OpenPencil

OpenPencil is a design editor for designers, design-system maintainers and developers who want to work with Figma .fig and supported Pencil .pen documents through both a visual canvas and programmable tools. It provides layers, vector editing, components/variants, variable bindings, typography, flex/grid layouts, guides and multiple document tabs. CLI, Figma Plugin API-compatible scripting and MCP workflows can inspect files, edit designs, export assets and extract design tokens.

Editing, imports and exports

Open existing design files or create documents, edit reusable components and inspect spacing, layout and paint properties. Supported exports include raster images, SVG, PDF, editable PowerPoint and HTML/JSX workflows; complex PowerPoint layers may be embedded as images instead of becoming editable shapes. HTML/CSS/Tailwind imports and Figma round trips have compatibility limits. The project describes itself as actively developed with rough edges: preserve original files and test fonts, colors, effects, variables and component links after conversion. Missing/substituted fonts can change results; the app and CLI expose font-fidelity information and policies.

Installation and hardware

The exact catalog OpenPencil_aarch64.app.tar.gz 0.15.1 asset is 14,508,013 bytes according to the official GitHub release asset and actual downloaded size. It is an app archive, not the separately offered DMG. Read-only inspection confirms 0.15.1, an arm64 executable and an LSMinimumSystemVersion declaration of 10.13. Apple Silicon cannot run macOS 10.13, and that bundle declaration alone does not establish the full supported OS range for the app's WebKit, fonts and integrations. The checked getting-started guide does not state a complete numeric Mac OS or RAM minimum. Use a supported Apple Silicon macOS and check current publisher requirements for older systems; large documents and AI integrations require additional resources.

The publisher also offers Intel Mac, Windows and Linux builds and a browser editor requiring no desktop installation. Use the artifact matching your CPU. Place the extracted Mac app in Applications and follow normal macOS signing/security prompts. The official Homebrew command is brew install --cask openpencil; do not confuse it with the retired tap or assume the cask has every GitHub release immediately. This listing performs no installation.

The desktop app does not require Node/Bun/Rust/Xcode for ordinary editing. Those are source-build or optional tooling requirements. Install the CLI or MCP packages separately if needed; the desktop cask does not supply the CLI. Desktop coding-agent integrations require their own agent CLI/authentication, and Pi's companion harness is separately installed. Online fonts, external media and document-specific assets can require network access.

License, fees and accounts

OpenPencil is MIT-licensed, copyright Danila Poyarkov and contributors. Ordinary editor use has no OpenPencil subscription or required OpenPencil account. Optional AI uses your selected provider's key/account and billing; image vectorization and external agents/services have their own terms and charges. The software license does not grant rights to imported designs, fonts or stock images. Check those licenses before sharing or exporting.

AI, automation and permissions

Configure models for Design, Review, Fast and Vision roles; providers include direct or compatible endpoints. Official AI documentation says keys communicate directly with the configured provider rather than an OpenPencil model backend. Requests may include prompts, selected design context and image attachments. Review provider retention and cost policies before sending private designs. Browser provider compatibility depends on CORS and tool-call streaming.

Tool access independently controls built-in AI and local MCP tools, with read-only/side-effect groups. These switches are not a sandbox: an enabled eval/script tool can perform operations whose dedicated tools are disabled. WebMCP Off/Inspect/Edit, remote MCP permissions and agent shell/filesystem permissions are separate controls. Limit OPENPENCIL_MCP_ROOT for file operations and trust remote servers before giving them bearer credentials. The desktop can request file access and system credential-store access; 0.15.1 defers provider connections and credential reads until a connected feature is used.

Storage, network and privacy

Saved chat history, attachment previews, preferences and recovery snapshots are local. Desktop credentials use the system credential store; the documented browser option uses encrypted storage or session-only credentials. This does not make a compromised device/browser safe. Configured S3-compatible storage, AI providers, remote MCP endpoints, fonts and collaboration can send data outside the device. A local document is not automatically an offline-only workflow.

Official collaboration documentation describes direct WebRTC peer editing without an OpenPencil account or central document relay. Anyone with the room link can join and receive document edits, cursors and selections, so share links only with intended collaborators. AI/provider services and storage have separate trust boundaries. Local diagnostics include token/provider/model usage and failure records with retention, export and clear controls; 0.15.1 adds conversation/request identifiers and removes transcript content from the separate chat diagnostic flow. Inspect diagnostic exports before sharing.

Keep backups before agent edits or format conversions, inspect generated code and exported documents, and review cloud storage permissions. Local chat history/recovery is not a substitute for a separate backup, and external agent sessions may not resume simply because a transcript is retained.

Sources: Official project and downloads, Getting started, AI chat/tool permissions, Collaboration, MIT license, Exact 0.15.1 release.