macOS¶

There are two ways to run Plate|Fold on a Mac: the desktop app, installed from a disk image, or the Python package run from a copy of the repository. The desktop app needs no Python, Node.js or separate browser.

Install the desktop app¶

What you need¶

• A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later). The app is built only for Apple silicon. There is no Intel build, and the app isn't universal.
• macOS 15.1 or later. The Python runtime inside the app is built for macOS 15.1, so earlier versions aren't supported.

The app includes its own PDF renderer (a headless Chromium), the Latin fonts of the default font set and a copy of the platefold command-line tool.

Download and check it¶

From the release, download PlateFold_<version>_macos-arm64.dmg and the release's SHA256SUMS. The release also has a PlateFold_<version>_macos-arm64.app.tar.gz; that is the in-app updater's copy of the app, and you don't need it to install.

Put both files in one folder, open Terminal there and run:

shasum -a 256 --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS

A match prints the DMG's name followed by OK. Any other result means the file isn't the one the release published; delete it and download it again. To also confirm that SHA256SUMS itself came from the release, check its signature as described in Verifying downloads.

Copy it to Applications¶

1. Double-click the DMG. macOS opens a window named PlateFold holding the PlateFold app and a shortcut to Applications.
2. Drag PlateFold onto Applications.
3. Eject the disk image from the Finder sidebar. You can then delete the DMG.

Run the app from Applications, not from the open disk image.

Open it the first time¶

Open PlateFold from Applications or with Spotlight. macOS checks the app's signature and notarization the first time it opens. It may ask whether you want to open an app downloaded from the internet; choose Open. A stapled notarization ticket supports offline verification; other operating-system security checks may still use the network.

If macOS instead says that PlateFold is damaged, that Apple can't verify it is free of malware, or that the developer can't be verified, don't open it. These messages need investigation; they do not by themselves identify the cause. Don't use Open Anyway in System Settings, xattr or spctl to get past the check. Move the app to the Trash, download the DMG again, check it against SHA256SUMS and copy it to Applications again. If a checked download is still refused, report it on the issue tracker.

When you choose files or an output folder in Documents, Desktop or Downloads, macOS may ask whether PlateFold can access that folder. Allow it for the folders you export from and to. You can change the answer later in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files and Folders.

Export something¶

The app uses the shared export interface: choose a source file or folder, keep or change the output folder, which starts as your Downloads folder, pick a theme, paper and font set, and select Export PDFs. Your first export describes those controls with the sample document. The macOS interface walkthrough remains untested.

The app's command-line tool is inside the app bundle. It isn't added to your PATH:

/Applications/PlateFold.app/Contents/Resources/runtime/platefold --version

It takes the same options as the platefold command described across this site.

Update¶

The app's Updates dialog is off until you allow checks. When allowed, it checks for a newer signed release when you ask, and then asks separately before it downloads and verifies the update, before it replaces the app and before it restarts. If your account can't change the copy in Applications, for example because another account installed it, the dialog shows the manual steps instead: download the new DMG and drag the app to Applications again. Desktop update checks explains each step.

To update by hand instead, quit PlateFold, download and check the new release's DMG as above, and drag its app onto Applications, choosing Replace. Your themes and settings live outside the app, so both ways keep them.

Reinstall or uninstall¶

Quit PlateFold first. To uninstall, drag PlateFold from Applications to the Trash. To reinstall, do the same and then copy the app from the DMG again.

Removing the app leaves your documents, exported PDFs, themes and settings where they are. To remove those as well, delete these folders:

~/Library is hidden in the Finder; choose Go → Go to Folder… and paste the path.

Run from source¶

These steps run Plate|Fold from a copy of the repository in Terminal. They give you the platefold command and the older Tk interface, platefold-gui, and need Python and an installed browser.

1. Install Python and a browser¶

Install Python 3.11 or newer. The python.org installer includes Tk for platefold-gui. If you use Homebrew's Python, Tk comes from its separate python-tk formula for your Python version.

Install Chrome, Chromium, Edge or Brave into /Applications or ~/Applications. Plate|Fold looks for the app bundle there, in that order.

2. Create an environment and install¶

From the repository folder:

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install -e .

3. Check it runs¶

platefold --version
platefold --list-themes

The first command prints the version, for example Plate|Fold 1.0.3. The second lists the ten built-in themes and eight font sets.

Where Plate|Fold keeps things¶

The desktop app and a source install share the themes and diagram cache folders.

Fonts¶

The apple font set requests SF Pro for body text and headings and SF Mono for code, with fallback stacks. Documents exported with it on another platform fall back to other faces and can paginate differently.

Next: your first export.