# Varve

> Varve is a free, local-first desktop design suite for vector graphics, page layout, typography, motion, prototyping, and print production. It runs natively on Linux, macOS, and Windows. No account is required, no subscription is needed, and core editing works offline. Source-available under FSL-1.1-MIT; each release converts to MIT after two years. Currently in public beta.

## What Varve is

- Varve is a design application (category: design suite / creative software), comparable to Figma, Sketch, Adobe Illustrator, and Affinity tools.
- It combines vector design, page layout, typography, animation, prototyping, and print production in one application and one document model.
- It is local-first: no account or mandatory cloud sync is required, and core editing works offline. Design content is not included in optional aggregate measurements; model downloads, online font/icon search, user-configured providers, and update checks are separate network features.
- It is free with no subscription and no feature lockouts. Only the Community Edition exists today.
- Desktop builds use a native Rust engine; the same engine compiles to WASM for the experimental browser demo at [/try](try/), which is a bounded sample-document experience rather than a hosted replacement for the desktop app.

## Release status (verified against the repository state on 2026-10-02)

- Status: public beta. The latest **published** application release, **Varve 0.2.1**, was published 2026-08-24; the first public release was **0.1.0**. Published installers cover Linux (x86_64 and ARM64: AppImage, deb, rpm), macOS (Apple Silicon dmg), and Windows (x86_64 and ARM64 NSIS installers). Windows and macOS installers are not code-signed; updater metadata is signed separately for its supported targets.
- Source version **0.5.0** is prepared and in release-candidate validation but is **not published yet**. Its installers, notes, and download links appear only once the release is published; do not describe 0.5.0 as downloadable.
- The download page renders every artifact from the verified release manifest (SHA-256 checksums, SBOMs, system requirements); nothing is hand-typed.
- The document format (`.varve`) is versioned. Published v0.2.1 wrote schema 2.21; the 0.5.0 source tree writes schema 2.33 and migrates older documents on open, including a pointed comic-balloon tail correction. Newer documents are not backward-compatible with older app versions, so keep backups. Documents saved by pre-release builds with the legacy `.strata` extension remain openable through the versioned migration pipeline.
- Downloads labeled "Varve" outside the official GitHub repository are not official.

## Platforms and system requirements

- Linux: x86_64 and ARM64 (aarch64). AppImage, deb, rpm. Requires glibc 2.35+ (Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 38+, Arch, CachyOS).
- macOS: Apple Silicon (aarch64), macOS 13 Ventura or later. No Intel build.
- Windows: 10 (1809) or 11. x86_64 and ARM64 NSIS installers.
- Minimum 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended), 500 MB storage.
- macOS and Windows releases are not yet code-signed. Linux artifacts ship with SHA-256 checksums, an SBOM, and GitHub build provenance.
- ChromeOS is not a supported native platform. Several routes are documented: the browser demo, an installed web app, and Linux packages through ChromeOS's Linux environment. None has been verified on physical Chromebook hardware.

## Key facts (feature status)

- Import formats: SVG, PDF, PSD/PSB, AI, EPS, Sketch, Figma REST/plugin JSON with bounded native `.fig` archive decoding, DNG/RAW in the documented subset, OpenEXR, and common image formats (PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP, TIFF).
- Export formats: SVG, PDF (RGB), PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-4 (CMYK), PNG/WebP/JPEG, code export (React/Tailwind, React/CSS Modules, Svelte, Vue, Web Components, Flutter, SwiftUI, email HTML), and CSS/Lottie/SVG animation. MP4/WebM video export is capability-gated on the platform's WebCodecs support.
- Print support: CMYK color management, ICC profiles, crop and registration marks, color bars, bleed boxes, print preflight checks.
- Typography: multi-line text, OpenType features, variable fonts, text on path, inline editing, CJK line breaking. Complex-script shaping and bidirectional layout are implemented in the text engine, but the live canvas still falls back to browser measurement in places, so Arabic, Devanagari, Thai, and similar scripts are not yet guaranteed to match across fonts and exports — verify the exported result.
- Collaboration: not implemented (UI scaffolding only).
- Motion: timeline animation, keyframes, easing, Smart Animate, and prototype interactions. State-machine types and runtime exist in the document model, but there is no state-machine inspector, rigging, or IK yet.
- Image tracing: raster-to-vector tracing (silhouette, centerline, pixel-art modes) with a native Rust provider on desktop and a TypeScript fallback on web; centerline is native-only.
- Illustration and comics: brush opacity/flow, stylus pressure, separable flats and clipped shading, panel layouts, and editable speech/thought/shout balloons with localization-aware lettering.
- Photo: adjustments, retouching, tracing, masks, colorization, depth-aware effects, and a documented RAW/HDR development subset. Model-based features may require optional downloads.
- Local intelligence: background removal, image enhancement, object selection, depth blur, and palette extraction run locally. Models download only when requested, with SHA-256 verification where available; there is no Varve-hosted inference service.

