Keep an editable copy
Keep a .chardesk file when you want to edit later. A PNG is for viewing; the native file preserves editable canvas content.
Use the product's open, import, or export controls. Check the target session and filename before confirming. Renaming an arbitrary Markdown file does not turn it into a native canvas.
Choose an export format
| Purpose | Format |
|---|---|
| Continue editing later | .chardesk |
| Share a viewable image | PNG |
| Preserve colors and styles in a terminal | ANSI |
| Keep only the characters | Plain text |
Check the bounds and whitespace before exporting an image. Plain text cannot preserve background colors or every visual style.
Work with local files
After installing the terminal command, create, inspect, and export files with:
chardesk init diagram.chardesk --title "Diagram"
chardesk inspect diagram.chardesk
chardesk render diagram.chardesk -o diagram.pngchardesk open diagram.chardesk opens a read-only browser preview. To edit in the terminal, use chardesk tui diagram.chardesk. The preview cannot write browser edits back to the file.
See the CLI reference for command options.