Markup R-XP Help

Centre Lines

2026-09-11T09:20:27+01:00

Centre Lines make the horizontal and vertical centre of the design easy to find. They are useful when a chart or stitching method relies on starting from the middle.

Open Project Settings, choose Grid Settings, then open Centre Lines.

Choose How the Centre Appears

Lines: draws a complete horizontal and vertical line through the centre of the chart, as shown below.
Dot: marks the centre intersection and adds pointers at the chart edges, leaving more of the design unobscured.

You can also change the centre-line colour and thickness so the marker remains visible against the chart.

Move the Centre Position

Most charts use the calculated centre. If the printed design treats a nearby row or column as its centre, adjust the horizontal or vertical offset by whole grid squares until the marker matches the chart.

This is a display guide. Moving the centre marker does not move the chart, change its grid size or alter any marked stitches.

Keep Exploring

Part of: Settings Inside a Project.
Related: Rulers and Grid Counts and Guide Bars.

Rulers and Grid Counts

2026-08-28T00:15:49+01:00

Rulers place row and column numbers around the chart, helping you find a position and keep your place when you move between the original chart and Markup.

Open Project Settings, choose Grid Settings, then open Grid Lines to show or hide the grid counts.

Change the Number Size

Tap any numbered ruler marker on the chart to cycle all ruler numbers through Small, Medium and Large. Choose the size that is easiest to read without covering too much of the chart.

The selected ruler size is remembered, so other projects will use the same preferred size until you change it again.

Need more chart space? Hide the grid counts in Project Settings. This changes only the display. The chart's grid size and marked stitches are not affected.

Keep Exploring

Part of: Settings Inside a Project.
Related: Centre Lines and Guide Bars.

Drawing Layers

2026-08-28T10:48:25+01:00

Drawing layers let you write and draw over the chart without changing your completed stitches. Keep backstitch, notes and corrections separate, then show or hide each layer whenever you need it.

You can add up to five drawing layers. Open them from the Layers panel.

Set Up a Layer

Select
Tap the circle at the start of a row. The active layer is where the next stroke or note will be placed.

Show or hide
Tap the eye. Hiding a layer does not delete its strokes or notes.

Colour and thickness
Tap the colour to choose a new one. Tap the thickness value to cycle through the available sizes.

Drawing mode
Tap the pen icon to open the mode choices. Only one layer's mode menu opens at a time.

Name
Give the layer a useful name such as Backstitch, French Knots or Notes.

The Drawing Modes

Freehand: draw naturally with your finger or stylus.
Straight: drag from one point to another to create a clean solid line.
Dashed: create a straight dashed line, useful for a different backstitch type or a temporary guide.
Dot: place dot marks for details such as French knots.
Triangle: place a triangular marker for a special stitch or reminder.
Text: tap the chart to add a note, then enter the text and save it.

Straight and dashed lines snap to half-grid-square positions and can continue from the previous end point, helping connected runs stay neat across the chart.

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Layer Tools

1. Add: creates a new drawing layer and makes it active. A project can have up to five.
2. Eraser lock: is locked by default to prevent accidental deletion. Unlock it, then tap a stroke or note to erase it.
3. Move up or down: changes the order in which drawing layers appear. A higher layer is drawn over those below it.
4. Delete: removes the active drawing layer and everything on it after confirmation.
Undo and Redo: drawing changes have their own history, separate from the undo and redo used for marked grid squares.

Unlock the eraser only when you need it. Leaving it locked prevents a stray tap from removing a carefully placed line.

Working With Text Notes

Select a drawing layer and choose Text.
Tap an empty place on the chart, enter the note and save it.
Tap an existing note to select it. You can move it, change its size, edit the wording or delete it.

When a note is selected, a border and handles show the item you are changing. Drag it to a clearer position without affecting the chart or your marked stitches.

1. Delete: removes the selected note.
2. Text size: move the slider between the smaller and larger letter to resize the note.
3. Close: finishes editing and closes the note toolbar.

Notes rotate with the chart so they remain readable. An empty saved note is removed rather than leaving an invisible object behind.

