Parchmatte / Guide · Parchmatte 1.2.2

Add paper texture to one Mac window.

Give a writing or reading window its own paper texture while keeping the rest of your workspace as it is. Here is how to set it up from Parchmatte’s menu bar controls.

You will need Parchmatte open on a Mac running macOS 13 or later. It is available on the Mac App Store.

Put paper on your chosen window.

  1. Turn off whole-screen paper. Open Parchmatte’s menu in the menu bar. If Paper Whole Screen is checked, select it to turn it off. This lets you see paper on individual windows.

  2. Bring your window to the front. Click the window you want to paper, then open Parchmatte’s menu again.

  3. Choose the window action. Select Paper [app name] Window. The menu uses your app’s name: for example, Paper TextEdit Window.

  4. Adjust that window’s paper. Reopen the menu and use the controls under This Window — [app name]. Choose Texture, adjust Strength for the amount of texture, and adjust Softness for the grain’s softness.

The Texture submenu offers nine textures, including Velvet, a fine plush texture in Wine. Use the This Window section for the selected window. The separate Screen and New Windows section sets the style for whole-screen paper and newly added window papers.

Clicks, scrolling and typing pass through the overlay, so you can keep using the window underneath.

Add optional Page Light.

Under that window’s This Window section, open Page Light to choose a tint. Adjust Light Strength and choose a Glow level in the submenu. Choose Off for paper texture alone.

Remove the paper when you are finished.

Bring the papered window to the front, open Parchmatte’s menu, and choose Remove Paper from [app name] Window. To clear all individual window papers, choose Remove Window Papers; the number beside it shows how many have been added.

You can also press Control + Option + P with the window in front to add or remove its paper. If the shortcut is already in use, use the menu action.

If you do not see the window’s paper

Check that Paper Whole Screen is off and that the window you want is in front. The window action is disabled when Parchmatte cannot find a window to target. The status at the top of the menu can also show whether Parchmatte is paused by snooze, its schedule, battery settings or an excluded app.

For a broader look at the controls, see Parchmatte’s texture and Page Light overview. To explore the category, compare Mac paper overlays and screen-tint tools. For help with a particular window, contact support.

Give your Mac a paper texture.

Download on the Mac App Store

US $2.99 on the Mac App Store. Regional prices vary. Requires macOS 13 or later.