PinMark Sticky User Guide

🚀 Quick Start

• Create notes: ⌘N for text, ⌘⌥I for images.
• Text theme switch: Use ⌘⌥1 to 6 to quickly color-code text notes.
• Offer codes: Open Settings > About or the upgrade window, then click Redeem Offer Code.
• Float on Top: Press ⌘⌥F to float a note above your other windows.
• Close / delete: Press ⌘W to close the current note (it stays in the Workspace), ⌘⌥W to close all notes, or ⌘⌫ to delete it.
• Text note collapse: Press ⌘⌥M to collapse or expand text notes. Image notes do not collapse.
• Edge Docking: Drag text notes to the left, right, or top edges to automatically hide them.
  • Reveal: Hover your mouse near the edge to slide the note out instantly.
  • Stay out: PinMark remembers docked states across app restarts.
• App entry point: Choose Dock only, Menu bar only, or Dock and menu bar in Settings > General > App icon. Changes take effect immediately and are stored only on this Mac.
• Window memory: Every note's position, size, and rotation are automatically saved.

📸 Screenshot Notes

• Entry points: Press ⇧⌘2 in any app (a global shortcut you can change in Settings > Hotkeys), or choose New Screenshot Note from the PinMark menu bar icon or the File menu.
• Permission: On first use, macOS asks for Screen Recording permission so PinMark can capture the area you select. Capture and text recognition happen on this Mac.
• Selecting an area: The screen freezes when you start a capture, so open menus and hover tips can be captured too. Drag to select an area; click to select the window under the pointer (the image keeps the window's rounded corners), or click the desktop to select the whole screen. You can then drag the selection or its handles to adjust it, and a magnifier shows the pixels under the pointer while you drag. Arrow keys move 1 pixel, ⇧ + arrows move 10 pixels, and ⌥ + arrows resize.
• Outputs: Choose Image Note for an image note, or Text Note to extract editable text with PRO. The result is also copied to the clipboard. If you cancel the upgrade or recognition fails, the capture is kept so you can pick another output or retry without reselecting.
• Scrolling screenshots: Frame the content, click Scrolling on the screenshot toolbar, then scroll down slowly in the original app. PinMark stitches one long image and shows a live preview beside the selection. Scrolling too fast pauses the capture and turns the border orange; go back to where the preview ends and keep scrolling slowly. When you're done, choose Image Note, Text Note (PRO), Copy Image, or Save. Scrolling screenshots, copying, and saving are free.

