FromScratch For Mac

Writing down ideas or to-do lists while you are working is always helpful, but a feature-packed text editor might be too cumbersome for such a simple task.

FromScratch is a lightweight note-taking application that only provides you with the very basics, and is a great option for people who need to extra bells and whistles, preferring to use a simple app that is always there but never gets in the way.

Designed with simplicity in mind, FromScratch allows you to write down your notes quickly without having to save the document, as this action is performed automatically. However, it is not possible to manage multiple lists at the same time.

The application uses the Fira Code font, which replaces certain syntax elements with symbols, enabling you to insert arrows and other such objects. There are no other fonts to choose from, and you cannot change the default color.

You can take advantage of a number of preset hotkeys to move lines up or down, delete them, as well as zoom in or out. However, the app does not seem to offer support for the global OS X shortcuts for hiding and minimizing windows.

As far as the app’s interface is concerned, frankly, there is not much to say. It consists of the text field and the title bar, and can be freely resized and re-positioned. However, there are no alternative color themes to choose from, and you cannot alter the size of the page margins.

If you have a preferred desktop layout that is best suited to your workflow, having to move each application window to its right position on the screen every time you launch it is a real pain. Fortunately, FromScratch remembers its last location and dimensions and reverts to them when it is opened again.

FromScratch does a lot of things well, but it could still be improved in a few respects. It is a great tool for users who need a straightforward note-taking app, but it needs to offer more visual customization options, support for all global shortcuts, and the possibility of working with multiple documents at the same time.