Useful Ways to Organise Layers

Backstitch: use Straight mode for crisp connected runs, with a separate colour or layer for each thread if helpful.
Fractional stitches: use short lines, dots or triangles to record half stitches, quarter stitches, petite stitches and French knots.
Corrections: circle a possible mistake so it is easy to find later, then erase the circle when it is resolved.
Reminders: place a text note such as “start here” or record a thread substitution beside the relevant area.

Keep Exploring

Up a level: Chart and Markup Layers.
Related: Markup and Markup Settings.

Markup Controls

2026-08-28T09:27:21+01:00

The controls around the chart help you save, find symbols, change the view and move to the next part of your project without interrupting your stitching.

The Action Toolbar

1. Save
Saves any outstanding project changes. Markup also saves as you work and when you move between steps, so this is a useful manual save rather than something you must press after every stitch.

2. Project settings
Opens settings for this project. Adjust its grid, rulers, centre lines, guide bars, markup appearance, daily target and project-only tools. Full guide.

3. Project information
Opens this project's statistics, WIP photo diary and notes. Full guide.

4. Chart view
Switches between the full-page arrangement and the grid-only chart view. The current position and zoom are kept separately for the views.

5. Fit chart
Fits the chart back on screen. The button turns red when the chart has been moved completely out of view, making the quickest recovery easy to spot.

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The Current Symbol Toolbar

Markup colour: the colour used when you mark this symbol.
Symbol icon: the printed symbol you are currently stitching.
Name and counts: the symbol or thread name, followed by the total and remaining stitches for the current scope.
Find a symbol: tap, then tap a grid square to select its symbol. Long press to keep the tool active while you identify several symbols.

Tap the symbol information itself to open the Layers panel. When you select a drawing layer, this toolbar changes to drawing controls; select the Markup row to return to normal stitch marking.

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Moving Between Steps

Preview: returns to Chart Preview.
Arrow: opens shortcuts to Review Grids, Set Symbols and, when confirmed symbols exist, Set Colors.
Returning to Markup: after changing the chart setup, use Next through the normal steps. This lets each step validate the chart before you return to stitching.
Project information: use the progress button in the action toolbar to continue to Project Information.

Changing the chart setup can affect every page. Use the setup shortcuts when something genuinely needs correcting, then check each step as you move forward again.

Keep Exploring

Up a level: Markup.
Related: Marking and Selecting Symbols.

Marking and Selecting Symbols

2026-08-28T09:27:14+01:00

Choose the symbol you are stitching, then mark completed grid squares directly on the chart. Markup keeps the chart, counts and progress in step as you work.

This guide covers the everyday marking workflow. For the different symbol-panel sizes and every count shown there, see Confirmed Symbols.

A Simple Marking Workflow

1. Select a symbol
Tap it in Confirmed Symbols, or use the magnifier and tap one of its grid squares on the chart. The current symbol toolbar changes to show your choice.

2. Check what is highlighted
Markup highlights matching grid squares for the selected symbol. Use the page or whole-chart scope in Confirmed Symbols when you want the counts and search to cover a different area.

3. Mark your stitches
Tap a grid square to mark it. Tap it again to unmark it, or drag across a run of grid squares. A drag follows the state of the first grid square, so the whole gesture either marks or unmarks.

4. Move to the next area
Use two fingers to pan and zoom. If a symbol has stitches remaining, use its target button in Confirmed Symbols to jump to the next unmarked grid square; repeat to move through the remaining matches.

One finger changes the chart; two fingers move it. This keeps marking quick, but it is worth practising the gesture before a long stitching session.

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Selecting Symbols From the Chart

One selection
Tap the magnifier, then tap a populated grid square. Its assigned symbol becomes the current symbol and the magnifier returns to normal.

Keep selecting
Long press the magnifier to lock symbol selection. You can then tap several grid squares in turn to identify or switch between their symbols. Tap the magnifier again to leave the locked mode.

Clear the selection
Tap the selected symbol again in Confirmed Symbols, or, while selecting from the chart, tap a grid square that has no assigned symbol. With no symbol selected, you can mark freely using the project's normal markup colour.

Undo, Parking and Protection

Undo and Redo: appear in the current symbol toolbar after you change marked grid squares. Drawing layers have their own separate undo and redo history.
Park a thread: double tap the corner of a grid square. The marker is placed at the corner you touched so you can record where the thread is waiting.
Markup lock: switch it on in the Markup row when you want to prevent an already-marked grid square from being cleared accidentally.
Last stitch: use the target control in the Markup row to centre and briefly ring the most recently marked grid square.