📝 Markdown & Rich Text

Overview: Markdown sticky notes for your Mac →

• Live rendering: Type standard Markdown syntax (headers, bold, lists) and see the results instantly. Headings go to five levels.
• Slash menu: Type / to insert tables, task lists, code blocks, or templates. Headings and formulas are grouped into submenus, search jumps straight to /h3, and the menu sizes itself to the space beside the cursor so a tall note shows every command without scrolling.
• Callout folding: Click the arrow in a callout's title to fold or unfold its content. The folded state is saved with the note and survives restarts. Pressing Return in a folded callout unfolds it first, and the arrow keys skip a folded callout.
• Format menu: The menu bar Format menu and the text-note right-click menu expose shortcuts for editing, copying, Markdown copy, floating on top, color, collapse, close, and delete actions.
• Floating format menu: Select text to quickly apply bold, italic, strike, inline code, links, quotes, tasks, or clear formatting.
• Link editor: Type [text](url) to auto-link. Click a link for a compact preview bar to open, copy, or remove it; press ⌘K to edit and ⌘Click to open in your browser.
• Mermaid diagrams: Insert a mermaid code block to preview flowcharts and sequence diagrams directly in the note. Rendering is local and works offline.
• Drawing: Type / and choose Drawing to sketch diagrams and figures in a larger window. Click Done (⌘↩) to insert a preview into the note. Double-click the preview, press Enter while it is selected, or right-click and choose Edit Drawing to edit it again; Export Drawing Source… saves an .excalidraw file. The drawing editor is built into the app and works offline.
• LaTeX math: PinMark supports KaTeX-compatible LaTeX math syntax. Type $x^2$ and the inline formula renders as soon as you close the $; on an empty line, type $$ then a space to start a block formula. The / menu also has Math > Inline Math / Block Math. KaTeX renders locally, so formulas work offline.
• Formula editor: Double-click a formula — or select it and press Enter — to open an editor with live preview. ⇧Enter, ⌘Enter, or a click outside saves it; Esc cancels.
• Multi-line equations: A plain line break does not wrap inside a formula. Use the aligned environment instead — \begin{aligned} a &= b \ c &= d \end{aligned} — which the block formula editor also shows as a hint.
• Accepted syntax: $…$ and \(…\) for inline math, $$…$$ (single line or fenced) and \[…\] for block math. PinMark keeps the formula content in a safe supported delimiter form when saving. Write \$ for a literal dollar sign to avoid interpreting prices as formulas while typing.
• Formulas in exports: Markdown export keeps the LaTeX source, HTML export writes MathML, and Share as Image renders the formula into the picture. In Word (.docx), supported formulas become native editable equations; unsupported syntax falls back to readable LaTeX source.
• Paper & color: The right-click Paper menu offers 16 papers; None, Lined, Dotted, Grid, and Fiber are free, and the other 11 are PRO. Hover the pointer or use the arrow keys in the submenu to preview a paper on the note; closing the menu restores the current one, and nothing is saved until you choose. Custom colors need Pro. Paper and color already applied to a note are never reverted when entitlements change.
• Default paper: Set the paper for new notes in Settings > General; templates can carry their own paper and color. For free users an unavailable Pro paper falls back to None and a custom color falls back to yellow.
• Typography Density: Switch between Compact, Standard, and Relaxed in Settings > Appearance.
• Max Text Width: In Settings > Appearance, choose Follow Window, Wide (~95 characters), or Medium (~70 characters). With Wide or Medium, the text column stays centered and stops widening as you stretch the window; Lined and Dotted papers follow the column, and tables stay inside it. Narrow windows are unaffected. Applies to desktop notes, the Workspace, and shared images; the default is Follow Window.
• Interactive Checklists: Type - [ ] to create todos. Click the box or use hotkeys to mark as done.
• Rich media: Drag and drop or paste images directly into text notes for a seamless workflow.
• Free quota: The free tier holds up to 50 text notes (trash excluded); upgrade to Pro for unlimited.

⚡ Templates & Automation

PinMark CLI guide · PinMark MCP setup

• Templates: A template is reusable note content; variables such as {Date} fill in when you use it. A "Daily Plan" example is included to edit or delete.
• Save as Template: Right-click any note and choose "Save as Template", or create one in the template manager.
• Template Quota: Free includes up to 3 templates; Pro is unlimited.
• Quick Replacement: Replace current content or insert template into existing notes.

🖼️ Image Styles & Tools

Overview: pin photos and images to your Mac desktop →

• 8 Curated Styles: Pick one from the right-click Style submenu: Normal, Polaroid, Taped, Pinned, Frame, Gallery, Vintage, and Black & White. Each is a finished look — no parameters to tweak.
• Free / Pro Styles: Free includes Normal, Polaroid, and Taped; Pinned, Frame, Gallery, Vintage, and Black & White are PRO styles.
• Polaroid Caption: Only Polaroid lets you double-click the bottom white border to write a caption; the text is kept when you switch styles.
• Free Rotation: Press ⌘⌥← / → for 15° rotation, hold ⌥ while scrolling to rotate freely, or press R to reset. Arrow keys nudge; ⇧ + arrows step by 15°.
• Long images: An image at least three times taller than it is wide, such as a scrolling screenshot, opens in reading mode as an image note: it fills the note's width and scrolls vertically. All 8 styles still apply; reading mode does not rotate. Text extraction, copying, and styled sharing all use the whole image.
• Ghost Mode PRO: Press ⌘G for a semi-transparent, click-through reference.
  • Temporary Interaction: Hold Fn to move or close a "ghost" note.
  • Exit all: Press Esc three times to exit all ghost modes.
• Image actions: Right-click Copy As for the original image (⌘C), the styled image, or text in the image (⇧⌘C, Pro); Export offers the original image (⌥⇧⌘S) or the styled image. Press ⌘W to close an image note, or ⌘⌫ to delete it. Styled output does not include desktop rotation, opacity, or Ghost Mode, and carries no footer.
• OCR & Extraction PRO: Right-click an image or press ⌘⇧C to copy recognized text; use Convert to Text Note from the menu to turn OCR into an editable note. Screenshots and scrolling screenshots use the same recognition when you choose Text. On macOS 26 or later, paragraphs, headings, lists, and tables keep their structure, and tables stay tables when you paste into Notes, Numbers, and similar apps; earlier systems recognize each line as a paragraph. Recognized text is kept as written: lines that start with "- ", "1." or "#" are not turned into lists or headings. Code indentation and headings only slightly larger than body text may not be kept.

