Everything you need to know about writing, formatting, exporting, and presenting with Scriptum, on the Mac and on the iPhone.
Contents
Scriptum is a native macOS Markdown editor. It works with .md, .markdown, .mdown, .mkd, and .mkdn files.
Open any Markdown file to start editing, or create a new document with Cmd + N. New documents start with a blank heading ready for your content.
Scriptum requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. On macOS 26, Scriptum uses Liquid Glass with translucent surfaces and floating controls.
Scriptum is one app across Mac and iPhone, included in the same purchase. The iPhone half is a reader and needs iOS 26.5 or later; see Scriptum on iPhone.
The first time you launch Scriptum it asks how you want documents to look, reading width, Standard or Article View, and whether to sync files to your iPhone. Every one of those choices is in Settings afterwards.
Scriptum's interface has three main areas:
With the editor open, the toolbar starts with bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, and inline code as buttons, followed by two menus:
After those come the font size stepper, share and export, presentation mode, the document outline, and the view-mode button at the right end. On macOS 26 the formatting controls and the zoom stepper sit in separate Liquid Glass capsules.
Adjust text size from 10pt to 32pt in 2pt increments. The current size is shown between the minus and plus buttons in the toolbar; click the number itself to go back to 16pt.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + + | Zoom in |
| Cmd + - | Zoom out |
| Cmd + 0 | Reset to default (16pt) |
Toggle between centered width (750px max) and full-width layout from the View menu.
Scriptum has three view modes. The button at the right end of the toolbar switches between reading and editing with a single click; hold it to choose a specific mode.
Scriptum remembers which view mode you used for each file, so switching between documents restores the mode you prefer for each one.
In Side by Side, the preview and editor scroll together automatically. As you move through the editor, the preview follows your cursor position so you always see the rendered output for the section you're working on. Clicking a section in the preview jumps the editor to the corresponding line.
The preview also marks the block your cursor is sitting in, so a long document never leaves you hunting for your place.
Scriptum saves your work automatically. Changes are saved after a short delay as you type, and switching between files saves the current document immediately. You never need to worry about losing work.
Scriptum remembers how far you had scrolled in each document and returns you there when you open it again. If you would rather always start at the top, turn off Restore scroll position on launch in Settings > General.
Scriptum watches the open file continuously. The moment another program writes it, a text editor, a build script, a git checkout, or an AI tool generating Markdown, the preview refreshes, usually within a quarter of a second. Keep Scriptum beside your terminal and watch documents take shape as they are written.
Your work is always protected: if you have unsaved edits when an external change lands, Scriptum asks whether to reload the new version or keep your changes instead of overwriting silently.
Click the outline button in the toolbar (next to the view-mode button) to see every heading in the document as a navigable tree, indented by level. Click any heading and the preview scrolls straight to it, ideal for long documents. Headings inside code blocks are excluded automatically.
Beta. Inline editing arrived in Scriptum 2.0 and is still marked beta. Documents that lean on hand-aligned spacing can look different here than in the preview.
Inline editing turns the editor itself into the rendered document. Headings take their real size, bold and italics show as formatted text, and links, tables, math, code blocks, blockquotes, GitHub alerts, and list bullets all appear the way the preview shows them. The file on disk stays exactly the plain Markdown you typed.
Place the cursor inside any element to reveal its raw syntax, move away and it renders again. The caret steps over hidden fence lines, so arrow-key navigation around a code block behaves the way it looks.
Inline editing is on if you updated from an earlier version of Scriptum, and off on a fresh install. If the editor is showing you raw Markdown and you wanted the rendered version, switch on Inline formatting (full-width editor) in Settings > General. The View menu carries the same switch as Enable Inline Editing (Beta), greyed out when no editor is on screen.
It applies to the full-width editor, which is Editor Only mode. Side by Side always shows raw Markdown next to the preview, whichever way the setting is turned.
With inline editing on, the view-mode button closes the editor with an × rather than an eye, because the surface you are leaving already looks like the finished page.
Scriptum supports the full Markdown spec. Here's a quick reference for all supported syntax.
| Syntax | Result |
|---|---|
**text** | Bold |
*text* | Italic |
__text__ | Underline |
~~text~~ | Strikethrough |
`code` | Inline code |
# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4
##### Heading 5
###### Heading 6- Bullet item
- Another item
1. Numbered item
2. Another item
- [ ] Unchecked task
- [x] Completed task[Link text](https://example.com)
> This is a block quote.| Column 1 | Column 2 |
| --------- | --------- |
| Cell | Cell |Wrap code in triple backticks. Add a language identifier for syntax highlighting:
```swift
let greeting = "Hello, world!"
print(greeting)
```Inline math uses single dollar signs: $E = mc^2$. Block math uses double dollar signs on separate lines:
$$
\frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
$$Three or more dashes, asterisks, or underscores on their own line:
---Wrap text in double equals signs to highlight it:
==highlighted text==Use carets for superscript and tildes for subscript:
^superscript^
~subscript~Add footnote references inline and define them anywhere in the document:
Here is a statement[^1] with a footnote.
