---
title: Quickstart
description: Create, connect, arrange, and save your first Inkfinite board.
section: Start here
group: Start here
order: 2
---

Open the [web editor](/app) to start a board in your browser. Use the desktop app instead when you
want to save a native `.inkfinite` file on your computer.

## Create a board

Open the board browser and choose **New board**. The browser stores boards in IndexedDB. The desktop
app starts with a draft and asks for a file location when you choose **Save As**.

Select a shape from the toolbar, then drag on the canvas to place it. Add text or Markdown with
their toolbar tools. Use the Select tool to move and resize objects.

## Connect and arrange

Choose the Arrow tool and drag between two shapes. Drop each endpoint on a shape to bind it. The
arrow follows its connected shapes when you move them.

Select several objects and open **Layout** to align, distribute, stack, or tidy them. Drag a
selection near another object to see edge, center, and equal-gap snapping guides.

## Navigate the canvas

Pan with a trackpad, middle-button drag, or Space-drag. Pinch or hold Ctrl/Cmd while scrolling to
zoom. **Shift+1** fits the drawing in the viewport. **Shift+2** fits the current selection.

Press **?** to open the searchable keyboard shortcut list. Press **Cmd/Ctrl+B** to return to the
board browser.

## Save or export

Browser boards save automatically to the current browser profile. In the desktop app, choose
**Save As** to turn a draft into a `.inkfinite` file.

Use **Export** for SVG, PNG, Excalidraw, or Obsidian Canvas output. Keep the `.inkfinite` file when
you want to preserve the complete document and its history.

Continue with the [Editor guide](/docs/guide/editor/) or read about
[boards and files](/docs/guide/boards-and-files/).