NinjaTrader 8 Drawing Tools Basics
NinjaTrader 8 gives you a full set of drawing tools for marking trendlines, zones, swings, liquidity, and fib levels. If you chart manually, these tools matter. This guide cuts the fluff and shows you how to actually use the NT8 drawing tools correctly.
How to Access Drawing Tools
You can open drawing tools three ways:
- Right-click the chart → Drawing Tools
- Use the top toolbar drawing icon
- Use keyboard shortcuts (fastest)
For example, F8 is the default Trend Line hotkey, unless you change it.
The Core Drawing Tools You Actually Use
NT8 has dozens of drawing tools, but beginners only need these:
- Trend Line – basic diagonal lines
- Ray – trendline that extends into the future
- Horizontal Line – key levels, highs/lows, liquidity
- Rectangle – zones, demand/supply
- Fibonacci Retracement – measuring pullbacks
- Arrow/Text – marking notes or events
Anything beyond this is either niche or overkill.
How to Draw Each Tool
Trend Line
Click → drag from point A to point B. Use trendlines to mark swing structure or channel walls.
Ray
Same as trendline, but it extends automatically. Good for long-term trend direction.
Horizontal Line
Click once at the price level. Perfect for marking session highs/lows or imbalances.
Rectangle
Click → drag to form a box. Used mostly for zones: supply/demand or consolidation ranges.
Fibonacci Retracement
Click swing low → drag to swing high (or reversed). NT8 plots your fib levels automatically.
If you want cleaner fib settings, check out your existing article NinjaTrader 8 Fibonacci Basics.
Editing Drawing Tools
To edit anything:
- Right-click the drawing → Properties
From here, you can change:
- Color
- Line width
- Dash style
- Auto-extension (for rays/channels)
- Fibonacci levels
- Labels
NT8 lets you customize every detail down to pixel thickness.
How to Move or Resize Drawings
Click the object → grab the anchor points → drag. Everything updates instantly.
How to Save Default Drawing Styles
If you hate NT8’s default colors, fix them permanently:
- Draw the tool
- Right-click it → Set Default
Now every new Trend Line, Rectangle, or Fib uses your settings.
Clearing Drawings
Right-click chart → Drawing Tools → Remove All Drawing Objects.
Or remove a single drawing by right-clicking it directly.
Best Practices for Clean Charting
- Limit drawings—don’t clutter your chart
- Use consistent colors for structure vs liquidity vs zones
- Use rectangles sparingly, not for every tiny pause
- Keep fibs hidden unless you’re analyzing a swing
A clean chart helps decision-making. A messy chart destroys it.
Final Thoughts
NinjaTrader 8’s drawing tools are simple once you learn where they are and how to customize them. Stick to the core tools—trendlines, rays, horizontals, rectangles, and fibs. Master those, and you’ll be able to mark structure cleanly without drowning in noise.