Questions

Short answers to the things people ask first. The guide covers how to use each part of the app in order.

What is Chapeau?#

A page layout app for things you intend to print. You place blocks of text and pictures on a page of a size you choose, write in Markdown, and export a PDF at those exact measurements. A project can be a single page or run to many.

Does it cost anything?#

No. Chapeau is free to use, and there is nothing to unlock.

If you would like to support it, you can buy the developer a coffee. It is entirely optional and changes nothing about the app. The same link sits in the toolbar and under Help → About.

Do I need an account?#

No. There is no sign-up, no sign-in, and no password. Open the address and start working.

Where is my work saved?#

In your browser, on the device you are using, as you go. You do not need to press save.

Because it is stored per browser, a project started in one browser will not appear in another, or on a second computer. To move a project, save a .chapeau file and open it on the other machine.

Can I lose my work?#

It is kept until you remove it, but it lives in one browser on one device. It goes away if you clear that browser's site data for Chapeau, and it is not included in any backup your computer makes of your documents.

For anything you care about, use Save project file to keep a .chapeau file alongside your other work. You can also return to an earlier version of an open project with Snapshots.

Can I use it offline?#

Yes. Once Chapeau has loaded it keeps working without a connection, and so do the fonts you have already used.

A font you have never opened before needs a connection the first time. If you plan to work somewhere without one, open the project while connected and check that every font appears correctly before you go.

Can I install it?#

Yes. Most browsers offer an install button in the address bar, which gives Chapeau its own window and icon. It is the same app, and your projects carry over, because they are already stored in that browser.

What can I export?#

• PDF, at the physical size you designed, for printing or sending to a printer's shop — plus the bleed on every side, if you set one.
• PNG, one image per page, always at the finished page size.
• .chapeau files, the project itself, to reopen later or on another computer.

You can also bring text in: a Markdown file can be imported into a project.

Which fonts can I use?#

Two kinds, both listed in the font menu: the standard fonts your computer already has, and a set of typefaces included with Chapeau, chosen to cover serif, sans, display, handwriting and monospaced text.

Fonts from your own collection cannot be added at the moment.

Does it work on a phone?#

Chapeau is built for a screen with room for the page and the properties panel side by side, so a laptop, desktop, or a larger tablet suits it best. It will open on a phone, but the working area is narrow for laying out a page.

Is my work private?#

Yes. Nothing you write or place is sent anywhere, there is no tracking, and there are no accounts. The privacy page sets out exactly what is stored and what is requested.

Who makes Chapeau?#

Chapeau is made by xexio.dev.

The glyph set is by the artists credited under Help → About, used under a Creative Commons licence.

Something looks wrong#

The guide's Fix common problems section covers the usual causes: text that will not fit, a font that did not load, a block that will not move, and what the warnings before printing mean.