Templates

Templates

Pebble's template editor lets you create, customize, and manage your document templates. The editor works like a canvas, so you can click, drag, and layer elements to design exactly what you want.


In this article:


Viewing Templates

To view your templates, go to Templates on the left sidebar menu, at the very end. Your templates will be displayed there.



Adding Templates

Click + Add Template to add a new template.

Select the kind of campaign you would like to do: mail, email, or text. Then select from the available sample templates, such as neutral letter, blind offer letter, and others.

Click Add Template on the one you'd like to use.

The draft of the template will open in the editor. You can edit, preview or save it from there.



Editing Templates

Navigate to the template you want to edit and click on it. The editor will open.


Pay attention: If you are using a Pebble template, everything highlighted in yellow needs to be manually filled out by you. These are sections we have pre-filled with example text, so replace them with your own information before sending.


Pages and Layers Panel

On the left edge of the editor, you will see a layers icon (it looks like stacked squares). Click it to open the Pages and Layers panel.

This panel has two sections:

Pages — If you are editing a postcard, you will see a Front and a Back page listed here. Click on either one to switch to that side and start editing it. This is where to go if you cannot find the back of your postcard.

If you are editing a letter, you should only see the Layers section.

Layers — This shows you every element in your template as a list, organized by how they are stacked. At the top of the list you will always see the Body layer, which is the container that holds everything else. The Body layer cannot be deleted.

To delete all content from a template, click the first layer in the list, then hold Shift and click the last layer to select everything, then press Delete. The Body layer will stay.



Adding New Content

On the top left corner of the editor, you will see a + button. Click it to open the blocks library, which contains all the types of content you can add to your template (text, images, rows, columns, etc.).

To add a block to your template, drag it from the block library and drop it into the Body layer on the canvas. You can then move and resize it from there.



Selecting and Editing Content

Here is how to interact with the elements already in your template:

  • Single-click an element to select it. Once selected, you can drag it to move it.
  • Double-click an element to edit the text inside it.


If you click on an element and nothing happens, that element may be locked. To check, open the Pages and Layers panel. A lock icon will appear next to the element's name. Click the lock icon to unlock it, then try editing again. Click it again to lock it back.


The Styles and Properties Panel

On the right side of the editor you will see two tabs: Styles and Properties. Click on an element first to activate them.

The Styles tab is where you will spend most of your time. It contains:

  • Position: Where the element sits on the page.
  • Layout and Space: Margin and padding controls.
  • Typography: Font, size, weight, and color for text elements.
  • Borders: Border style, width, and color.
  • Effects: Opacity, shadows, and other visual effects.

The Properties tab shows technical settings for the selected element, like its ID and title. Most users will not need to change anything here.


Tip: If your text looks too cramped, increase the Line Height in Typography to add more space between lines. If it looks too spread out, decrease it.


Moving and Repositioning Elements

Once you have selected an element (single-click), you can drag and drop it to move it anywhere on the canvas.

For more precise control over placement, switch the element to Absolute positioning:

  1. Select the element.
  2. Open the Styles tab on the right-hand panel.
  3. Under Position, change the mode to Absolute.
  4. The element will now float independently from the rest of the content — drag it into the exact spot you need.
  5. Resize the element if needed, then repeat for any other elements that need manual placement.

By default, elements follow the normal page flow. Switching to Absolute lets you place them freely anywhere on the canvas and stack them on top of each other.


Tip: Absolute positioning is great for individual design elements like logos and images. For the main body of a letter, we recommend using columns instead (see Building Your Layout with Columns).


Adjusting Spacing: Margin and Padding

When you need more control over the space around or inside an element, select it and look at the Layout and Space section under the Styles tab on the right.

There are two types of spacing:

  • Margin (shown with orange handles): Adds space around the outside of an element, pushing it away from neighboring elements.
  • Padding (shown with green handles): Adds space inside an element, between its edges and its content.

A simple example: if your text feels too close to the edge of a box, increase the padding. If you want more breathing room between two elements, increase the margin on one of them.



Building Your Layout with Columns

When designing a letter, we recommend using columns to organize your content. Columns keep your layout clean and are much easier to work with than building everything manually.

To add a column layout, click the + button in the top left corner of the editor to open the blocks library. In the Basic section, you will see options like 1 Column, 2 Columns, and 3 Columns. Drag the one you need into the canvas to get started.

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of columns:

  • If you want your design to reach all the way to the edges of the page with no white borders, go to the Body Padding setting (found in the right-hand panel when no block is selected) and set it to 0. Then add padding to the individual rows or columns inside your layout instead.
  • Avoid using tables to organize your content. They are harder to edit and can cause formatting issues.


Guides

Guides show you where Pebble will automatically print mandatory information on your mailer, such as the return address, recipient name and address, and stamp area. You do not need to add any of this yourself.

Use Guides when designing any template where this information will be printed directly on the piece itself. When Guides are on, you will see highlighted areas marking those reserved zones. Do not place any text or images inside those highlighted areas. Anything you add there will be hidden or printed over.

If you are using a regular envelope, you can leave Guides off. The return address and recipient information will be printed on the envelope, so your letter will remain untouched.

To toggle Guides on or off, click the Guides button in the toolbar at the top of the canvas.



Avoiding Blank Pages

Sometimes a second blank page appears even when your content looks like it fits on one page.

Which preview should you trust? There are two places you can preview your template:

  1. Inside the editor — click Preview at the top of the editor. This gives you a general idea of how your template looks.
  2. Inside campaign setup — when you go through the steps to activate a campaign and reach the Start Mailing screen, you will see a final preview of how your mailer will actually be printed. This is the most accurate preview and the one to rely on before sending.

If two pages appear in either preview, Pebble will print two pages.

To fix a blank second page, here's some tips:

  • Reduce the spacing between elements.
  • Shorten or trim your text.
  • Adjust your font size or remove large images.


Best Practices for Images & Canva

  • Use text whenever possible. Type the body of your letter directly in Pebble rather than importing your whole design as an image. This gives you better formatting and avoids blank-page issues.
  • Keep imported images small. Import only small design elements like logos, QR codes, or decorative graphics.
  • Avoid importing a full design as a single background image. This can cause alignment and overflow problems.
  • If you are designing something in Canva, export individual elements as PNGs and insert them into your Pebble template one by one, rather than exporting the whole design as one image.

Still need help? Contact Us

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