Save and share
Keep an editable original
Section titled “Keep an editable original”Save writes a .rsk file with the complete drawing. If you enter a name without an extension, ReShiki adds .rsk, for example Esterification.rsk. Use Save as for a separate version. Reopen it with Open.
ReShiki 0.12.0 saves drawings in a newer format, even when they use no new feature. ReShiki 0.11.0 and earlier cannot open them. ReShiki 0.11.0 asks you to update. If you share files with people on 0.11.0, keep a copy saved by 0.11.0.
The file contains readable JSON text. Existing .reshiki and .moruno drawings also open normally; Save keeps their current filenames. Use Save as to save a copy with the shorter .rsk extension.
To add MOL, RXN, CDXML, CDX, SMILES or picture files to the current drawing instead, drop them on the drawing or use Import → Choose file…. On Windows you can also insert .emf pictures; see Insert EMF pictures. Dropping a .rsk file opens it in a tab.
If ReShiki offers recovery drafts after an interrupted session, choose Restore in the status bar to open each one in a tab, then save them to files. Closing a tab or the window with unsaved changes asks whether to save them first; New and Open add a tab instead.
Choose an export
Section titled “Choose an export”Open Export → Figure, choose SVG, SVG for Office, PDF or PNG (on Windows also EMF for Office), then click its export button, for example Export SVG…. Expand Structure & exchange for molecular formats and CDXML, or Pages & printing for page setup and printing. Editable document saves the complete .rsk original.
PNG uses up to 1200 dpi and automatically lowers resolution for large drawings while preserving physical size. The saved-file status reports the actual pixel dimensions and DPI. If chemistry analysis fails, figure export preserves the visible drawing and shows a review notice instead of blocking Save. Figure export details and limits.
File exports use the full drawing. Copy image uses the current selection when objects are selected.
| You need | Use |
|---|---|
| A vector figure | SVG or PDF |
| A high-resolution image | PNG |
| A picture for Word or PowerPoint | EMF for Office on Windows, or SVG for Office (both turn text into outlines) |
| Multiple publication pages | PDF · all pages |
| An editable chemical drawing | CDXML |
| Chemical structure data | MOL, SMILES, or InChI |
| Chemical reaction data | RXN or Reaction SMILES in Reaction roles |
Export dialogs also add the selected format’s extension when you omit it.
Molecular and reaction data formats do not retain the full figure layout. Keep the .rsk original.
SVG/PNG/PDF retain partial ring curves, free atom labels and front-bond emphasis. Editable CDXML/CDX supports the checked Haworth convention and tested Cp/arene perspective edges, aromatic ellipses, hidden ligand charges and multi-center targets. Original 3D editing metadata is guaranteed only in .rsk. Cp/Cp* groups expand into editable atoms and targets during exchange so that external resaving retains their attachments. Ordinary Copy simplifies unsupported appearances only in the external copy and reports the changes; see the complete compatibility table. Strict CDXML file export rejects unsupported representations. V3000 attachments require one bond per point; variable attachments do not imply a unique molecular formula.
Anonymous dummy/attachment markers are editor handles and are omitted from figures and Office image copies. Explicit text labels remain visible.
Copy and paste
Section titled “Copy and paste”Select the objects, then ⌘/Ctrl+C and ⌘/Ctrl+V. ⌘/Ctrl+C copies the drawing for ReShiki, ChemDraw, Office and image apps. It offers editable drawing data and image alternatives, with no chemical plain text, on every platform. Cut and Duplicate are also available above the canvas.
To paste a structure into a text field such as SciFinder’s, select it and use ⌘/Ctrl+Alt+C. This copies molecular SMILES without a reaction arrow, or bounded ChemDoodle JSON for one clear reaction. Explicit reaction roles take precedence; a clear unassigned forward arrow can supply roles for this copy only. Review any warning or error before pasting. ⌘/Ctrl+Alt+O copies MOL text. SciFinder handoff and selection limits.
To choose a particular format, right-click → Copy as…. Choose PNG, SVG, PDF, MOL, SMILES, InChI, CDXML, CDX, RXN or reaction SMILES. The submenu states whether it copies selected objects or the whole drawing. Select a complete molecule when you need its full chemical structure. Reaction formats require one complete defined reaction; the menu explains unavailable choices. Review any conversion warnings in the copy receipt. Format and platform details.
Ctrl+Shift+C / Shift+⌘+C copies an image explicitly; Import → Paste picture chooses a picture explicitly. Editable exchange depends on the receiving app and the objects used.
What Paste uses
Section titled “What Paste uses”⌘/Ctrl+V tries the available formats in this order:
- ReShiki drawing data.
- ChemDraw CDX, then CDXML.
- MOL, then SMILES offered as chemical formats.
- Plain text that imports as chemistry: MOL, SMILES, reaction SMILES, InChI, RXN, CDXML or ReShiki clipboard JSON.
- PNG, TIFF, JPEG, then WebP pictures.
- Other plain text, PDF or SVG use the usual error messages if nothing can be pasted.
On Windows, drawings embedded in Office objects are tried first. If a format fails, Paste tries the next one. PDF and SVG pictures need conversion to PNG. If every available format fails, Paste explains the problem. For a drawing from a newer version, the message asks you to update ReShiki. Import → Paste picture prefers pictures even when editable formats are present.
In Windows desktop Office, normal Copy embeds a ReShiki drawing. Double-click it,
edit in ReShiki and use Ctrl+S to update the open Office document. Then save
the Office document. Copy Image pastes a static figure. See the
Windows workflow. For editing across Windows and Mac, retain
the .rsk original: Mac Office does not support this Windows OLE workflow.
On macOS, use ⌘P or Export → Pages & printing → Print…. The native print dialog also offers Save as PDF. Use Print selection for selected objects.
On Windows, use Ctrl+P or Export → Pages & printing → Print…. Preview the page layout in ReShiki, then choose a printer, pages and copies in the Windows dialog. Choose Microsoft Print to PDF for a PDF file. See the Windows guide.
On Linux, export PDF to print with your usual PDF application.