A drawing tool should let you stay with the drawing.
Backhand is an independent browser-first vector editor from BonFX, inspired by the workflows that made Macromedia FreeHand memorable: direct editing, artwork inside shapes, related pages on one pasteboard, and a document that remains open to revision.
The project is in development. Follow along for demonstrations, decisions, and news about testing opportunities when they are ready.
Familiar ideas, a new implementation
Backhand is being built from documented behavior and original implementation work. It is not the old FreeHand executable, an official Adobe product, or a promise that every MX feature is already available.
The focus is the way the work fits together. Drawing paths should connect naturally to selection, clipping, type, pages, and revision. Saving should preserve the structures that make another round of editing possible.
SVG is the artwork foundation, with explicit limits around supported content and editor metadata. The aim is to make those limits understandable, rather than hiding them behind a claim that every file is universally portable.
What is taking shape
The prototype includes implementation work for path editing, grouping and clipping, pages, layers, text, bitmap tracing, and SVG save/reopen. Those areas continue to need combined workflow and release validation.
A useful demonstration should show the whole task: create something, revise it, save it, reopen it, and keep working. That is the standard for the updates shared here.
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Questions
Is this available to use today?
This page is introducing a development project. A supported public release and testing access will be announced separately. Joining the update list is not a purchase or a guarantee of immediate access.
Will it open old FreeHand files?
Do not rely on Backhand for that yet. Native FreeHand import and reliable conversion are separate requirements. For existing archives, start with our file-recovery guide.
Will it cost money?
Pricing has not been announced. This page makes no lifetime, subscription, or free-access commitment.
Does it include AI?
The architecture includes a shared editing interface and work toward tool connectivity. The inspected built-in Assistant currently provides manual search and a command console, not a connected conversational model. Future AI features will be described when their behavior and requirements are clear.
Is it affiliated with Adobe or Macromedia?
No. Backhand is an independent BonFX project. FreeHand is the historical application informing the research and selected workflows.
Why rebuild these ideas now?
Because a good interaction remains worth studying after the product that popularized it disappears. The purpose is to make useful work possible again in a modern environment, with clear boundaries and dependable files.