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Scratch provides a powerful WYSIWYG markdown editor built on TipTap, offering an intuitive writing experience with full markdown support.

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Format Bar

The formatting toolbar provides quick access to common markdown elements:

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Text Formatting

Bold

Cmd+B (Mac) / Ctrl+B (Windows/Linux)

Italic

Cmd+I (Mac) / Ctrl+I (Windows/Linux)

Strikethrough

Cmd+Shift+S (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows/Linux)

Inline Code

Cmd+E (Mac) / Ctrl+E (Windows/Linux)

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Headings

Heading 1

Cmd+Alt+1 (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt+1 (Windows/Linux)

Heading 2

Cmd+Alt+2 (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt+2 (Windows/Linux)

Heading 3

Cmd+Alt+3 (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt+3 (Windows/Linux)

Heading 4

Cmd+Alt+4 (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt+4 (Windows/Linux)

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Lists & Blocks

Bullet List

Cmd+Shift+8 (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+8 (Windows/Linux)

Numbered List

Cmd+Shift+7 (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+7 (Windows/Linux)

Task List

Interactive checkboxes for to-do items

Blockquote

Cmd+Shift+B (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+B (Windows/Linux)

Code Block

Cmd+Alt+C (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt+C (Windows/Linux)

Horizontal Rule

Visual divider line

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Auto-Save

Scratch automatically saves your changes as you type with intelligent debouncing:
  • 500ms delay - Changes are saved 500ms after you stop typing
  • Non-blocking - Saves happen in the background without interrupting your workflow
  • Visual feedback - Spinner icon shows when saving is in progress
  • Last saved indicator - Displays the last save timestamp
Auto-save prevents data loss and ensures your work is always persisted to disk.

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Markdown Source Mode

Toggle between WYSIWYG and raw markdown editing:
1

Open Source Mode

Press Cmd+Shift+M (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+M (Windows/Linux) to switch to markdown source view
2

Edit Raw Markdown

Make changes directly to the markdown syntax with auto-save enabled
3

Return to WYSIWYG

Press Cmd+Shift+M again to return to the visual editor with your changes parsed
Source mode is useful for advanced markdown features like tables, complex formatting, or when you prefer working with raw markdown syntax.

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Rich Content Support

Add links with the inline link editor:
  1. Select text (or place cursor for new link)
  2. Press Cmd+K (Mac) / Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux)
  3. Enter URL and optional link text
  4. Press Enter to insert
Links require Cmd+Click (Mac) or Ctrl+Click (Windows/Linux) to open in your browser.

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Images

Insert images from your file system:
  • Click the Image button in the format bar
  • Select an image file (PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, SVG)
  • Images are automatically copied to the assets/ folder in your notes directory
  • Paste images directly from clipboard

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Tables

Create tables with the visual grid picker:
  1. Click the Table button in the format bar
  2. Hover over the grid to select size (up to 5×5)
  3. Click to insert table with header row
  4. Right-click cells for advanced table operations:
    • Insert/delete rows and columns
    • Merge/split cells
    • Delete entire table
| Feature | Shortcut |
|---------|----------|
| Bold | Cmd+B |
| Italic | Cmd+I |

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Markdown Paste Detection

Scratch automatically detects and parses markdown when you paste:
  • Recognizes common markdown patterns (headings, lists, links, tables, etc.)
  • Preserves formatting from other markdown editors
  • Falls back to plain text for non-markdown content

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External File Changes

When a note is modified externally (e.g., by another editor or AI agent):
  • A Refresh button appears in the toolbar
  • Click to reload the latest content from disk
  • Or press Cmd+R (Mac) / Ctrl+R (Windows/Linux)
Reloading will discard any unsaved changes in the editor. Auto-save prevents most conflicts.

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Copy & Export

Press Cmd+Shift+C (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows/Linux) to open the export menu:
  • Copy as Markdown - Raw markdown with full syntax
  • Copy as Plain Text - Stripped of all formatting
  • Copy as HTML - Rich HTML for web use
  • Download as PDF - Opens system print dialog for PDF export
  • Download as Markdown - Save .md file to any location

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Editor Customization

Customize the editor appearance in Settings → Appearance:
  • Font Family - System Sans, Serif, or Monospace
  • Font Size - Adjust base text size (default 16px)
  • Bold Weight - Choose heading and bold text weight (600, 700, 800)
  • Line Height - Adjust vertical spacing (default 1.6)
  • Text Direction - LTR or RTL for different languages
  • Page Width - Narrow, Normal, Wide, or Full width layouts
Power users can edit ~/.scratch/settings.json directly to customize theme colors.

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