# Introduction

> What Folio is, who it is for and how you turn text into presentations.

Folio is a tool for creating presentations by writing text. You write your slides in a Markdown-inspired language and Folio takes care of the design: typography, colors, spacing and layout come from a consistent theme.

## Who it is for

Folio is built for people who would rather write than drag boxes around:

- **Professionals** who build presentations often and want a polished result without spending time aligning elements.
- **Teachers and trainers** who prepare classes with lists, tables, code and charts.
- **Teams** that need to keep several presentations with the same visual identity.

You do not need to know how to code. If you have ever written a heading with `#` or a list with `-`, you already know the basics.

## How it works

The work happens in three steps:

1. **Write.** Headings, paragraphs, lists and images, like any text. A line with `---` separates one slide from the next.
2. **See it live.** The preview next to the editor updates as you type. Click any element in the preview to move the cursor to its line.
3. **Present.** Use **Present** for full screen, **Presenter** to see notes, the next slide and a timer, or **Export PDF** to share.

This is a complete slide:

```folio
--- {.dark align=center}
Quarterly report {.kicker}

# We grew [38%]{color=yellow} this quarter

Recurring revenue above target for the third month in a row. {.lead}
```

`--- {.dark align=center}` makes the slide dark and centered. The parts in braces, such as `{.kicker}` and `{color=yellow}`, adjust the look without you having to write CSS.

## What makes Folio different

### Text first

Your presentation is text. You reorder slides by copying and pasting, review the content without distractions and keep everything in one place. When you need more control, you add attributes and layout blocks, such as columns and grids, without leaving the text.

### Consistent design

Colors, fonts and sizes come from the theme. Instead of loose values, you use names such as `accent`, `xl` or `display`, and every slide follows the same scale. One theme per project keeps every presentation on brand.

### Safe by default

Nothing you write is executed. The text becomes a validated structure, and only then is it drawn. There is no HTML, no scripts and no logic: even reusable components are templates without loops or conditions.

### Errors that explain

When something is wrong, the editor underlines the text, explains the problem and suggests a fix, as in "Did you mean `color`?". The preview keeps working while you fix it.

## Where to go next

- [Quickstart](/docs/en/start/quickstart/): write your first slide and present it.
- [Concepts](/docs/en/start/concepts/): projects, presentations, saving and history.
- [Writing slides](/docs/en/guides/writing/): headings, lists, tables, images and notes.
- [Layout](/docs/en/guides/layout/): columns, grids and alignment.
- [Styling](/docs/en/guides/styling/): colors, sizes and reusable styles.
- [Themes](/docs/en/guides/themes/): built-in themes, your own colors and fonts.