[^1]: This is the footnote content.Footnotes are collected and rendered as a numbered list at the end of the document.
Write the term on one line and start the definition with a colon on the next:
Markdown
: A lightweight markup language for formatting text.
Scriptum
: A native macOS Markdown editor.| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + B | Bold |
| Cmd + I | Italic |
| Cmd + U | Underline |
| Cmd + Option + E | Strikethrough |
| Cmd + Shift + K | Inline code |
| Cmd + K | Insert link |
| Cmd + Shift + I | Insert image |
| Cmd + T | Insert table |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + 1 through Cmd + 6 | Heading 1 through Heading 6 |
| Format > Paragraph | Remove the heading from the current line |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + Option + B | Block quote |
| Cmd + Option + K | Code block |
| Cmd + Option + S | Horizontal rule |
| Cmd + Option + U | Bullet list |
| Cmd + Option + O | Numbered list |
| Cmd + Shift + T | Checkbox list |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + Shift + M | Inline math |
| Cmd + Option + M | Block math |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + N | New document |
| Cmd + O | Open workspace |
| Cmd + , | Settings |
| Cmd + S | Save |
| Cmd + F | Find in preview |
| Cmd + P | |
| Cmd + Shift + E | Export as PDF |
| Cmd + Shift + P | Presentation mode |
| Cmd + Shift + D | Switch light/dark (pins the theme; View > Appearance > System to follow macOS again) |
| Cmd + Option + W | Toggle full-width/centered layout |
Scriptum supports interactive task lists. Write checkboxes in the editor and click them directly in the preview to toggle their state.
- [ ] An unchecked task
- [x] A completed taskBoth lowercase [x] and uppercase [X] are recognized. You can use -, *, or + as the list marker.
Open any folder as a workspace to browse and manage your Markdown files from a sidebar.
Click the folder icon in the sidebar header and select a directory. Scriptum indexes all Markdown files and displays them in a collapsible file tree. Your workspace selection is saved between sessions.
.md extension is added automatically).The workspace tree lists .md, .markdown, .mdown, .mkd, and .mkdn files. Hidden files (starting with .) are excluded, and empty folders are hidden.
Opening a file from Finder, by double-click or by setting Scriptum as the default app, works for .md, .markdown, and .mdown. For any other extension, open the containing folder as a workspace.
Scriptum has two themes, light and dark, each crafted for long writing sessions. By default the app follows your Mac's system appearance, switching automatically when macOS does.
Press Cmd + Shift + D (or choose View > Switch to Dark Mode) to pin a theme manually. To return to following the system, choose View > Appearance > System. Your choice is saved between sessions, and the same controls live in Settings > Appearance.
Switch to Article View from the View menu for reading-optimized typography with subtle headings and increased line height. Article View is ideal for reviewing finished documents.
Choose from 13 typefaces in the Format > Font menu: System, New York, Iowan Old Style, Charter, Georgia, Baskerville, Hoefler Text, Palatino, Times New Roman, Helvetica Neue, Avenir Next, Gill Sans, and Optima.
Each file remembers its own font independently. When no file is open, the font menu sets the global default for new files.
Toggle between centered width and full-width layout with Cmd + Option + W or from the View menu.
View > Wrap Code Lines decides what a long line inside a code block does: wrap onto the next line keeping its indentation, or let the block scroll sideways. It is off by default, and the same switch is in Settings > General.
View > Preserve Line Breaks renders every newline inside a paragraph as a real line break, the way a notes app does, instead of joining the lines into one paragraph the way Markdown normally would. It is off by default.
Open Settings with Cmd + , or from the Scriptum menu. It has three tabs.
A button at the bottom of this tab resets appearance to its defaults. Per-file font choices and your Sync settings are left alone.
One switch, Sync opened files to my iPhone, and the list of files that have gone across. It is off until you turn it on. See Scriptum on iPhone.
Press Cmd + Shift + E or go to File > Export as PDF. The PDF uses the light theme for readability and respects your current font and zoom level.
Go to File > Export as HTML to export a complete HTML file with inline CSS styling. The exported file preserves your current theme and is ready to publish on the web.
Press Cmd + P to open the standard macOS print dialog. The print output always uses the light theme.
Click the share button in the toolbar to send your document via AirDrop, Mail, Messages, or copy the text to the clipboard.
Turn any Markdown document into a full-screen slideshow. Scriptum renders your Markdown with increased font size and fills the screen, no separate slide tool needed.
