Document Designer
Not every page folds. The Document Designer is Chitmunk's workspace for multi-page flat documents: rulebooks, player reference sheets, quick-start guides, and player aids. Unlike the Booklet Designer (which handles folded physical binding), the Document Designer produces pages that are exported as individual sheets or a multi-page PDF, ideal for digital distribution or print-at-home content.
When to Use the Document Designer
Use the Document Designer when your output is:
- A print-at-home PDF that players download and print themselves.
- A flat reference sheet (single page, both sides) included in a physical box.
- A multi-page rules document distributed digitally.
- A player aid or quick-reference card larger than a standard card size.
If your document will be physically bound and ordered through TheGameCrafter, use the Booklet Designer instead, which handles the physical folding constraints.
Multi-Page Document Layouts
Open the game menu (the arrow beside your game's name), choose Card size, and pick a size from the Documents group: Document, Rulebook (Letter), Sell Sheet (Letter), Reference Sheet (Half Letter), or Quick Start Guide (A4). The Document Designer opens with a view of your pages. It shows one page at a time (One page) or two side by side like an open book (Two pages). Double-click a page to edit it in full, and use the back button to return to the overview.
Unlike booklets, documents have no folding constraints. You can add any number of pages. A strip of page numbers under the pages moves between them.
Page Layout and Margins
New pages start blank. Chitmunk has no page-template picker (one column, two column, title page, and so on). Build your column layout and text zones with ordinary text and shape elements, then right-click a page and choose Duplicate page once you have a layout you like, so later pages start from that structure.
Setting Margins
Drag guide lines out of the rulers (turn rulers on in the View menu) to mark your margins. Guides are shared across the whole game, not per page, so set them once and they show on every page.
Tip: Leave at least 0.5" (12mm) on all sides for digital print. If your document will be hole-punched, use a 1" (25mm) left margin to preserve content in the binding area.
Adding and Managing Pages
Adding Pages
Press + Add page at the top to add a blank page at the end. To carry over a page's layout, right-click it and choose Duplicate page. To fill pages from a file, press Import document and choose a .md, .html, .docx, .pdf, or .txt file; Chitmunk flows its text onto new pages.
Deleting Pages
- Remove page deletes the last page, and right-clicking any page and choosing Delete page deletes that one. Chitmunk asks first, and a document keeps at least one page. A deleted page cannot be brought back.
Reordering Pages
Right-click a page and choose Move to start or Move to end, or drag pages into a new order. Page numbers update automatically. To move elements to the next page, select them and press Move to next page.
Shared Elements Across Pages
The bar under the pages is for things that should appear on every page. + Header, + Footer, and + Page number each ask for a little detail (the text, and a size) and add a shared element to all pages. In text, {{_pageNumber}} and {{_totalPages}} become the real page number and page count, so "Page {{_pageNumber}} of {{_totalPages}}" works as a footer.
You can also mark any element yourself: select it and tick Show on every page in its settings. That suits:
- Headers and footers: game title, chapter name, page number.
- Consistent branding: a logo or decorative border on every page.
- Background: a paper texture or color shared across all pages.
A shared element is still a normal element: select it and edit it on any page, and it changes on every page.
Best Practices for Rulebooks and Player Aids
- Use a consistent type scale. Pick 2 or 3 font sizes (heading, subheading, body) and stick to them.
- Tables for structured rules. Use the Table element for conditions, values, or comparisons. Tables are easier to scan than bullet lists. See Tables.
- Keep rule language scannable. Use short paragraphs, bold key terms, and numbered lists for steps.
- Game parts for diagrams. Score tracks, phase references, and other diagrams come from Score track, grids, QR… in the Add panel, so you need no outside diagram tool.
- Test at actual size. Letter and A4 pages look fine on screen but may have text that is too small on paper. Print a test page before finalizing font sizes (Export, then Print at home).
- Share as a PDF. A PDF keeps fonts, layout, and images exactly as designed. Share the PDF, not the Chitmunk project file.