Local-first design suite · public beta

Varve — design across disciplines. One canvas.

Vector, layout, typography, motion, prototyping, and print production in one application — no subscription, no account, no uploads. Your work stays on your machine.

Linux · macOS · Windows  ·  Free and source-available (FSL-1.1-MIT)

Your files Local-first Documents live on your machine. No cloud, no account.
Pricing Free forever The Community Edition is free, and stays free. No subscription, no paywall.
Code Source-available FSL-1.1-MIT. Built in the open on GitHub.
Platforms Three platforms Native Linux, macOS, and Windows builds.

The real interface

One application,
every discipline.

This is Varve as it runs today — the same document model, layer system, and shortcuts across vector, layout, typography, motion, and print work. The beta label is deliberate: the interface you see is the interface you get.

Tour the interface
The Varve workspace: a poster document on the canvas with the layers panel on the left and the properties inspector on the right
One window — canvas, layers, and properties
A curved vector shape in Varve with its anchor points and Bézier handles shown in node editing mode
Node editing with live Bézier handles
A type specimen in Varve showing a display character, a character set, a subhead and a body paragraph
A type hierarchy set on the canvas
The Varve layers panel listing the poster’s named layers with blend mode and opacity badges
Layers, blend modes, and opacity

What you can do

Six disciplines. One document.

Most work spans categories. Varve keeps the vector, the layout, the type, the motion, and the print run in one document — one layer system, one set of shortcuts.

Precision paths, native speed

Shapes, bezier paths with handles, boolean operations, node editing, and sticky snap — computed by a native Rust geometry engine, replayed to canvas.

  • Pen and pencil with live handles
  • Boolean operations and node editing
  • Sticky snapping with smart guides
Explore vector in Varve

Pages, frames, and flexible layout

Multi-page documents, frames with constraints, and flex-based auto-layout — the same document model across design and print pages.

  • Multi-page documents with master pages
  • Flex and auto-layout
  • Frames with constraints
Explore layout in Varve

Text that reads like a book

Multi-line text with OpenType features, variable fonts, text-on-path, and CJK line breaking — shaped and laid out with HarfBuzz-grade care.

  • OpenType features and variable fonts
  • Text on path and inline editing
  • CJK line breaking
Explore typography in Varve

Timelines, not afterthoughts

Keyframes, easing curves, and Smart Animate on a real timeline — exported to CSS, Lottie, and video for the web and beyond.

  • Timeline keyframes and easing
  • Smart Animate between states
  • CSS, Lottie, and video export
Explore motion in Varve

Interactions without handoff

Trigger-based prototype interactions with transitions and navigation — test the flow in the same document you design.

  • Triggers, actions, and transitions
  • Click-through navigation
  • Same document, no sync step
Explore prototyping in Varve

Born for print production

CMYK colour management, ICC profiles, PDF/X export with crop marks, and halftone screening — poster to booklet without leaving the app.

  • CMYK and ICC colour management
  • PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-4 export
  • Crop marks and bleed
Explore print in Varve

Why one environment

Your work does not fit
into one category.
Neither does Varve.

A poster needs vector shapes, typography, and print output. A social set needs layout, animation, and export. A product UI needs components, prototyping, and developer handoff.

Instead of switching between separate applications and rebuilding your context each time, Varve keeps the work in one environment: one document model, one layer system, one set of shortcuts.

Read the full product story

Local-first by design

Your work never leaves your machine.

No account. No cloud sync. No telemetry. Varve stores documents on your disk, works offline, and only sends bytes when you choose to export them somewhere.

Files on disk

Plain document files you can copy, back up, and own.

Works offline

Everything the editor does runs on your hardware.

No telemetry

No background reporting. Nothing leaves your machine by default.

Where Varve is today

An honest beta.

The first release, Varve 0.1.1, is out for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Core features work, but you should expect rough edges and evolving file formats — great for exploring workflows, not yet for critical production deadlines. Keep backups of anything you care about.