Screen layouts, zones and templates in SignStudio
Quick answer: DigitalSignage.com builds a screen layout as a scene in SignStudio: a canvas at the screen's resolution (presets for 1920 by 1080, 3840 by 2160, portrait 1080 by 1920, square and ultrawide, plus custom sizes) divided into zones, where each zone is a playlist, static, data-driven or interactive area with its own position, size and content. Scenes go into playlists, playlists into campaigns with schedule rules, and campaigns are assigned to screens. Start from one of 180+ templates or a blank scene, and save your own scene as a template so staff only swap text and pictures. The first 3 screens are free forever.
Last updated October 22, 2026. Sources: SignStudio scene editor, components, scheduling and overview pages and the SignStudio content FAQ on this site.
The vocabulary
| Term | What it is | Where you work with it |
|---|---|---|
| Scene | One designed layout at a set resolution, for example a menu or a welcome screen | Scenes, the scene editor |
| Zone | An independent area inside a scene with its own content and timing | A playlist or container component placed on the canvas |
| Component | A building block placed in a scene or zone: image, video, text, ticker, web page, clock, weather, data feed and so on | The component library |
| Playlist | An ordered list of scenes and media, each with a duration | Campaigns, Playlists |
| Campaign | A playlist plus schedule rules plus target screens | Campaigns |
| Template | A ready-made scene you copy and edit | Scenes, New from Template |
A screen shows whatever campaign is assigned to it. The layout decision is made inside the scene.
Scene resolution and orientation
Create the scene at the native resolution of the screen it will play on. SignStudio offers these presets:
| Preset | Resolution | Aspect ratio | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD | 1920 x 1080 | 16:9 | Standard landscape screens |
| 4K UHD | 3840 x 2160 | 16:9 | 4K displays |
| Portrait HD | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | Vertical screens |
| Square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Square panels and tiles |
| Ultrawide | 3840 x 1080 | 32:9 | Stretched bar displays and tickers |
| Custom | Any | Any | Video walls and unusual panels |
The scene also has an orientation setting, landscape or portrait, and a background of a color, an image or transparent. A scene built smaller than the panel looks soft when scaled up; one built larger only adds download time. For a video wall, build at the combined resolution: a 2 by 2 wall of 1080p panels is 3840 by 2160.
Zone types and properties
| Zone type | Behavior | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| Playlist zone | Rotates through several items | Promotions, announcements, a slideshow |
| Static zone | One fixed item | Logo, background, a standing message |
| Dynamic zone | Updates from a data source | Google Sheet prices, RSS, weather, a dashboard |
| Interactive zone | Responds to touch | Menus and buttons on a touch screen (touch components are a Plus+ feature) |
Every zone has a position (X and Y), a size (width and height), an optional background, an assigned playlist, a transition between items and a default item duration. Enter exact pixel values in the properties panel rather than dragging, so zones meet without gaps or overlaps.
Common layouts with pixel sizes
The sizes below are for a 1920 by 1080 scene, with the 4K equivalent (double every value) beside them. Position is the top-left corner.
Full screen
| Zone | 1080p position and size | 4K position and size |
|---|---|---|
| Main | 0, 0; 1920 x 1080 | 0, 0; 3840 x 2160 |
One message at a time. The right choice for a single promotion, a poster loop or a video.
L-bar: main zone, sidebar and ticker
| Zone | 1080p position and size | 4K position and size | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 0, 0; 1440 x 810 | 0, 0; 2880 x 1620 | Video or promotions |
| Sidebar | 1440, 0; 480 x 810 | 2880, 0; 960 x 1620 | News, social, weather |
| Ticker | 0, 810; 1920 x 270 | 0, 1620; 3840 x 540 | Headlines, time, weather |
This is the layout the scene editor uses as its multi-zone example. Keep the main zone 16:9 (1440 by 810 is exactly that) so video fills it without bars.
Three-column menu board
| Zone | 1080p position and size | 4K position and size | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Header | 0, 0; 1920 x 180 | 0, 0; 3840 x 360 | Logo and category names |
| Column 1 | 0, 180; 640 x 900 | 0, 360; 1280 x 1800 | Breakfast or starters |
| Column 2 | 640, 180; 640 x 900 | 1280, 360; 1280 x 1800 | Mains |
| Column 3 | 1280, 180; 640 x 900 | 2560, 360; 1280 x 1800 | Drinks and promotions |
A column of 640 pixels holds about 8 to 10 items at a readable size from 10 feet. Feed prices from a Google Sheet so staff never open the editor.
Two-by-two grid
| Zone | 1080p position and size | 4K position and size |
|---|---|---|
| Top left | 0, 0; 960 x 540 | 0, 0; 1920 x 1080 |
| Top right | 960, 0; 960 x 540 | 1920, 0; 1920 x 1080 |
| Bottom left | 0, 540; 960 x 540 | 0, 1080; 1920 x 1080 |
| Bottom right | 960, 540; 960 x 540 | 1920, 1080; 1920 x 1080 |
Each tile is 16:9, so video, images and dashboards all fit. Four tiles is the practical limit for a screen that must be readable from across a room.
Main zone with a bottom ticker
| Zone | 1080p position and size | 4K position and size |
|---|---|---|
| Main | 0, 0; 1920 x 960 | 0, 0; 3840 x 1920 |
| Ticker | 0, 960; 1920 x 120 | 0, 1920; 3840 x 240 |
The simplest way to add live headlines, a clock and the weather to a full-screen loop. A 120-pixel ticker at 1080p carries text of about 70 pixels, readable from roughly 15 feet.
