# Byword Help

## Creating a document

Creating a new document in Byword is a keystroke away. Press ⌘N and a new document will open with the default format. The default format for new document can be configure in the Preferences.

- Select Byword ▸ Preferences to open the Preferences window
- In the Default Text Format popup select the desired format.

## Creating a Markdown document

Markdown documents are simply plain text files with Markdown extras on top. To learn more about what is Markdown, visit Byword's Markdown guide on our website.

- Select menu File ▸ New ▸ Markdown (Plain Text) to explicitly create a Markdown document.

When saving a Markdown document you should prefer an extension that is commonly recognized as plain text. Byword recognizes the following plain text extensions: `txt`, `text`, `md`, `markdown`, `markdn`, `mdown` and `mkdn`.

## Creating a Rich Text document

- To create an Rich text document, select menu File ▸ New ▸ Rich Text