Checking Your Progress

The current symbol toolbar and Confirmed Symbols show counts as you work, while the title shows progress for the project. Use Preview to see the completed design colours, or Show Unmarked to isolate what remains. These display modes are explained in Chart and Markup Layers.

Keep Exploring

Up a level: Markup.
Related: Confirmed Symbols and Guide Bars.

Review and Refine Search Results

2026-08-26T23:00:17+01:00

The results grid lets you see exactly what Symbol Search has found and correct it without repeatedly moving the sensitivity slider. The lowest-confidence matches are shown first, making incorrect results easier to spot.

This is a detailed part of Symbol Search. It applies when you are adding or editing a symbol.

Reading the Results

Included and Excluded Grid Squares

Green: the grid square is included in the current symbol.
Red: the grid square has been excluded from the symbol.
Percentage: how closely that grid square matches the current icon or colour search.
Order: the weakest matches appear first. Stronger matches follow, so the uncertain boundary is visible near the start of the list.

Exclude a Group with One Selection

Start at the beginning of the results and look for the lowest-confidence grid square that you still consider a correct match.
Select that grid square. Every weaker result before it turns red, while the selected result and all stronger matches remain green.
If the split is wrong, select the same boundary grid square again. The excluded group is restored.
After creating the split, select individual grid squares to switch them between included and excluded. This is useful when an isolated result does not follow the general percentage order.

The starting grid square is protected. The grid square used to begin a new symbol cannot be excluded, because Markup needs one confirmed example of the symbol.

How Your Choices Affect Future Searches

Without a second filter
Markup uses the boundary between the weakest result you kept and the strongest result you rejected to calculate a practical saved sensitivity. This lets you correct the results directly instead of guessing an exact slider value.

With an icon or colour filter
The two slider values remain the saved search settings. You can still include or exclude individual grid squares, but Markup cannot infer two separate sensitivities from a single red-and-green boundary.

Only one result on the page
A single example may show as a 100% match, but that does not mean every copy on another page will also be 100%. Markup combines the accepted match with your current sensitivity rather than saving an unnecessarily strict 100% threshold.

Searching other pages
For a new symbol, use Apply to all pages if you want the search to spread immediately. When editing an existing symbol, adjust the search and use Rescan All Pages to apply it elsewhere.

When One Search Is Not Enough

A strict search can miss copies that are faint, distorted or crossed by backstitch. You do not have to force one very relaxed search to accept every variation.

Keep the first search clean and save the matches you trust.
When you later find a missed variation, add it as another symbol and search for that version.
Use Merge Symbols to combine the confirmed variations into one master symbol. Their assigned grid squares and counts are brought together.

This approach is often safer than relaxing one search until it starts accepting genuinely different symbols.

Keep Exploring

Up a level: Symbol Search.
Used in: Add or Edit a Symbol.
Related: Merge Symbols.

Set Symbols: Choose Your Starting Point

2026-08-26T23:47:08+01:00

Before changing any symbols, check what Markup has already found. Your chart may be ready, may need a complete symbol setup, or may only need a few corrections.

This check forms part of Set Symbols. Return to the Set Symbols guide for an overview of the screen and links to each editing tool.

Which Starting Point Matches Your Chart?

Everything is already set up
Every chart page has a green check mark, the expected symbols are present and their colours look right. Check a few symbols, then continue to Set Colors. What to check.

No symbols have been set up
Common with photographed paper charts: there is no usable symbol data, so you will need to scan the chart image or create the symbols yourself. How to begin.

Some setup exists, but it needs attention
Decide whether to keep the useful results and correct them, or clear the symbols and begin again. Choose how to continue.

Everything Has Been Set Up Automatically

Some charts contain enough reliable information for Markup to set up their symbols and colours automatically. Check the result rather than repeating work that has already been done.

Move across the chart pages and check that each page shows a green check mark.
Check that the number of symbols looks reasonable for the chart and its key.
Review the Confirmed Symbols panel and make sure the expected symbols are present.
Select a few symbols from the panel and from the chart. Check that the correct grid squares are highlighted and that their icons and thread colours look right.

If those checks pass, no symbol changes are needed. Select Next and continue to Set Colors.

