Copyworks Manual
Chinese character worksheet generator for families.
Contents
Getting Started
- Download from the home page for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android
- Launch the app — no account or internet connection required
- Type or paste Chinese text in the input field (top-left)
- Preview the worksheet in real time (right panel)
- Print or export to PDF
The app opens with a blank worksheet. Type any Chinese characters — a child’s name, a short phrase, a line from a poem — and watch the worksheet build itself in the preview panel. Each character gets its own practice row with guide grids.
The Interface
Layout
The screen has two main areas:
- Left panel — text input, character chips, and tab-specific settings (rows, columns, left-handed toggle)
- Right panel — live worksheet preview with a tab bar (Copysheets, Flash Tiles, Games, Slides)
Title Bar
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Library (bookmark icon) | Opens the content library & file operations drawer |
| Format (tuning sliders icon) | Opens format settings — grid, mode, annotations, paper |
| Save Slides (download icon) | Export slides as PNG images (Slides tab only) |
| Print (printer icon) | Print the current worksheet (Ctrl+P) |
| More (three dots) | Save PDF, Connect AI, Account, About |
Status Bar
The bottom bar shows your tier badge (Free, Family, or Trial countdown — tap to manage your account), selection count (e.g., “5 of 8 selected”), the app version, and a Send Feedback link.
The Worksheet
How Copysheets Work
Each character gets a block of practice cells. In the screenshot above, notice how each row starts with a full-opacity reference character, followed by faded tracing guides that progressively fade out, then empty cells for free practice.
- First cell: Full opacity reference character
- Next cells: Faded tracing guides (25% opacity) — they fade out gradually so your child transitions from tracing to writing independently
- Empty cells: Free practice space
- Left-handed mode: Reverses the pattern so the reference character is on the right
Above each character row, the worksheet shows stroke order (the step-by-step sequence for writing the character) plus any annotations you’ve enabled (pinyin, definition, etc.).
Grid Types
Every cell contains guide lines to help with character proportions:
| Grid | Chinese | Pattern | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi zi ge | 米字格 | Star | Most popular. Diagonal + midlines help with stroke placement. |
| Tian zi ge | 田字格 | Cross | Simple horizontal + vertical midlines. Good for beginners. |
| Hui gong ge | 回宫格 | Bullseye | Diagonal cross + inner rectangle. Helps center the character. |
| No grid | — | — | Plain cells for advanced practice or a cleaner look. |
Annotations
The worksheet can display several kinds of information for each character:
- Stroke order: Step-by-step stroke sequence (numbered, colored strokes)
- Pinyin: Romanized pronunciation with tone marks (e.g., nǐ hǎo)
- Bopomofo: Zhuyin phonetic symbols (ニィˇ ハアˇ) — used in Taiwan
- Definition: Brief translation in your chosen language
- HSK level: Proficiency level indicator (HSK1–HSK9)
- Stroke count: Total number of strokes
- Radical: The character’s root component
Note: Pinyin and Bopomofo are mutually exclusive — turning one on turns the other off, since they serve the same purpose (showing pronunciation) in different writing systems.
Dictionary Language
Copyworks supports definitions in 26 languages. Tap the language indicator in the status bar (bottom-right) to open the language picker:
English, العربية (Arabic), Čeština (Czech), Deutsch, Ελληνικά (Greek), Español, Eesti (Estonian), فارسی (Persian), Français, हिन्दी (Hindi), Magyar (Hungarian), Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Melayu (Malay), Nederlands, Polski (Polish), Português, Română (Romanian), Русский, Svenska, ไทย (Thai), Filipino, Türkçe (Turkish), and Tiếng Việt.
When you switch the dictionary language, definitions on the worksheet update, the UI labels switch to the selected language, and your preference is saved for next launch. Language packs are included — no additional download required.
Cantonese & Hokkien Dialect Support
In the Format panel, expand Cantonese and Hokkien available to enable dialect pronunciation:
- Cantonese — choose Jyutping (粵拼, standard) or Yale (older textbook system)
- Hokkien — uses POJ (Pe̱h-ōe-jī, church romanization)
When a dialect is enabled:
- Character chips display dialect romanization instead of Mandarin pinyin
- Tone colors switch automatically: Mandarin uses 5 tones, Cantonese uses 6 (adding Teal and Purple), Hokkien uses 8 (with underlined checked tones)
- The status bar shows 粵語 (Cantonese) or 閙南語 (Hokkien)
- The back page includes dialect pronunciation alongside Mandarin pinyin
Character Modes
- Solid (Free): Filled black characters — standard copywork, works great on B&W printers
- Outline (Free): White fill with colored stroke — great for tracing worksheets where children fill in the character
Tone Colors
Tone colors can be toggled independently of character mode (solid or outline). Characters are colored by their pronunciation tone:
The tone color legend is also printed on the back page of PDF worksheets for quick reference.
