MarkNode gives you precise control over how the mind map looks, from choosing a built-in theme to styling individual nodes or applying rules based on text content.
Following the Application Theme
By default the mind map is set to Follow app theme: it uses the built-in mind map theme that pairs with your current application theme, so switching the app to Midnight, Sepia, or any other theme restyles the mind map to match. Most people can leave it here and never pick a mind map theme directly.
To use a particular mind map theme regardless of the application theme, pick one as described below — that pins your choice until you switch back to Follow app theme.
Built-in Themes
A range of built-in themes is included, each with a coordinated set of colors, node shapes, and line styles. As well as the six that pair by name with the application themes (Paper, Midnight, Sepia, Solarized Dark, Nord, High Contrast), there is a library of standalone looks for different moods and use cases. Switch themes from Settings > Mind Map or from the theme picker in the mind map toolbar. The canvas updates with a live preview as you browse.
If no theme has ever been chosen and the mind map is not following the application theme, MarkNode falls back to its default theme, ColorfulClear.
The Theme Editor
Pro: Creating, editing, importing, and exporting custom mind map themes requires a Pro license. The built-in themes are available to everyone.
Open the theme editor to build or modify a custom theme. Every change is reflected on the canvas in real time so you can see exactly what you are editing. The following properties can be customized:
- Canvas background — solid color or gradient
- Central topic style — shape (rectangle, rounded rectangle, curved rectangle, pill, ellipse, hexagon, or none), fill color, border color, and text color
- Main topic styles — styles for first-level branches, applied consistently across all H2 nodes (or equivalent)
- Subtopic styles — styles for deeper levels, with per-level overrides available
- Line styles and colors — straight, curve, half curve, polyline, right angle, or rounded right angle connectors; thickness; color
Conditional Styling
Conditional styles apply automatically to any node whose text matches a rule. To add a rule, open the theme editor and go to the Rules section. Each rule specifies:
- Match type — “Contains”, “Starts With”, “Ends With”, or “Matches Regex”
- Value — the text or pattern to match
- Style — the color and shape to apply when a node matches
Rules are checked from top to bottom, and the last matching rule wins.
Emoji Markers
Assign an emoji marker to any node to use it as a visual bookmark or status indicator. Right-click a node and choose Set Marker to open the emoji picker, which includes around 300 emojis organized across 12 categories. Markers appear alongside the node label and do not affect the document text.
Importing and Exporting Themes
Custom themes can be exported as JSON files and imported on another device or shared with others. Use the Import button in Settings > Mind Map or the mind map toolbar to add a theme from a .json file, and the Export action on a custom theme to save it out. Exported files contain all theme properties including per-level styles and conditional styling rules. Import and export are Pro features; built-in themes ship with every installation and do not need exporting.
Theme Priority
When MarkNode determines which theme to apply to a document, it follows this order:
- Document-level theme — a theme saved specifically for the current document (highest priority)
- Global default — the theme selected in Settings > Mind Map (this is Follow app theme unless you have pinned a specific theme)
- Last used — the theme that was active during the previous session
- ColorfulClear — the built-in default, used only when none of the above apply
Exporting as an Image
To export the mind map as an image, click the Export as Image button in the mind map toolbar (it is also available from the canvas right-click menu). MarkNode saves a PNG of the current map, named after the project.