Figma Design Guide

The accuracy of the generated Tkinter code is entirely dependent on how you structure and name the elements in your Figma design. This guide details the required conventions.

The Core Principle: Naming is Important

Tkinter Designer identifies which Tkinter widget to create based on the name you give to an element (or a group of elements) in Figma's Layers panel. Double-click on any layer to rename it.

Element Name Mapping

Figma Element Name Corresponding Tkinter Element/Widget
Button tkinter.Button
TextBox tkinter.Entry (Single-line input)
TextArea tkinter.Text (Multi-line input)
Image Canvas.create_image()
Rectangle Canvas.create_rectangle()
Line Canvas.create_rectangle() (as a line)
Text Canvas.create_text() (for static text)
ButtonHover (Experimental) An alternate image for a Button on hover

Element Creation Guide

1. Main Window (Frame)

First, you must create a Frame in Figma. This top-level Frame acts as the main window for your Tkinter application. All other elements must be placed inside this Frame.

2. Button

A button is typically composed of a shape and optional text.

  1. Create a Rectangle (R) to serve as the button's body.
  2. (Optional) Add a Text element (T) on top of the rectangle for the button's label.
  3. Select both the rectangle and the text element.
  4. Group them together by pressing Ctrl+G (or Cmd+G on Mac).
  5. Rename the newly created group to Button.

3. Rounded Button

To create a button with rounded corners, a background-colored rectangle is used to mask the corners that Tkinter would otherwise render as sharp.

  1. Follow the steps for a Normal Button.
  2. Select the main rectangle and add a Corner Radius in Figma's design panel.
  3. Create a second rectangle with the exact same dimensions as your button's rectangle, but with 0 corner radius.
  4. Set the fill color of this second rectangle to be the same as your window's background color.
  5. In the Layers panel, move this second rectangle below the main rounded rectangle within the Button group.

4. TextBox (Single-Line Input)

This element corresponds to a tkinter.Entry widget.

  1. Create a Rectangle (R).
  2. Style it as you wish (fill color, stroke, etc.).
  3. Rename the rectangle layer to TextBox.

5. TextArea (Multi-Line Input)

This element corresponds to a tkinter.Text widget.

  1. Create a Rectangle (R).
  2. Style it to define the bounds of your text area.
  3. Rename the rectangle layer to TextArea.

6. Image

Use this for any static image, logo, or graphical element that isn't interactive.

  1. Place an image or create a vector shape (or multiple shapes).
  2. If you are using multiple shapes/images, select them all and group them (Ctrl+G).
  3. Rename the image layer or the group to Image.

7. Static Text

This is for labels or any text that is not part of a button and does not require user input.

  1. Create a Text element (T).
  2. You can name this layer anything you want; it does not require a specific name like other elements. Tkinter Designer will identify it as text by its type.
  3. To create a new line, you must explicitly press Enter or Return in Figma.

8. Rectangle and Line

For decorative shapes, rectangles, and lines:

  • Rectangle: Create a Rectangle (R) and rename the layer to Rectangle.
  • Line: Create a Line (L) and rename the layer to Line.

These will be drawn directly onto the Tkinter Canvas.