Welcome to the February update
Instances, new UI, Penpot support, Q2 planning.
Since the last update
If you regularly use Penpot Desktop, you may have noticed that February was relatively quiet in terms of app updates. However, extra focus led to a surprise upgrade and the smooth release of a key milestone. Here are the features that debuted since the last update:
- File-based settings - You can now move or sync Penpot Desktop’s settings between devices, share them with your team, or include them in a backup. Read more
- Closed sandbox in Flathub (by @Beryesa) - With the file selector dialog functioning properly again in Electron v34, the Flathub version of Penpot Desktop no longer requires sandbox holes for the Downloads and Documents directories.
- Multiple instances - You can now manage multiple Penpot instances and open them simultaneously, each in its own colour-coded tab for easy identification. Release Documentation
New interface is a go
Thanks to @RenanMayrinckDesign, who volunteered to redesign the app, Penpot Desktop is set to eliminate the mosaic of user interface designs. The new UI is fresh and unified, seamlessly integrating with the visuals of the Penpot app while maintaining familiarity. You can view the mock-up and follow the design progress in the posted Penpot project.
Controls for managing multiple instances have already been built based on the new design. In March, I plan to dedicate development time specifically to the UI, which will result in the full application of the new look across the entire app.
Penpot + Penpot Desktop
I’m happy to share that Penpot Desktop has received official support from Penpot. The project remains a community initiative, but you can expect greater stability in the app’s development, features that align with and extend Penpot’s ecosystem, and it explains the recent mentions in official content (as noted by @Beryesa and @RenanMayrinckDesign).
It is great to see a project reach this level of recognition. A big thank you to @diacritica and the Penpot team for their trust, and to the community for the warm reception over the past few months.
Let’s plan Q2
March marks the end of Q1, and it is time to finalise the plans for Q2. Here is a list of items I plan to work on in the next cycle:
- Tab navigation improvements - The navigation component is due for a rewrite, providing a great opportunity to add requested features like pinning tabs and remembering open projects.
- Live preview reload - Reload a preview after changes are made to a project.
- Batch file download - A quick and easy way to download files of selected projects.
Additionally, here is an idea for a feature—let’s call it a stretch feature—that I will work on depending on demand and available time:
- Workspaces - Building on the tab navigation improvements, Workspaces would allow you to group tabs and switch between these groups. For example, you could group and separate projects for different clients or different types of work within a project (e.g., design system, components library, logos vs. website, promotional design).
From the above items, I consider the tab improvements and batch download features to be semi-locked. The remaining two are subject to change, and your feedback and suggestions are most welcome.
