Documentation

Installation

1. Download Platen from the Mac App Store
2. Open Platen from your Applications folder
3. You'll see the three-pane editor: block palette on the left, canvas in the center, and inspector on the right

Creating Your First Form

1. Click the + button in the sidebar to create a new form, or choose a template from the gallery
2. Drag blocks from the palette onto the canvas — headings, text fields, checkboxes, tables, and more
3. Click any block on the canvas to select it and edit its content inline
4. Use the inspector panel on the right to adjust appearance and layout settings
5. When ready, choose File → Export PDF (or press Cmd+E) to generate a fillable PDF

Platen uses a three-pane layout designed for efficient form building:

Block Palette (Left)

The palette lists every available block type organized into three categories: Layout (sections, columns, spacers, dividers, page breaks), Content (headings, paragraphs, images, lists, tables), and Form Fields (text inputs, text areas, checkboxes, radio groups, dropdowns, date fields, signatures). Drag any block onto the canvas to add it.

Canvas (Center)

The canvas is a WYSIWYG preview of your form at actual page size. Click any block to select it and edit its content directly. Selected blocks show a blue outline and can be reordered with the arrow keys or via the context menu.

Use Cmd+= and Cmd+− to zoom in and out, or pinch on a trackpad. Press Cmd+0 to reset to fit-to-width, or Cmd+1 for 100% scale.

Inspector (Right)

The inspector shows settings for the selected block: typography (font, size, color, bold), spacing (block gap, line height), field appearance (boxed, underlined, or plain), and layout-specific options. When no block is selected, it shows document-level settings like page size, orientation, and margins.

Design vs. Preview

Toggle between Design and Preview modes using the segmented control in the toolbar. Design mode shows block outlines and selection handles. Preview mode shows the form exactly as it will appear in the exported PDF.

Platen includes 19 block types in three categories:

Layout

Content

Form Fields

Platen includes 8 starter templates to get you up and running quickly:

Applying a Template

1. Click the + button in the sidebar
2. Browse the template gallery
3. Click a template to create a new form with that layout
4. Customize everything — add, remove, or rearrange blocks as needed

Sections

Sections group related blocks under an optional heading. They're useful for organizing long forms into logical parts (e.g., "Personal Information", "Employment History"). Sections can have an optional background band for visual separation.

Drag a Section block onto the canvas, then drag other blocks into it. Blocks inside a section are indented in the outline view and move together when you reorder.

Columns

Columns split content side by side. Useful for placing fields like "First Name" and "Last Name" on the same line, or for two-column layouts.

Drag a Columns block onto the canvas, then drag blocks into each column. The inspector lets you choose the column split: equal (50/50), 60/40, 70/30, or other presets.

Tables display structured data like expense line items, attendee lists, or schedules. They're static content (not fillable fields) and render directly into the PDF.

Editing

• Click any cell to edit its text inline
• Hover over a row or column edge to reveal the + button for inserting rows or columns
• Right-click a cell for options: delete row, delete column, toggle bold, and set text alignment (left, center, right)

Header Row

Toggle Header Row in the inspector to give the first row bold styling and a separate background. Header cells can have different padding than body cells.

Appearance

Use the inspector to control border width, cell padding (separate values for header and body rows), and overall table width.

Add repeating content to the top and bottom of every page. Headers and footers use a three-column layout (left, center, right) so you can place different content in each position.

Variables

Use these placeholders in header and footer text. They're replaced with actual values when the PDF is generated:

Skip First Page

Enable Skip First Page in the inspector to hide the header or footer on page one — useful when your first page has a title block or cover.

Press Cmd+E or choose File → Export PDF to generate a fillable PDF.

Fillable Fields

Platen exports standard AcroForm annotations. Every form field block in your design becomes an interactive field in the PDF:

• Text Input / Text Area → Editable text fields
• Checkbox / Checkbox Group → Clickable checkboxes
• Radio Group → Mutually exclusive radio buttons
• Dropdown → Choice menus with your defined options
• Signature → Digital signature fields

Compatibility

Exported PDFs work in macOS Preview, Adobe Acrobat, Chrome's built-in viewer, and most other PDF readers that support AcroForm fields.

Printing

Press Cmd+P to print the form directly. The printed version matches the PDF export, with empty form fields ready to be filled in by hand.

Platen uses CloudKit to sync your forms across all Macs signed in to the same Apple ID. Sync happens automatically in the background.

What Syncs

• All form documents and their block content
• Embedded images
• Document settings (page size, margins, orientation)

Requirements

• Signed in to iCloud on all Macs
• iCloud Drive enabled in System Settings