How to Make a Comic Online for Free: Video Tutorial

Watch a complete comic come together in about four minutes: from a blank page to a finished download. You will set up a page, choose a panel layout, add pictures, speech bubbles, text and your own drawings, then export a PNG, JPG, PDF or SVG. It is free, runs in your browser and needs no sign-up.

This tutorial shows the desktop layout of the editor, the easiest way to make your first comic. Open the editor in another tab and follow along.

Ready to try it?

Free, in your browser, no account and no watermark.

Open Editor →

The steps in writing

Prefer to read? Here is everything from the video, step by step. Each heading links back to that moment in the video.

Step 1: Set up your page

▶ Watch this step in the video (0:16)

Open blankcomic.com/editor. A small welcome message appears at the bottom. Click Set up page.
Choose what you are making. US Comic is the classic comic book size, so keep that for your first page.
Pick a starting layout. Hero shot gives you one big panel on top and two below, which is perfect for a quick story.
Click Start creating and your page is ready.

A quick tour of the editor

▶ Watch this step in the video (0:44)

Your tools live on the left, your page sits in the middle, and your pages are listed on the right.
Look for Saved at the top. Your work saves automatically in your browser, so there is no need to panic if you close the tab.

Step 2: Choose a layout

▶ Watch this step in the video (0:58)

The Layout tab has 30 ready-made layouts. Click Show all to see every one, or use Custom grid to choose your own rows and columns.
Change the page size at any time: US Comic, A4, Manga, Square, Webtoon or a custom size.
The sliders style every panel at once. Drag Spacing to see the gaps between panels change.

Step 3: Work with panels

▶ Watch this step in the video (1:25)

Click any panel to select it. The Panels tab opens with everything for that one panel.
Press V to split it down the middle, or H to split it across.
Changed your mind? Press Ctrl + Z to undo.
Give a panel a shape. There are twelve to choose from, including a star.

Step 4: Add pictures

▶ Watch this step in the video (1:51)

With a panel selected, click Picture and choose an image from your computer. It fills the panel automatically.
Add more pictures the same way. Pro tip: the P key opens Picture too.

Step 5: Add speech bubbles

▶ Watch this step in the video (2:13)

Select a panel, open Bubbles and pick a type: Speech, Thought, Shout, Whisper, Narration or Caption.
Click the bubble again to type your words.
Drag the bubble to move it, then use the Tail arrows to point it at whoever is talking.

Step 6: Add text and sound words

▶ Watch this step in the video (2:46)

The Text tab adds text boxes, big titles and sound words.
Select a panel, click Sound word, then click Edit text and type your own.

Step 7: Draw on your comic

▶ Watch this step in the video (3:01)

Open Draw, pick the Pen, choose a size and drag on the page. Click Done when you are finished.
Stick figures and wobbly clocks totally count.
Need more pages? Click Add page on the right to keep your story going.

Step 8: Download your comic

▶ Watch this step in the video (3:22)

Click Download. PNG gives the best quality, JPG makes a smaller file, PDF puts all your pages in one file and SVG is a vector file.
.blank saves your project so you can open it later and keep editing.
For printing, keep quality on Print (300 DPI), then click Download PNG.

Video transcript

Read the full transcript

0:00Hey there! Ready to make your very first comic? In the next few minutes, I'll show you how to use the BlankComic editor, from a blank page all the way to the download.

0:11It's free, it runs right in your browser, and there's no sign-up. Let's jump in!

0:16Open blankcomic.com/editor. A little welcome message pops up at the bottom. Click Set up page.

0:24First, pick what you're making. US Comic is the classic comic book size, so let's keep that.

0:31Then choose a starting layout. Hero shot gives us one big panel on top, and two below. Perfect for a quick story.

0:39Click Start creating, and just like that, your page is ready.

0:43Here's your workspace. Your tools live on the left. Your page sits in the middle. And your pages are on the right.

0:50See that little Saved, up top? Your work saves automatically, right in your browser. So, no panic if you close the tab.

0:58The Layout tab has 30 ready-made layouts. Click Show all, to see every one of them. Or use Custom grid, to pick your own rows and columns.

1:08Below that, you can change the page size any time. US Comic, A4, Manga, Square, Webtoon, or your own custom size.

1:17And these sliders style every panel at once. Watch what happens when I drag Spacing.

1:25Now, click any panel to select it. The Panels tab opens, with everything for that one panel.

1:31Press V to split it down the middle. Or press H, to split it across.

1:36Changed your mind? Ctrl+Z undoes it. No harm done.

1:41You can also give a panel a fun shape. There are twelve of them, like this star. Very dramatic.

1:47Okay. Maybe a little too dramatic. Undo!

1:51Time for some art. With the panel selected, click Picture, and choose an image from your computer.

1:59It fills the panel automatically. Meet our star: a very sleepy cat.

2:04Let's add one more picture, to the bottom right panel. Pro tip: the P key adds a picture, too.

2:13Now, the fun part. Words! Select the top panel, open Bubbles, and pick a type. Speech, Thought, Shout, Whisper, Narration, or Caption.

2:22Our cat is dreaming, so let's use Thought.

2:25Click the bubble again, and type.

2:30Drag it to move it. Then use the Tail arrows, to point it at whoever is talking.

2:36One more bubble, for our wide-awake cat. This time, a Speech bubble.

2:46The Text tab adds text boxes, big titles, and sound words. Select the bottom left panel, and click Sound word.

2:54Boom! Oh, wait. Our alarm clock says something else. Click Edit text, and type.

3:01Want to draw something yourself? Open Draw, pick the Pen, choose a size, and just drag on the page.

3:11Don't worry. Stick figures and wobbly clocks totally count! Click Done when you're finished.

3:17Need more pages? Click Add page, on the right, to keep your story going.

3:22When your comic is ready, click Download.

3:25PNG gives you the best quality. JPG makes a smaller file. PDF puts all your pages in one file. And SVG is a vector file.

3:36.blank saves your project, so you can open it later and keep editing.

3:40For printing, keep Print, at 300 DPI. Then click Download PNG.

3:47And that's it. You just made a comic!

3:51Now it's your turn. Head to blankcomic.com/editor, and make something awesome. Happy creating!

FAQ

Is the BlankComic editor free?

Yes. The editor is completely free, with no subscription, no account and no watermark on anything you export.

Do I need to sign up or install anything?

No. BlankComic runs in your web browser. Open blankcomic.com/editor and start making your comic.

How long does it take to make a comic?

The video shows a complete three-panel comic page, from a blank page to a download, in about four minutes.

Which file should I download?

PNG gives the best quality for sharing, JPG makes a smaller file, PDF puts all your pages in one file, SVG is a vector file, and .blank saves your project so you can keep editing later. For printing, use 300 DPI.

Does the tutorial work on a phone?

The video shows the desktop layout, which is easiest for a first comic. The editor also works on phones and tablets with a touch layout.