Design tool Penpot brings background blur, better WebGL rendering & design token upgrades

Penpot 2.17 launches just one month after the 2.16 update, delivering several high-impact updates to this open source design platform. Building on the new WebGL rendering engine, the release introduces the long-awaited background blur, letting users apply depth and frosted-glass effects to layers when WebGL is enabled. The prototype viewer, guides, and other key interface features are now powered by WebGL, offering notable speed and stability gains in large or complex projects.

Alongside these advances, design token workflows are more efficient. Typography tokens now display during text multi-selection, with a composite input in the sidebar, smarter autocomplete, and dropdowns offering clearer context. Token changes propagate more quickly, helping maintain consistency. Commenting sees improvement too: users can now read, reply to, and resolve comments within design mode, streamlining teamwork.

Infrastructure enhancements include a toolbar status button for managing MCP connections and expanded support for self-hosted, multi-instance deployments. The update also brings UI refinements, such as a list view color picker for faster swatch selection and new selection size badges with visual customization. In addition, designers gain precise dashed stroke controls for more accurate border and illustration detailing. Finally, Penpot 2.17 ships with performance improvements and an extensive set of bug fixes.