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MANGAINK EXP - USER GUIDE

v1.0 | Professional Web-Based Manga Studio

INTRODUCTION

MangaInk EXP is a lightweight, browser-based digital art studio designed specifically for manga creation and black & white illustration. It features a professional layer system, PSD compatibility, and a specialized engine for creating screentones and custom brushes.

GETTING STARTED

Since MangaInk EXP runs in the browser:

1. Open the HTML file in any modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge).
2. The app loads with a default "Paper" (white) layer and an "Ink" (transparent) layer.

BASIC TOOLS (Left Toolbar)

• Pen Tool (Shortcut: P) The primary drawing tool. Supports pressure sensitivity if you are using a drawing tablet.
• Eraser (Shortcut: E) Removes content. Works as a hard eraser or respects opacity settings.
• Fill Bucket (Shortcut: F) Fills enclosed areas with the current color.
• Move Tool (Shortcut: V) Moves the content of the currently selected layer. (Note: To move the view/camera, use the Hand tool instead).
• Eyedropper (Shortcut: Alt) Picks a color from the canvas.
• Tone Tool A specialized brush that paints patterns instead of solid colors. See "SCREENTONES" section below.
• Hand / Pan (Shortcut: Space or H) Click and drag to move your view around the canvas.

COLOR MODES

MangaInk is optimized for monochrome work.

• Click the color indicator (bottom of toolbar) to toggle between:
  • BLACK (#000000): For final inking.
  • BLUE (#2F65C9): "Non-photo blue" for sketching. (Pro Tip: Sketch in blue on a lower layer, then ink in black on top).

LAYER MANAGEMENT (Right Panel - Bottom)

The layer stack works like standard desktop art software.

• Add Layer (+): Creates a new transparent layer.
• Transform Layer (Box Icon): Opens the Transform UI to Scale, Rotate, or Move the specific layer numerically.
• Move Up/Down (Arrows): Reorders the layer stack.
• Flip Layer: Horizontally flips only the active layer.
• Delete (Trash Can): Removes the layer.

Layer Properties:

• Visibility (Eye): Hides/Shows layer.
• Lock (Padlock): Prevents painting on the layer.
• Alpha Lock (Grid): Locks transparency. You can only paint on pixels that already exist. Great for changing the color of lineart.
• Opacity Slider: Controls layer transparency (0-100%).
• Rename: Double-click a layer name to rename it.

BRUSH ENGINE (Right Panel - Top)

Customize your pen feel or create stamps.

Settings:

• Pressure: Toggle tablet pressure sensitivity on/off.
• Size: Brush diameter (1px - 200px).
• Spacing: Distance between dabs. Low (1) for lines, High (10+) for stamps.
• Scatter: Jitters the position of brush dabs (good for textures).
• Rotate: Rotates the brush tip.

Creating Custom Brushes:

1. Draw a shape on any layer (black on transparent background).
2. Click "Create from Layer" in the Brushes panel.
3. The content is cropped and saved as a new brush tip instantly.

Brush Packs:

• Save Brush Pack (Download Icon): Exports your custom brushes to a .JSON file.
• Load Brush Pack (Upload Icon): Imports a .JSON brush pack.

SCREENTONES (Halftones)

Use the "Tone Tool" (Grid Icon) to paint manga backgrounds and shadows.

Types:

• Dots: Standard manga shading.
• Lines: Diagonal shading.
• X (Crosshatch): Cross-hatched shading.
• Noise: Random grit texture.

Density Slider: Controls how dark/tight the pattern is.

CANVAS OPERATIONS

• Zoom: Use the UI buttons (+/-) or Ctrl + Mouse Wheel.
• Rotate View: Use the slider at the top or Shift + R (rotates 15° increments).
• Flip Canvas (Left Toolbar): Flips the entire image (all layers). This is destructive and permanent, meant for checking proportions.
• Import Image: Adds a local image file (JPG/PNG) as a new layer.

FILE SAVING & EXPORT

• Save Project (.manga): Saves all layers, names, visibility, and custom brushes. This is the native format. Always save a .manga file to keep your work editable.
• Export PNG: Flattens the image to a standard PNG file for sharing.
• Export PSD: Exports a Photoshop-compatible file.
  • Preserves layer structure.
  • Preserves blending modes.
  • Preserves opacity.
  • Compatible with Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop.

SHORTCUT REFERENCE

Tools: P ......... Pen E ......... Eraser F ......... Fill Bucket V ......... Move Tool H / Space . Hand Tool (Pan) Alt ....... Eyedropper

Layer Operations: Ctrl + [ .. Move Layer Down Ctrl + ] .. Move Layer Up

System: Ctrl + Z .. Undo Ctrl + Y .. Redo Ctrl + S .. (Browsers may try to save page, click the disk icon instead) Shift + R . Rotate View 15°

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MangaInk EXP is free to use. Pay what you want to support future development and new features like cloud storage and collaborative drawing.