📤 Elegant Sharing

• Share as Image: The output keeps the note's own color, paper, and font, rendering the full content without cropping to a fixed ratio.
  • Image footer: Settings > Sharing offers three exclusive modes — PinMark branding (free), a personal signature with an optional avatar or logo (PRO), or no footer (PRO) — with a live light/dark preview. Footers apply to text notes only.
  • Three ways out: Copy as Image, Export as PNG, or Share… — the last opens the standard macOS share menu, and all three render from the same snapshot.
  • Quick Copy: Copy as Image writes the rendered note straight to the clipboard, with a toast confirming it's ready to paste.
• Export as document: Press ⌥⇧⌘S to export a text note as Markdown, plain text, HTML, Word, or PNG. Supported formulas become editable Word equations; the rest stay as LaTeX text. Sharing, per-note export, and document import are free.
• Batch Export PRO: Text notes are written as Markdown (.md) and image notes are copied out as their original files; batch export does not convert to plain text, HTML, Word, or PNG.

🗂️ Organization & Sync

• Arrange Notes: Use Window > Arrange Notes or a note's right-click menu (⌘⌥A arranges in a grid) to tidy the notes on the current screen into a grid, color groups, or a cascade. Arrange in Grid keeps your rough rows and columns and only aligns them and evens out spacing.
• Photo Wall: Use Window > Photo Wall (⌘⌥P arranges automatically) or an image's right-click menu to lay out images as Gallery, Grid, Masonry, Album Rows, Focal Center, Mirrored, Fan, or Collage; text notes stay put. The menu shows how many photos each layout needs. The free plan holds up to 2 image notes, so layouts that need more photos show a PRO badge.
• Restore Previous Layout: Undo an arrangement or photo wall anytime, even after relaunching; notes you moved by hand afterwards keep their new positions.
• Workspace: Press ⌘⇧L to search, filter by type (text or images) or by whether notes are pinned to the desktop, pin notes to or unpin them from the desktop, and manage trashed notes.
• iCloud Sync PRO: Notes and images sync across your Macs, including images and drawings inside text notes. If a note reaches another Mac before its images, they show as not yet synced and appear automatically once they arrive.

🧩 Platform Integration

• Shortcuts & Siri: Call PinMark's three actions from the Shortcuts app — New Text Note, New Image Note, and New Note from Clipboard. Or just say "Hey Siri, create a PinMark note: buy milk."
• Share Extension: From Safari, Photos, Notes, Finder, or any app with the system Share sheet, send text, links, or images to PinMark and the note appears on your desktop instantly (images default to Polaroid).
• Spotlight Search: Press ⌘Space to find notes by title, body, or image name / caption, then click a result to open the note.
• Command Line pinmark: Install it to ~/.local/bin with one click in Settings. It supports full note CRUD: create, append, update, delete, restore, pin, unpin, plus list, search, show, open, and ping. Use --from-file - for long Markdown and JSON output for scripts. Only open and --open bring PinMark to the front; every other command runs in the background.
• AI / MCP: In Settings, copy the MCP config next to the command-line controls, then paste it into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or another MCP client. The @pinmark/mcp server runs locally via npx, talks through the pinmark CLI, and lets agents create, search, read, append, update, pin to or unpin from the desktop, trash, restore, and open notes without accessing PinMark's database directly.