Scriptum splits your document into slides using one of two methods:
<!-- slide --> between sections. Each marker creates a slide break. This gives you full control over where slides start and end.# Heading 1 or ## Heading 2. Smaller headings (H3–H6) stay with their parent slide.Markers and headings inside code fences are ignored. If no structure is found, the entire document is shown as a single slide.
# My Presentation
Welcome to the talk.
<!-- slide -->
## Slide Two
- Point one
- Point two
- Point three
<!-- slide -->
## Slide Three
```swift
let message = "Code renders on slides too"
```
<!-- slide -->
## Thank You
Questions?By default a slide arrives whole. Turn on Reveal slides step by step in Settings > Appearance and each paragraph and list item takes its own click instead. Shift + → reveals the rest of the slide at once, and Shift + ← clears it back to the start.
Press Cmd + Shift + P or click the play icon in the toolbar. The presentation opens in full screen.
Slides scale to the size of the display, so presenting never changes your document's own font size. Back in the editor, each slide break draws as a labelled divider, so the shape of the deck is visible while you write.
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| ← arrow key | Previous slide |
| → arrow key or Space | Next slide |
| Page Up / Page Down | Previous / next slide, for presenter clickers |
| Shift + → / ← | Complete or clear the slide's build steps |
| B / W | Blank the screen to black or white; any key brings the slide back |
| Home | First slide |
| End | Last slide |
| ↑ / ↓ | Scroll within a slide |
| Esc | Exit presentation |
| Click left 30% of screen | Previous slide |
| Click right 70% of screen | Next slide |
| Swipe left / right | Next / previous slide |
On-screen controls appear when you move the mouse and auto-hide after 3 seconds. A progress bar and slide counter (e.g., "3 / 8") show your position.
Tip: All Markdown features work on slides, math, diagrams, code blocks, tables, images, and GitHub alerts all render normally in presentation mode.
Code blocks with a language identifier are automatically highlighted. Scriptum supports:
Unlisted languages fall back to generic highlighting for keywords, strings, numbers, and comments.
When a language is specified, the language name appears in the top corner of the code block with a color matching the language (e.g., orange for Swift, blue for TypeScript, green for Python).
Every code block in the preview has a copy button in the top-right corner. Click it to copy the code to your clipboard.
Scriptum renders Mermaid diagrams directly in the preview. Wrap your diagram code in a fenced code block with the mermaid language identifier:
```mermaid
graph LR
A[Start] --> B{Decision}
B -->|Yes| C[Action]
B -->|No| D[End]
```graph or flowchartsequenceDiagramclassDiagramstateDiagram-v2erDiagramganttpiemindmapgitGraphDiagrams are rendered in the background and displayed as images in the preview. Rendered diagrams are cached so scrolling and editing stay smooth. Diagrams respect your current theme, light or dark.
Move the pointer over a diagram and an expand button appears in its corner. Click it to open the diagram full-screen, which is the only way to read a large flowchart comfortably. Press Esc or click the close button to come back.
Tip: If a diagram has a syntax error, Scriptum shows the raw code with a copy button so you can paste it into the Mermaid Live Editor to debug it.
Scriptum supports GitHub-flavored alert blocks for callouts and admonitions. Start a blockquote with a type marker on the first line:
> [!NOTE]
> Useful background information.
> [!TIP]
> Helpful advice for getting things done.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> Key information users should know.
> [!WARNING]
> Urgent information that needs attention.
> [!CAUTION]
> Negative potential consequences of an action.Each alert type is rendered with its own icon and color to make it stand out in the preview and exported documents.
Press Cmd + F to open the find bar in the preview pane. Type a search term and Scriptum highlights all matches in the rendered preview.
Find works across all rendered content including headings, paragraphs, code blocks, tables, and alert text.
Scriptum is one app across Mac and iPhone, and buying it once covers both. The phone app is a reader. It renders your documents with the same engine as the Mac preview, math, Mermaid diagrams, and syntax highlighting included, but writing happens on the Mac. It needs iOS 26.5 or later.
On the Mac, open Settings > Sync and turn on Sync opened files to my iPhone. It is off until you turn it on. From then on, the files you open in Scriptum are kept in your own iCloud account, where the phone app finds them. Both devices need the same Apple Account signed in to iCloud Drive.
Files already sitting in iCloud Drive are referenced where they are; local files are copied across. Nothing leaves your Apple Account, and there is no Scriptum server involved.
You can skip sync entirely if you prefer. Tap the folder button in the library to open any Markdown file from Files, or send one to Scriptum from another app's share sheet.
The library lists what has arrived from the Mac, grouped and searchable. A document's context menu offers Copy Mac Path, which tells you where the original lives. The gear button holds two choices: the appearance, System, Light, or Dark, and the reading mode, Standard or Article.
On a fresh install the library is empty, which is correct rather than broken. Turn on sync on the Mac, or open a file from Files, and documents appear.
<!-- slide --> markers to break documents into slides for presentations.