Front and Back
Every tab has a Front / Back toggle in the bottom-right corner:
- Copysheets front: The practice worksheet with guide grids
- Copysheets back: Answer key — each character with its pinyin, bopomofo, and definition (print on the reverse side as a reference)
- Flash Tiles front: Characters in guide grids
- Flash Tiles back: Pinyin, bopomofo, definition, and metadata. Columns are reversed for correct duplex printing alignment.
- Slides front: Large single character in a guide grid
- Slides back: Character details — stroke order, pinyin, bopomofo, definition, radical, and stroke count
Character Selection
The character chip bar below the text input shows each unique character with its pinyin. Tap chips to include or exclude specific characters from the worksheet:
- Selected (colored border + pastel background): Included in the worksheet
- Unselected (grey outline): Excluded
- All / None: Quick toggle buttons to select or deselect everything
This is useful when you want to focus on just a few characters from a longer text — for example, picking the hardest characters from a poem for extra practice.
Tabs
Copysheets
Practice worksheets with the copysheet pattern (reference → tracing → empty cells). This is the main worksheet type for daily copywork practice.
Settings (left panel): Per row (3–20 cells, default 12), Rows (1–10 practice rows per character, default 1), and Left-handed toggle.
Flash Tiles (Free)
Grid of flash cards — print, cut along the lines, and use for study or games. Front shows the character in a guide grid; back shows pinyin, bopomofo, and definition.
Settings (left panel): Per row (2–9 tiles, default 4).
Games (Free)
Six printable character games — Bingo, Memory Match, Coloring, Tic-Tac-Toe, Word Search, and Sudoku. Generate game boards from any Chinese text, print, and play. A fun way to reinforce character recognition beyond traditional copywork.
Slides (Family plan)
Full-page character cards. Swipe left/right or use the arrow buttons to navigate between characters. Good for classroom display, projector use, or large-format practice on a tablet.
Content Library
Tap the Library button (bookmark icon, top-left) to browse hundreds of built-in lessons organized by curriculum and theme.
The library drawer also contains file operations: New (clear the worksheet), Open (load a saved .txt file), and Save (export the current text).
| Collection | Lessons | Script | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1–6 | 228 | Simplified | Standard proficiency vocabulary, 38 lessons per level |
| HSK 7–9 | 300 | Simplified | Advanced proficiency vocabulary |
| YCT 1–4 | 85 | Simplified | Youth Chinese Test |
| TOCFL Band A | 116 | Traditional | Taiwan proficiency test |
| DeFrancis BCR | 28 | Traditional | “Beginning Chinese Reader” textbook |
| Bible (CUV) | ~200 | Simp. + Trad. | Scripture verses in 11 themes (see below) |
| Tang Poems | 20 | Traditional | Classic 唐诗 selections |
| Idioms | 10 | Simplified | 成语 (four-character idioms) with definitions |
| Names | 20 | Simplified | Surnames (百家姓), boys’ names, girls’ names |
| Food | 242 | Simplified | 15 restaurant menu categories |
Bible Themes
Trust & Faith, Strength & Courage, Peace & Comfort, Love, Hope & Joy, Wisdom & Guidance, Protection, Praise & Thanksgiving, Grace & Forgiveness, Family & Children — plus OT/NT book names and key characters. Available in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
Tang Poems (唐诗)
Spring Dawn (春晓), Quiet Night Thought (静夜思), Climbing Stork Tower (登鹳雀楼), Ode to the Goose (咏鹅), Sympathy for Farmers (悯农), Longing (相思), River Snow (江雪), Deer Park (鹿柴), and 12 more. Each poem is split across several lessons of ~5 characters each.
Food
Specials, Soups, Seafood, Chicken & Duck, Beef, Pork, Hot Pot, Vegetables & Tofu, Fried Rice, Noodles, Rice Plates, Soup Noodles, Snacks, Desserts, Congee — a real Chinese restaurant menu in worksheet form.
Loading a lesson replaces the current text and sets the worksheet title.
