How to use ELISA Smart Templates

ELISA Smart Templates help you create clear, scientifically accurate ELISA workflow figures more quickly and easily.

An ELISA Smart Template is a pre-built, customizable workflow figure designed specifically for ELISA experiments. Instead of building your protocol step by step from scratch, you start with a structured template that is already formatted for common ELISA workflows. Before adding it to your canvas, you select key options such as the ELISA type, detection method, and view. The template then generates a layout based on your selections.

After you place it on the canvas, the template remains interactive and responsive. It automatically rearranges steps when you resize it and keeps step numbers and alignment updated as you edit. This helps you focus on your scientific content while the layout and formatting stay organized and consistent.

Adding ELISA Smart Protocols to your Illustration

1. You can add an ELISA Smart Template by searching for it in BioRender, either on the editor or in the template gallery.

   

2. Click on one of the three ELISA Smart Templates ⚡ in the Gallery to open up the configuration modal.
   • Select the view you need (e.g. Plate, well, reaction).
   • Choose the ELISA type (e.g. direct, indirect, sandwich, competitive).
   • Select the detection method (e.g. colorimetric, fluorescent, chemiluminescent).
   • For certain parameters, more options will be revealed.
   • Review the preview to confirm the visualization meets your needs.
3. Click Add to Canvas or Add to New Slide to begin fine-tuning the template.

💡 Tip: Configuration is meant to get you most of the way there - you can still make small edits after placement.

How to edit your ELISA Smart Template on the canvas

If you have added an ELISA Smart Template with an “Plate” or “well” view, you will be able to use our enhanced editing experience to update these templates.

What you can do different in Smart Templates

• Change layout: Dragging the border of the Smart Template width-wise will automatically adjust the layout to fit the maximum steps widthwise before starting a new line. 
• Resize content: Dragging at the corner of the Smart Template will allow you to resize the content while maintaining the aspect ratio
• Add steps: Insert steps and the layout adapts to keep consistent spacing and layout format
• Adjust alignment: You can choose to left-align or center-align your figure 
• Change your incrementor: Choose amongst different incrementors (e.g. 1,2,3; i,ii,iii; a,b,c)

• Add a header: give your protocol a title that responds to any adjustments

  

💡 Tip: Try resizing first to find a layout that fits your figure, then fine-tune step content.

How to edit a Step within your Smart Template

1. Begin editing: click on the Smart Template and then click once more to select a specific step

2. Reorder your steps: click on “Move left” or “Move right” to reposition the step, notice that the steps automatically re-number

   

3. Horizontally resize individual steps: drag the handle on right hand side of the steps bounding box to increase the horizontal space for your icons

   

4. Drag icons into your step: with the Search open, you can drag icons into a given step to add them to the step

   

5. Modify text: You can add any text that you want within your illustration. To maintain styling, click within the text to modify before deleting the placeholder text

   

6. Copy + Paste: You can copy and paste steps, a pasted step is always added to the right of the actively selected step. If you click on the parent Smart Template, the pasted step is added at the end. If you don’t have any items selected, the step is added as a grouped object 

💡 Tip: You can drill down into icons within your step to get even more granular control over the illustration.

How to add steps in your ELISA Smart Template

1. Click on the Smart Template.
2. On the contextual menu above, click on “Add Step”.
3. A new step is added at the end of the protocol.

💡 Tip: If you want to add a new step at a specific location, you can click on a step. On the context menu, click “Add Step”, to add immediately to its right.

Deleting Steps in your ELISA Smart Template

1. Click on the Smart Template.
2. Click on the step that you want to delete.
3. On the contextual that appears, click “Delete Step”.
4. That step is deleted and any steps following will take the deleted steps place and be re-numbered.

💡 Tip: Deleting a step will shift all content to the right and automatically re-number all left over steps. Add a blank step.

Duplicating steps in your ELISA Smart Template

1. Click on the Smart Template.
2. Click on the step that you want to delete.
3. On the contextual that appears, click “Duplicate Step”.
4. To the right of your currently selected step, a copy of the current step will appear.

💡 Tip: The duplicate function is particularly useful when you have to make small changes to an existing step. Remember you can click into the duplicated step in order to make your changes.

Frequently asked questions

What are Smart Templates?

Smart Templates are configurable templates that you set up before adding to the canvas, and that continue to behave intelligently once placed (auto-layout, responsive resizing, and auto-updating step numbers).

Why ELISA?

ELISA is a widely used protocol with common, repeatable permutations (type, detection method, readout), making it a strong first use case for configurable and “smart” workflow figures.

Who has access to ELISA Smart Templates?

ELISA Smart Templates are available to Premium users.

How do I find ELISA Smart Templates?

Search for “ELISA” in the BioRender Editor. ELISA Smart Templates are designed to appear prominently in search results.

Can I use Smart Templates with other protocols or figure types?

Not right now. ELISA is the first Smart Template. Over time, this pattern may expand to other protocols and potentially other figure types.

If I add a step, what can I put into it?

You can edit the step like any other content in BioRender - update the labels and text, and tailor it to your workflow.

Does reordering steps update the numbering?

Yes. Step numbers update automatically when you reorder steps.

What happens when I resize the template?

Depending on how you resize the Smart Template, it will either scale all images to be larger while maintaining the same layout (i.e. corner drag), or it will trigger the steps of your protocol figure to rearrange (drag to adjust width or height only).

Can I duplicate a step in an ELISA Smart Template?

Yes. You can duplicate your current step and then make small changes to the duplicated step without impacting the parent.

Need help?

1. Email: support@biorender.com
2. Live Chat: Available by clicking on the "Help" bubble in the app on the bottom right-hand corner.