Add and edit drawings in Numbers on iPad
You can use Apple Pencil or your finger to create and edit a drawing in your spreadsheet, then move or resize it.
Add a drawing
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet, then do one of the following:
Use Apple Pencil: Tap anywhere on the sheet with Apple Pencil then tap one of the drawing tools (pen, pencil, crayon or fill tool) in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
Use your finger: Tap
in the toolbar, tap Drawing, then tap one of the drawing tools (pen, pencil, crayon or fill tool) in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
As you draw, you can do any of the following:
Switch drawing tools: Tap the pen, pencil, crayon or fill tool in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
Adjust the stroke size (line thickness): Tap the pen, pencil, crayon or eraser, tap it again, then tap a stroke size.
Adjust the colour’s opacity: Tap the pen, pencil, crayon or fill tool, tap it again, then drag the slider.
Change the colour for the selected tool: For iPadOS 14, tap a preset colour or tap the colour wheel to choose a custom colour. Use the controls to mix your own colour, then tap
to save the colour as a favourite. To remove a favourite, touch and hold its colour dot, then tap Delete. For iPadOS 13, tap the colour well, then either tap a colour in the grid or swipe left and create a custom colour.Fill an area with colour: Tap the fill tool, then tap the area. To draw a shape already filled with colour, tap the fill tool, then draw the shape.
Erase a stroke: Tap the eraser tool, tap it again, then tap Object Eraser. Tap the stroke or object fill you want to erase.
Erase pixels: Tap the eraser tool, tap it again, tap Pixel Eraser, then tap the dot you want to erase. For finer control, or to erase smaller dots, zoom the screen. You can drag across your drawing to erase segments of lines and fills, creating separate strokes and fills.
Scroll the spreadsheet: Swipe with two fingers; if you’re using Apple Pencil, swipe with one finger instead.
Show or hide the toolbar: Drag the toolbar handle down to minimise the toolbar. To return the toolbar to full size, tap the minimised version. To set the toolbar to automatically minimise when you’re writing, tap
, then turn on Auto-minimise.
When you’ve finished drawing, tap Done.
Move a drawing
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet with a drawing, then do one of the following:
If the drawing toolbar isn’t on the screen: Tap the drawing, then drag it with your finger.
If the drawing toolbar is on the screen: Tap the selection tool, drag around the part of the drawing you want to move, then drag the selection with your finger.
Resize a drawing
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet with a drawing, then do one of the following:
If the drawing toolbar isn’t on the screen: Tap the drawing, then drag any blue dot with your finger.
If the drawing toolbar is on the screen: Tap the selection tool, drag around the part of the drawing you want to resize, tap Resize, then drag any blue dot.
Edit a drawing
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet with a drawing, then do one of the following:
If the drawing toolbar isn’t on the screen: Tap the drawing with your finger, then tap Edit Drawing. Or if you last used a drawing tool with Apple Pencil, tap the drawing with Apple Pencil to open the drawing toolbar.
If the drawing toolbar is on the screen: Tap a drawing tool, then make your changes.
Merge drawings
You can merge drawings so they stay together as a single object. This makes it easier to move and resize the drawing as a whole.
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet with more than one drawing on the same sheet.
Touch and hold one drawing, then tap the other drawings with another finger.
Tap Merge.
Separate a drawing into parts
You can separate a drawing into individual objects that you can move, resize or delete separately.
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet with a drawing, then double-tap the drawing with a finger.
Tap the selection tool, then drag around the part of the drawing you want to separate.
Tap Separate (you may need to tap
to see it).
You can repeat this process to separate a drawing into multiple objects.
Animate a drawing
You can animate a drawing so that it appears in your spreadsheet as if it’s being drawn.
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open the spreadsheet with the drawing you want to animate, then tap the drawing to select it.
Tap
, tap Drawing, then turn on Animate Drawing.Do any of the following:
Adjust how long the animation plays: Drag the Duration slider.
Repeat the animation in a loop: Turn on Loop.
Preview the animation: Tap Play.
To play the animation in your spreadsheet, select the drawing, then tap Play Drawing.
Add a drawing description
You can add a description to any drawing in your spreadsheet. Drawing descriptions are read by assistive technology (for example, VoiceOver) when someone uses that technology to access your spreadsheet. Drawing descriptions aren’t visible anywhere in your spreadsheet.
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet with a drawing.
Tap the drawing to select it, tap
, then tap Drawing.Tap Description, then tap in the text box and enter your text.
If you export your spreadsheet as a PDF, drawing descriptions are still readable by assistive technology. See Export to Excel or another file format.
To add descriptions to an image or video, see Add an image description or Add a video description.
Share or save a drawing
You can share or save any drawing as an image, and you can also save an animated drawing as a video.
Go to the Numbers app
on your iPad.Open a spreadsheet with a drawing.
Tap the drawing, then tap Share.
If the drawing is animated, tap Share as Image to share or save it as an image, or tap Share as Movie to share or save it as a video.
Do one of the following:
Share: Tap a method for sending the drawing.
Save: To save to Photos, tap Save Image or Save Video (if you want to save an animated drawing as a video). To save to Files, tap Save to Files.
Note: To use your Apple Pencil for selecting objects and scrolling instead of entering a view to write or draw, tap 
, tap Settings, then turn on Select and Scroll. If your Apple Pencil supports it, you can turn on Double-Tap to Switch, then double-tap the lower part of Apple Pencil to turn Select and Scroll on and off.