Manual Setup Is Required

The same Set Symbols tools are used whether you have no symbol data or a partial setup that needs correcting. First decide what to keep.

Build on the current setup: keep the useful results, then add missing symbols, correct poor matches, merge duplicates, remove unwanted symbols and check the colours.
Begin again: clear the confirmed symbols and rescan when the existing setup is too incomplete or unreliable to repair efficiently.
Set up a chart with no symbol data: make sure the page grids are correct, then scan the chart images or add symbols manually.

Check the grids first. Symbol searches depend on each printed symbol being contained within the correct grid square. Resolve page or grid warnings in Set Up Your Grids before correcting symbols.

Return to Set Symbols and choose the guide for the work you need to do.

Keep Exploring

Up a level: Set Symbols.
If everything is ready: Set Colors.
If work is required: Set Symbols Controls and Tools.

Rescan Symbols

2026-08-26T23:46:50+01:00

Rescan Symbols rebuilds the current symbol setup. Use embedded PDF data when it is available, or scan the chart images when the file contains no readable symbol information.

Running either option replaces all existing symbols. Review the chosen tab and its action button carefully before you continue.

Option 1: Import Symbols from the PDF

Select Scan PDF File to use symbol information embedded in the original PDF. The badge describes the best source the app found:

Understanding PDF Data Quality

High quality
The symbols were available as clean text-based characters. This usually gives the strongest automatic result, but you should still review the imported list.

Medium quality
The symbols were stored as small images. Some symbols may need adding or merging after import.

Low quality
The symbols were extracted from drawing paths or graphics. Check carefully for duplicates and incorrect symbols; manual setup may be quicker for a poor result.

Mixed quality
Some pages contained usable PDF symbol data and others did not. The app keeps the extracted symbols and image-scans the remaining pages, then tries to match their populated grid squares.

Not checked
The PDF has not yet been checked, or an earlier scan was interrupted. Select Import PDF Symbols to run the check.

Manual setup needed
No readable symbol data was found. This is normal for photographs and some PDFs. Switch to Scan Page Images.

The green check mark on a tab shows which source is currently applied to the project. Select Import PDF Symbols to run the PDF import again.

Option 2: Scan the Page Images

Image scanning does not identify individual symbols. It examines the chart image and decides which grid squares look populated. You then tap those grid squares on Set Symbols to create and match the symbols yourself.

Lower percentage: marks fewer grid squares as populated. Use this for a noisy or unclear chart so fewer blank grid squares need removing in Erase Mode.
Higher percentage: marks more grid squares as populated. Use this when faint symbols are being missed.
At or near 100%: even blank or noisy grid squares may be treated as populated, which can make the whole chart appear filled.
Too low: genuine symbols may be missed.

Adjust the threshold, then select Run New Scan. Review the result and use Erase Mode to remove grid squares that are not stitches.

Recovering After Delete All Symbols

If you removed all symbols by mistake, open Configure Symbol Setup and rescan. A high-quality PDF import may rebuild most or all of the original symbol list. Medium- and low-quality files usually need more checking, merging and manual correction. For a photograph or a file with no embedded symbol data, scan the page images and rebuild the individual symbols manually.

Keep Exploring

Part of: Configure Symbol Setup.
Related: Delete Symbols, Merge Symbols and Erase Mode.
Back to: Set Symbols.

Configure Symbol Setup: Settings

2026-08-26T22:43:42+01:00

The Settings section changes how new symbols are found and saved. Choose the options that match your chart and the amount of manual setup you need to do.

The Three Settings

Choose How Symbol Setup Behaves

Is this a coloured chart?
Markup automatically checks the grid area of the current chart page and enables this setting when it detects enough colour. You can switch it on or off yourself if the automatic choice does not suit the chart. Turning it off returns symbol setup to icon-first searching.

Auto-save on next tap
This optional shortcut is intended for experienced users who regularly set up large numbers of symbols or charts. Normally, you select a symbol, review the matching grid squares and select Save. With auto-save enabled, you can review the matches and tap the chart again to save the current symbol, then move straight on to the next one. It avoids repeatedly returning to the symbol controls and selecting Save. This can be especially useful on dense, confetti-heavy charts. It is not normally needed for a straightforward monochrome chart, and most users can leave it switched off.

