A calm start with Ichi

Opening a new writing tool should not mean rebuilding the way you organise your work. Ichi begins with Markdown files already on your Windows device. There is no account to create, library to import or cloud workspace to arrange. You choose a folder, and that folder remains the source of truth.

This first session is about learning a simple rhythm: open a real project, read a document as a document, move into its source when needed, then return to reading.

Begin with an ordinary folder

Choose a folder that already contains .md or .markdown files and open it as a project. Ichi shows the folder through a familiar file tree. It does not copy the notes into a proprietary structure, so anything you change stays in the same files another Markdown tool can open.

For a first session, use a small, familiar folder rather than your entire archive. A handful of notes makes it easier to see how the project tree, document and views relate. Nothing about this choice is permanent. The folder is still an ordinary Windows folder.

Open something you know

Pick a document whose contents you recognise. This gives you an immediate check: headings, emphasis, links, lists, quotes, code and images should appear as part of the document rather than as formatting instructions. Ichi also supports GitHub Flavoured Markdown features used by practical collections, including front matter, tables, task lists and fenced code. If you need a neutral refresher on core syntax, the CommonMark help page is a concise reference.

Choose the view that fits the moment

Every document can be used in three views:

• Read gives the rendered document the whole canvas for comfortable reading.
• Edit lets you work directly in the Markdown source, with a focused formatting bar nearby.
• Split keeps the source and rendered result side by side, scrolling together.

Use Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + 2 and Ctrl + 3 to move between those views. Ichi keeps your place, scroll position and project close as you switch. Read is useful for reviewing the shape and flow of a document. Edit is the direct route into the text. Split helps when you want to see how a change is rendered while you make it.

Make one small edit

Start with a change that is easy to recognise. You might add a short section and a pair of tasks:

## Next step

- Review the draft
- Keep an independent copy

Once the source contains the change, return to Read view and look at the result as a reader would. This movement between rendered text and source is the centre of Ichi: reading is not treated as a secondary preview, and editing does not take you away from the document you were considering.

Find your way around

When the project grows beyond a few notes, you do not need to work through the tree one folder at a time. Ctrl + P opens the command palette, where you can jump to a project file or run a command by name. Ctrl + Shift + F searches across the open project, while Ctrl + F finds and replaces text inside the current document. Use the file tree when location matters and search when wording is the better clue. Both routes lead back to the same files on disk.

Keep the local boundaries in mind

Reading and editing local documents works offline. Ichi does not upload your Markdown, and the desktop app has no account or automatic telemetry. Opening an external link uses your default browser. Remote images remain blocked until you allow them for a workspace.

Time Machine can keep local document history so you can look back, compare and restore earlier content. It is designed for ordinary editing mistakes, not as a backup. Keep independent copies of important files, especially before making broad changes to a project.

After this first session, there is nothing to export. The folder and its Markdown remain where they began. You have simply added a calmer way to read and edit them.