Getting Started with Linear

Get up and running with Linear in five minutes. This guide covers installation and basic measurement workflows.

Last updated: December 2025

Installation

Desktop application

macOS:

1. Visit the download page
2. Download the macOS installer (.dmg)
3. Open the downloaded file
4. Drag Linear to your Applications folder
5. Launch Linear from Applications

Windows:

1. Visit the download page
2. Download the Windows installer (.exe)
3. Run the installer
4. Follow the installation prompts
5. Launch Linear from the Start menu

Browser extension

Chrome:

1. Open Chrome Web Store
2. Search for "Linear Measurement Tool"
3. Click "Add to Chrome"
4. Confirm installation
5. Linear icon appears in your toolbar

Firefox:

1. Open Firefox Add-ons
2. Search for "Linear Measurement Tool"
3. Click "Add to Firefox"
4. Confirm permissions
5. Linear icon appears in your toolbar

Desktop vs. Browser

The desktop app can measure anything on your screen, including other applications and system UI. The browser extension only works within web pages but provides tighter integration with web content.

First launch

When you first open Linear:

1. Grant screen recording permission (macOS only): Linear needs this to capture screen content for measurement. Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Screen Recording and enable Linear.

2. Choose your defaults: Set your preferred unit (CSS pixels recommended for web), grid size, and keyboard shortcuts.

3. Take the quick tour: A brief walkthrough highlights key features. You can skip and revisit later from Help > Quick Tour.

Basic measurement

Measuring distance

1. Activate measurement mode:

   • Desktop: Press M or click the ruler icon
   • Browser: Click the Linear extension icon, then ruler

2. Click and drag between any two points

3. The measurement appears:

   • Distance in your chosen units
   • Horizontal and vertical components
   • Angle (if diagonal)

4. Release to place the measurement, or press Esc to cancel

Tips for accurate measurement

• Zoom in for sub-pixel precision
• Snap to edges is on by default—Linear finds element boundaries
• Hold Shift to constrain to horizontal or vertical
• Hold Alt/Option to disable snapping temporarily

Clearing measurements

• Press C to clear all measurements
• Click a measurement and press Delete to remove one
• Right-click for more options (copy value, annotate)

Grid overlay

Enabling the grid

1. Press G or click the grid icon
2. A customizable grid appears over your screen
3. Press G again to toggle off

Customizing the grid

1. Press ⌘/Ctrl + G to open grid settings
2. Adjust:
   • Grid size (8px, 12px, 16px, etc.)
   • Color and opacity
   • Offset from screen edge
3. Save presets for common configurations

Common grid configurations

Use case	Grid size	Notes
8pt spacing system	8px	Most common for web/mobile
iOS	4px	Apple's base unit
Material Design	4px	Google's base unit
Type baseline	Your line-height	For vertical rhythm

Guides

Placing guides

1. Press H for horizontal guide or V for vertical guide
2. Click to place the guide
3. Drag to reposition

Or:

• Drag from the top ruler for horizontal guides
• Drag from the left ruler for vertical guides

Using guides

• Guides help verify alignment across distant elements
• Measurements snap to guides
• Use different colors to track different alignment concerns

Managing guides

• Right-click a guide to change color or delete
• Press ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + G to clear all guides
• Guides persist until cleared (survive app restart)

Keyboard reference (quick start)

Action	Mac	Windows
Measure	M	M
Grid toggle	G	G
Horizontal guide	H	H
Vertical guide	V	V
Clear measurements	C	C
Clear guides	⌘⇧G	Ctrl+Shift+G
Screenshot	⌘S	Ctrl+S
Preferences	⌘,	Ctrl+,

For the complete shortcut reference, see Keyboard Shortcuts.

Your first workflow

Try this to get comfortable with Linear:

1. Open any website or design
2. Press M and measure the padding on a button
3. Press G to enable a grid overlay
4. Verify the padding aligns with the grid
5. Press H and place a guide across multiple elements
6. Check if elements align to your guide
7. Press ⌘/Ctrl + S to capture an annotated screenshot

You've now used the core features of Linear!

What's next

Continue learning

• Full Feature Overview
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• FAQ & Troubleshooting
• CSS Sizing Guide