### Prepared for the 0.5.0 source build (not yet published)

- Six task workspaces (Design, Print, Draw, Photo, Motion, Email) with docked, floating, and split panels.
- Presentation decks: ordered editable frames with audience preview and raster PDF or PNG delivery. The PDF is not editable or searchable and has no tagged reading order.
- Reusable pattern authoring, manual token import/re-import, and bounded local Wasm plugins for selected-layer analysis and batch renaming.
- Mockups (planar, perspective, cylindrical, and folded-mesh). Interactive real-time collaboration is still not implemented.

## Frequently asked questions

- Is Varve free? Yes. The Community Edition is free to download and use — no subscriptions, no feature lockouts, and no mandatory cloud requirements.
- Does Varve work offline? Yes. Core editing works fully offline with no account required. Optional network features (model downloads, font search, update checks) are each explicit and user-controlled.
- Is Varve open source? The source is publicly available under FSL-1.1-MIT, a source-available license that is not OSI-approved open source. After two years, each release converts to the MIT license.
- Does Varve have real-time collaboration? Not yet. Collaboration is UI scaffolding only, with no transport or wire protocol.
- Can I use Varve for professional print work? It has CMYK management, ICC profiles, PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-4 export, crop marks, color bars, and preflight checks, but it is in public beta — test thoroughly before critical production use.
- Does Varve support ARM processors? Yes. Apple Silicon (macOS), Linux ARM64, and Windows ARM64 are all published. There is no Intel macOS build.
- Has Varve shipped a release? Yes: the latest published application release is Varve 0.2.1 (2026-08-24), public beta, with Linux (x86_64 and ARM64), macOS (Apple Silicon), and Windows (x86_64 and ARM64) installers. Expect rough edges and a versioned file format. The separate `varve-models-v1` release contains optional AI model artifacts, not an application installer.
- Can I download version 0.5.0? Not yet. 0.5.0 is prepared and in release-candidate validation. Until it is published, use the latest published 0.2.1 installers, or build 0.5.0 from source.

## Documentation

- [Product overview](product)
- [Features overview](features)
- [Download and install](download)
- [Documentation](docs)
- [Browser demo](docs/browser-demo)
- [Try the browser demo](try)
- [Getting started](docs/getting-started)
- [Keyboard shortcuts](docs/keyboard-shortcuts)
- [File formats](docs/file-formats)
- [Architecture](docs/architecture)
- [Rendering pipeline](docs/rendering)

## How to contact Varve

Varve publishes one email address per purpose. The complete directory is at
[varve.studio/contact](contact).

- General inquiries: hello@varve.studio
- Product support (installation help, problems, usage questions): support@varve.studio
- Product feedback and feature ideas: feedback@varve.studio
- Security vulnerabilities (report privately): security@varve.studio
- Privacy, analytics, and data-handling questions: privacy@varve.studio
- Press and media inquiries: press@varve.studio
- Partnerships, integrations, and distribution: partnerships@varve.studio

Specific answers:

- How do I contact Varve? Email hello@varve.studio for general inquiries.
- How do I get help with Varve? Email support@varve.studio, or read the support documentation at [varve.studio/support](support).
- How do I report a Varve security vulnerability? Report it privately to security@varve.studio, or use GitHub private vulnerability reporting at https://github.com/K-Arthur/varve/security/advisories. Do not put vulnerability details in a public issue.
- How do I send feedback to Varve? Email feedback@varve.studio.
- Who do journalists contact about Varve? Email press@varve.studio. Brand assets are at [varve.studio/press](press).
- How do I discuss a partnership with Varve? Email partnerships@varve.studio.

Choosing a channel: a reproducible, non-sensitive bug is best filed as a
GitHub issue so other users can find it; public questions suit GitHub
Discussions; private support questions and installation help suit
support@varve.studio; security vulnerabilities must use security@varve.studio
or GitHub private reporting. Varve correspondence is in English. Varve is an
independently maintained project rather than a company, and email is answered
as capacity allows — there is no 24/7 support desk.

## Support and community

- [Contact directory](contact)
- [Support](support)
- [FAQ](support/faq)
- [Troubleshooting](support/troubleshooting)
- [Known issues](support/known-issues)
- [Report an issue](support/report-issue)
- [GitHub repository](https://github.com/K-Arthur/varve)
- [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/K-Arthur/varve/discussions)

## Project information

- [About](about)
- [License (FSL-1.1-MIT)](about/license)
- [Privacy policy](about/privacy)
- [Security](security)
- [Press and brand assets](press)
- [Contribute](contribute)
- [Releases](releases)