Apply to all pages
Choose whether each saved symbol should be searched for immediately on every chart page.

On: saving a new or edited symbol runs its search across the whole chart. This is convenient for smaller multi-page charts because you can watch each symbol appear across all pages as you set it up.
Off: work through the symbols on one page without repeatedly searching every other page. When you are ready, use Scan All Pages to apply the symbols in one bulk pass. This is often faster and more efficient for very large charts.

There is no right or wrong choice. Use the workflow that best suits the chart's size and the way you prefer to set it up.

What Colour Chart Mode Adds

Turning on Is this a coloured chart? gives you several extra tools on Set Symbols:

Search by icon or colour: choose whichever feature most clearly identifies the symbol you are setting up.
Filter with the other feature: a colour search can be narrowed by icon, while an icon search can be narrowed by colour. Using both checks together can quickly remove false matches.
Select a background in one search: choose a white or other background grid square and search by colour to find matching background grid squares across the chart. You can then select and assign those grid squares together where that suits the project.
Work around poor icon recognition: on a low-quality or monochrome chart, colour search may still separate printed marks from the pale background when the icon shapes are difficult to read. Symbols that share the same colour may still need icon filtering or manual checking.
Use the chart opacity slider: colour chart mode displays an opacity control at the bottom of Set Symbols. Reduce the opacity of the underlying chart image when its colours make the selected grid squares difficult to see.

Always check every page. Search sensitivities are adjusted using the symbol on the current page. The same search may miss symbols or include extra grid squares on another page because printing and scan quality can vary.

An Example Setup Flow

There is no single correct way to set up every chart. The following is one way to decide which options suit the chart and your preferred way of working:

Choose the search type. If colour is not needed, leave colour-chart mode off and use the simpler icon-only search. Turn it on when colour will help, accepting the extra search and filtering controls.
Tune the search on the current page. Adjust the icon and, where available, colour sensitivity until the highlighted grid squares look correct for that symbol.
Choose how to work across pages. Apply each symbol to all pages immediately, or finish a group of symbols on one page and use Scan All Pages later. Either method can work on small or large charts, so choose the one you prefer.
Choose whether to use the saving shortcut. Keep Auto-save on next tap off for the normal review-and-save workflow. Turn it on only when you are comfortable checking matches quickly and want the faster expert workflow.
Review the result. Check the Confirmed Symbols list and the chart highlights on every page. Correct any missed or extra matches before continuing.
Make a final visual check. In Chart Preview, compare the configured chart with the designer's picture page where one is available. If anything looks wrong, return to Set Symbols and adjust the symbol or its search sensitivity.

Remembered settings: Apply to all pages and Auto-save on next tap are remembered for future chart-setup sessions. Colour-chart mode is detected afresh for each chart. A manual colour-chart choice remains active while you work on the current chart, but it does not become the default for every chart.

Keep Exploring

Part of: Configure Symbol Setup.
Related: Add or Edit a Symbol and Symbol Search.
Back to: Set Symbols.

Configure Symbol Setup

2026-08-26T23:48:54+01:00

Configure Symbol Setup controls how you create and rebuild symbols on the Set Symbols step. Use the Settings section to make everyday symbol entry faster, or use Rescan Symbols when you need to rebuild the chart's symbol setup.

Open this form by selecting the Build button on the Set Symbols toolbar. Changes to the three switches take effect immediately. A rescan runs only when you select the action button at the bottom of the form.

Choose What You Want to Change

Two Areas, Two Different Jobs

Settings
Tell Markup whether this is a colour chart, then choose shortcuts for saving a new symbol and searching every page. Full guide.

Rescan Symbols
Rebuild the symbols from embedded PDF data, or scan the page images to identify which grid squares are populated. Full guide.

Rescanning replaces the current symbol setup. Use a targeted edit when only one symbol is wrong. Rescan when you deliberately want to rebuild all existing symbols.

Close Without Rescanning

Select the X when you have finished changing the switches and do not want to run a rescan. The Settings switches are already applied, but simply changing tabs or closing the form does not rebuild the symbols.

Keep Exploring

Part of: Set Symbols.
Settings: Configure Symbol Setup: Settings.
Rebuild symbols: Rescan Symbols.
Related: Delete Symbols.