See Your Formatting Instantly
As you type Markdown, Paper applies subtle visual styling so you can see the structure of your document. Headings stand out. Bold and italic text are emphasized. Code is distinguished from prose.
This isn't a rendered preview — it's your actual Markdown with visual hints. You're always editing the source, never a generated view.
What Gets Highlighted
- •Headings — H1 through H6, with size differentiation
- •Bold and italic — Visual emphasis matching the intent
- •Inline code — Monospace styling with subtle background
- •Links — URL syntax is visually distinct
- •Lists — Bullets and numbers are styled
- •Blockquotes — Indented with visual treatment
Why Not a Split Preview?
Split-pane Markdown editors show your source on one side and a rendered preview on the other. This has drawbacks:
- •You're constantly switching focus between two views
- •Screen space is halved for actual writing
- •Scroll positions often don't sync perfectly
- •It encourages obsessing over formatting instead of writing
Paper takes a different approach: make the source readable enough that you don't need a preview. The formatting is visible, but you're still working with plain Markdown.
Fast and Responsive
Because Paper is a native macOS app built with Swift, syntax highlighting happens instantly as you type. There's no perceptible delay, no flickering, and no performance penalty for long documents.
The highlighting is debounced and optimized to avoid interfering with typing. Your cursor stays in place, and scrolling remains smooth.
Native Typography
Paper uses the macOS text engine for rendering. This means:
- •Sub-pixel text rendering on Retina displays
- •Proper kerning and ligatures
- •System font support with customizable size
- •Consistent behavior with other Mac apps
Designed for Writing, Not Previewing
The goal of live highlighting is to let you write without context switching. You see enough structure to stay oriented, but your focus stays on the words — not on what they'll look like rendered.