase and Drag to Fill for Vector Editing | Figma Release Notes
- Edit Vector Layers | Figma Official Documentation