Portrait poster with a footer
| Zone | 1080p position and size | 4K position and size |
|---|---|---|
| Poster | 0, 0; 1080 x 1720 | 0, 0; 2160 x 3440 |
| Footer | 0, 1720; 1080 x 200 | 0, 3440; 2160 x 400 |
Build portrait scenes in portrait; a landscape scene on a vertical screen fills about a third of it. Rotating the player output is covered in the portrait guide.
Build a multi-zone scene
- Go to Scenes, New Scene, pick the resolution preset that matches the screen, set the orientation and a background, and name it by location and purpose.
- Add a playlist or container component for each zone. Drag it from the library, or double-click it to drop it at the center of the canvas.
- In the properties panel, type the X, Y, width and height from the tables above. Use the align and distribute tools (align left, center, right, top, middle, bottom, distribute horizontally and vertically) to tidy several zones at once.
- Assign content to each zone: a playlist for a rotating zone, a single component for a static one, a data component for a live one.
- Set each zone's transition and default duration. Keep items at 7 to 15 seconds and the whole loop under 3 to 5 minutes where people walk past.
- Preview in the editor, full screen in the browser, or on an actual player, then save.
- Put the scene in a playlist, create or open a campaign, assign the campaign to the screen and publish.
Templates
SignStudio ships 180+ templates with working components already in place, organized by category:
| Category | Typical content |
|---|---|
| Corporate | Announcements, KPIs, meeting rooms |
| Retail | Promotions, products, pricing |
| Restaurant | Menu boards, specials |
| Healthcare | Wayfinding, wellness tips |
| Education | Schedules, announcements |
| Events | Agendas, speakers, sponsors |
To use one: Scenes, New from Template, browse the category, preview, Use Template, then replace the text, images and colors. To make your own: design the scene, File, Save as Template, add a name, description and category, and it appears in your template library. That is the usual way to keep branding consistent across many screens: a designer builds the master scene with fixed logo, fonts and colors, and staff change only the text and pictures inside it. Our menu board guide lists the full scene and animation template set as a Plus+ feature; the free plan includes templates, and about 90 percent of the feature set.
Layout rules that hold on every screen
- One idea per zone, and no more than three or four zones on a screen seen from a distance.
- Allow about 1 inch of letter height per 10 feet of viewing distance; the typography guide has the point sizes.
- Keep video zones at 16:9 so clips fill them without letterboxing.
- Keep text and logos at least 5 percent in from the edges, because consumer TVs crop the outer edge unless their picture size is set to Just Scan or Screen Fit.
- Give every screen a low-priority default campaign so a zone is never blank between scheduled items.
If you are unsure which layout suits a screen, ask support at support@digitalsignage.com, live chat at https://chat.digitalsignage.com/ or +1-877-344-7446.
Frequently asked questions
Screen layouts, zones and templates in SignStudio: how do they fit together?
A scene is the layout, built at the screen's resolution and divided into zones. Each zone holds a playlist, a single item, a data feed or touch content, with its own position, size and timing. Scenes go into playlists, playlists into campaigns with schedule rules, and campaigns are assigned to screens. A template is a ready-made scene you copy, and you can save your own scenes as templates.
How do I split a screen into zones in SignStudio?
Add a playlist or container component to the scene for each zone, type its X, Y, width and height in the properties panel, and assign a playlist or component to it. For an L-bar at 1080p: a main zone of 1440 by 810 at 0, 0, a sidebar of 480 by 810 at 1440, 0, and a ticker of 1920 by 270 at 0, 810. Double every value for a 4K scene.
What resolution should a SignStudio scene be?
The screen's native resolution: 1920 by 1080 for a Full HD landscape screen, 3840 by 2160 for 4K, 1080 by 1920 for portrait. SignStudio has presets for HD, 4K, Portrait HD, Square and Ultrawide plus custom sizes. For a video wall, build at the combined resolution of all panels.
How many zones should a digital signage layout have?
One to three for a screen read from across a room, four at most. More zones mean smaller type and a screen nobody can read in the few seconds they look at it. Put extra messages in the rotation of a zone rather than adding zones.
Does SignStudio have ready-made layouts?
Yes. SignStudio includes 180+ templates for corporate, retail, restaurant, healthcare, education and event screens, each with working components such as clocks, weather and tickers. Open one with Scenes, New from Template, preview it, click Use Template and replace the text, images and colors.
Can I save my own layout as a template?
Yes. Design the scene, choose File, Save as Template, give it a name, description and category, and it appears in your template library. Build the master with fixed logo, fonts and colors so staff change only the text and pictures.
How do I make a portrait layout?
Create the scene with the Portrait HD preset, 1080 by 1920, or 2160 by 3840 for a 4K panel, set its orientation to portrait and design top to bottom. Then rotate the player's video output to match the mounted screen; the portrait guide covers that step for each platform.
Related guides
- SignStudio scene editor
- SignStudio components library
- Scheduling and playlists
- Portrait digital signage: rotate the screen or the content
- Typography and viewing distance
- Digital signage templates
Try it on your own screens, free
DigitalSignage.com, which publishes this guide, runs a permanent free plan: the first 3 screens are free forever (no credit card, no ads, no watermark, no time limit), then from $3 per screen per month on Plus+. Once an account has 4 or more screens, every screen is billed, so 10 screens cost $360 a year; Enterprise is priced per screen in the public price calculator. The free DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer runs on Windows, Mac, Android and Android TV, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, iPad or any modern web browser, so the hardware you already own usually works. Start free · 2026 pricing · How 11 vendors compare on price
Maintained by MediaSignage Inc., operator of DigitalSignage.com since 2006. Product behavior on this page comes from our own SignStudio and SignPlayer documentation; where we do not document a step, this page says so instead of guessing. Last reviewed October 22, 2026.