Free tier includes: HSK Level 1, YCT Level 1, all Bible lessons (Simplified + Traditional), 5 Tang poems, surnames, idioms, animals, and Kangxi radicals — plus Flash Tiles and all 6 printable games (Bingo, Memory Match, Coloring, Tic-Tac-Toe, Word Search, Sudoku). All other collections require the Family plan.
Format Settings
Tap the Format button (tuning sliders icon) in the title bar to open the format panel:
Page
- Paper: US Letter (default), A4, or US Legal
Layout
- Grid: Mi Zi Ge (米字格), Tian Zi Ge (田字格), Hui Gong Ge (回宫格), or No Grid
Style
- Mode: Solid or Outline
- Tone colors: Toggle on/off (works with both solid and outline modes)
- Font: AR PL UKai CN (default), LXGW WenKai, or Yozai (Family plan)
Display
- Pinyin: Show romanized pronunciation (on by default)
- Bopomofo: Show Zhuyin phonetic symbols (off by default)
- Definition: Show translation in the selected dictionary language (on by default)
Characters
- As entered: Display characters exactly as typed (default)
- Simplified (简): Force simplified forms
- Traditional (繁): Force traditional forms
Cantonese & Hokkien
Expand this section to enable dialect pronunciation. See Cantonese & Hokkien above for details.
PDF Export
Paper Sizes
- US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) — default
- A4 (210 × 297 mm) — international standard
- US Legal (8.5 × 14 in)
Export Methods
- Print (Ctrl+P): Opens the system print dialog with preview
- Save PDF: From the three-dot menu → “Save PDF...” (Ctrl+Shift+S)
All PDFs include a QR chop seal — a crimson ink seal with an embedded QR code in the footer. This is our brand signature and appears on all tiers.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | New worksheet (clear text) |
| Ctrl+O | Open saved worksheet (.txt) |
| Ctrl+S | Save current worksheet (.txt) |
| Ctrl+P | Print worksheet |
| Ctrl+Shift+S | Save as PDF |
| F12 | Take screenshot |
| Ctrl+Scroll | Zoom preview in/out (0.5x–3x) |
Connecting AI Assistants
Copyworks includes a built-in MCP server that lets AI assistants drive the entire worksheet workflow. You can say things like “Make me HSK Level 1 worksheets with tone colors” and the AI handles loading content, configuring the format, and exporting PDFs — while the app window shows a live preview.
- Open the three-dot menu → Connect AI...
- The app shows which AI clients it detects on your machine (Claude, Cursor, VS Code, etc.)
- Click Connect next to your client
- Restart your AI client to activate the connection
For setup details and API reference, see the Developers page.
Free vs. Family Plan
| Feature | Free | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Characters per worksheet | 8 max | Unlimited |
| Grid types | All 4 types | All 4 types |
| Character mode | Solid, Outline | Solid, Outline |
| Tone colors | Yes | Yes |
| Stroke order | Yes | Yes |
| Fonts | AR PL UKai CN | + LXGW WenKai, Yozai |
| Tabs | Copysheets, Flash Tiles, Games | + Slides |
| PDF export | With QR chop seal | With QR chop seal |
| Image export | — | PNG slides export |
| Dictionary languages | All 18 | All 18 |
| Cantonese & Hokkien | Yes | Yes |
| Content library | HSK Level 1 + Bible | All collections |
| Price | Free forever | $29/year or $49 lifetime |
7-day free trial of all Family features is available — no credit card required. When you hit a locked feature, the app offers to start the trial right there.
Account & Sign-In
To unlock paid features after purchasing:
- Tap the tier badge in the status bar (or three-dot menu → Account)
- Enter the email you used for your purchase
- Tap Sign In
Your device activates immediately. The app checks your subscription status on each launch and when the window regains focus, so upgrades, renewals, and cancellations take effect automatically.
Troubleshooting
Characters show as boxes or are missing
The app requires CJK fonts. On Linux, install Noto CJK fonts:
sudo apt install fonts-noto-cjkmacOS: “Copyworks can’t be opened”
If you downloaded the DMG directly (not from the Mac App Store), right-click the app → Open, then click Open in the dialog. You only need to do this once.
Windows: SmartScreen warning
Click More info → Run anyway. This happens because the installer isn’t yet signed with an EV certificate.
Empty pinyin or definitions
The character database may not have loaded. Try restarting the app. If the problem persists, ensure the data file (core.xdb) exists in the app’s data directory.
PDF export fails
Ensure the output directory exists and is writable.