Help Guide
Use Cases
Telepane helps you deliver polished, natural performances across a variety of scenarios:
Video Content Creators — Record YouTube videos, online courses, and promotional content without memorizing scripts. Pin above your camera app, use horizontal flip with teleprompter glass, and control everything hands-free with a game controller.
Live Streamers — Keep talking points visible while streaming on Twitch, YouTube Live, or Facebook. Pin above OBS with transparency to monitor chat and alerts behind your script.
Presenters & Speakers — Deliver webinars, keynotes, and virtual events with confidence. Import presentations from Word or PDF, then scroll at your speaking pace. Pin above Zoom, Teams, or any video call.
Educators & Trainers — Teach online courses, record tutorials, or deliver lectures with consistent pacing. Organize lesson scripts in My Scripts and export to share with students.
Podcasters & Voice Artists — Record scripted content, audiobooks, ad reads, or narration. Customize text size, weight, and spacing for optimal legibility. Use controller support for hands-free recording.
Corporate Communications — Produce executive videos, all-hands announcements, and training content. Import Word documents, maintain consistent scroll speed, and export for team collaboration.
Religious Leaders — Deliver sermons, scripture readings, and ceremonial texts naturally. Import existing documents, adjust text for easy reading at any distance, and use version history to refine messages.
Theater & Performance — Practice lines, prepare for auditions, or run through scripts. Adjust speed for difficult passages and track revisions with version history.
Toolbar Controls
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Pin to Top | Keep window above other applications |
| Opacity | Make window more/less transparent |
| Tint | Add color to background |
| Text Size | Make script text larger/smaller |
| Line Spacing | Adjust space between lines (-2 to +20 pt) |
| Text Color | Change script text color |
| H Flip | Flip text horizontally for teleprompter |
| V Flip | Flip text vertically |
| Scroll Speed | Set how fast text scrolls |
| Play/Pause | Control text scrolling |
Keyboard Shortcuts
Scrolling & Navigation
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + Enter | Play/Pause scrolling |
| ↑ | Increase scroll speed (while scrolling) |
| ↓ | Decrease scroll speed (while scrolling) |
| Page Down | Skip down in text |
| Page Up | Skip up in text |
File Operations
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + ⇧ + I | Import script |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + E | Export script |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + L | Open My Scripts |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + R | Version History |
Find
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + F | Find text in script |
| ⌘ + G | Find next match |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + G | Find previous match |
View
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + = | UI zoom in |
| ⌘ + - | UI zoom out |
| ⌘ + 0 | UI actual size |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + F | Toggle Pin to Top |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + H | Toggle horizontal flip |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + V | Toggle vertical flip |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + T | Show/Hide toolbar |
Numpad Shortcuts (if enabled)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Keypad Enter | Play/Pause scrolling (always) |
| Keypad + | Increase scroll speed (always) |
| Keypad − | Decrease scroll speed (always) |
| Keypad 0 | Reset to top (while scrolling) |
Gestures
Pinch to Zoom — Make script text larger/smaller using trackpad pinch gesture.
Controller Support
Telepane supports USB and Bluetooth game controllers for hands-free operation.
Button Mapping
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| A Button (Button 1) | Play/Pause scrolling |
| Y Button (Button 4) | Reset to top |
| Left Stick Up/Down | Speed adjustment |
| Right Stick Up/Down | Manual scroll (when stopped) |
Controller Status Icon
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Grey | No controller connected |
| Orange (clickable) | Controller connected — click to open System Settings |
| Orange (status) | Controller connected (app focus required) |
| Green | Controller ready (background capable) |
Background Support
For hands-free control while using other apps (e.g., recording in OBS, presenting on Zoom):
- Connect your controller
- Click the orange controller icon in the toolbar
- Grant Input Monitoring permission in System Settings
- The icon turns green — controller now works even when Telepane is not focused
Input Monitoring is used only for game controller detection. No keyboard or mouse input is monitored.
My Scripts
Your personal script library stored on this Mac. Every script you create or import is automatically saved here.
- Use the search field to filter scripts by title
- Sort by date modified, date created, or name
- Imported scripts show a small badge to distinguish them
- Click any script to open it
Your library is always available offline. Open via File > My Scripts or ⌘ + ⇧ + L.
Import
Load scripts from various formats via File > Import (⌘ + ⇧ + I).
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| Plain Text (.txt) | Compatible with any text editor |
| Rich Text (.rtf) | Emphasis preserved (bold, italic, underline) |
| Rich Text with attachments (.rtfd) | Text with formatting |
| Word Document (.docx) | For Microsoft Word and Pages |
| PDF (.pdf) | Text extraction from any PDF |
| Telepane Archive (.tpan) | Complete script with all settings |
Note: Text colors are always ignored on import to maintain consistency with your text color slider. Only emphasis (bold, italic, underline) is preserved.
Drag & Drop: Drop any supported file onto the editor to import quickly. For .tpan files, settings are automatically adopted.
Double-click: Double-click any .tpan file in Finder to open it in a new window with all settings.
Export
Save your script in multiple formats from File > Export (⌘ + ⇧ + E).
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| Plain Text (.txt) | Compatible with any text editor |
| Rich Text (.rtf) | Preserves text formatting and colors |
| Word Document (.docx) | For Microsoft Word and Pages |
| PDF (.pdf) | Universal format for sharing and printing |
| Telepane Archive (.tpan) | Complete script with all settings |
Tip: Export as .tpan to transfer a script between Macs with all your font, color, and scroll settings intact.
Version History
Telepane automatically saves snapshots as you work, so you can compare changes or restore an earlier draft. Open via File > Version History (⌘ + ⌥ + R).
- Browse versions — See all saved snapshots with timestamps
- Compare changes — Side-by-side diff shows what changed
- Restore — Replace current text with any version (undoable)
- Create snapshot — Manually save current state with a label
- Duplicate as new — Open any version as a new script
Telepane keeps up to 50 versions or 30 days of history, whichever comes first. Restores are non-destructive — your current text moves to the undo stack.
Customization
- Hover over toolbar icons for helpful tooltips (when in "Icon Only" mode)
- Right-click toolbar > Choose "Icon and Text" to show button labels alongside icons
- Right-click toolbar > "Customize Toolbar..." to add, remove, or reorder controls
- Drag controls in the customization palette to personalize your workspace
- Reset to defaults anytime via "Use Default Set" in the customization palette
- Open multiple windows for different scripts (each window maintains independent settings)