What export formats does TextUSM support?

Updated

TextUSM can export your diagrams as PNG, SVG, or PDF. The site lists "Export to images" as a core feature, so the export is a rendered picture of your diagram rather than an editable file you can reopen in another diagramming tool. That makes it suitable for pasting into docs, slides, or tickets, and for sharing a fixed snapshot of a story map.

The three formats and when each makes sense

Format Best for Trade-off to expect
PNG Quick sharing in chat, docs, slide decks Raster image; enlarging it can look soft
SVG Documents or pages that need crisp scaling Vector file; some editors handle it less predictably than PNG
PDF Printing, formal handouts, attaching to specs Fixed page layout rather than a flexible image

TextUSM's own description only states that images "can be exported as png, svg or pdf" — it doesn't publish resolution, page-size, or scaling controls, so treat those as things to check in the export dialog itself rather than assumptions.

What gets exported

The export captures the diagram you built from indented text. TextUSM's supported diagram types include:

  • User Story Map
  • Business Model Canvas
  • Opportunity Canvas
  • User Persona
  • 4Ls Retrospective
  • Start, Stop, Continue
  • KPT Retrospective
  • Mind Map
  • ER Diagram

So the same PNG/SVG/PDF export applies across these diagram types, not just story maps.

How to export

  1. Write or paste your indented text so the diagram renders in the workspace.
  2. Use the export option and choose PNG, SVG, or PDF.
  3. Save the resulting file and place it where you need it (document, slide, ticket, print).

The exact button location isn't documented in the available page content, so look for an export or download control near the diagram view.

Practical notes

  • Because the output is an image, plan to keep your source indented text if you'll want to edit the diagram later — the exported file won't be re-editable as a diagram.
  • If you need to scale up for a poster or large display, SVG is the safer choice; if you just need to drop it into a chat or doc, PNG is fastest.
  • TextUSM's pricing page mentions a Basic plan at $0 with 30 private boards, unlimited local boards, and unlimited public boards. The available page content doesn't state whether export formats are limited by plan, so verify in the app if that matters to you.