When enabled, Quartz Syncer will automatically convert Excalidraw drawings (.excalidraw.md files) into embedded SVG images that display correctly in Quartz.
How it works
- Detection: Quartz Syncer identifies files with the
.excalidraw.mdextension or embedded Excalidraw links (![[Example.excalidraw]]). - Conversion: The drawing is converted to SVG format using the ExcalidrawAutomate API.
- Theme support: Both light and dark theme variants are generated, allowing the drawing to automatically adapt to your Quartz site’s theme.
- Embedding: The SVGs are embedded as base64-encoded background images, ensuring compatibility with Quartz’s markdown processing.
Requirements
- The Excalidraw plugin must be installed and enabled in Obsidian.
- Drawings must have the
.excalidraw.mdfile extension. - The drawing file must have
excalidraw-plugin: parsedin its frontmatter (this is added automatically by the Excalidraw plugin).
Supported syntax
Excalidraw files
Files with the .excalidraw.md extension are automatically converted when published. The entire file content is replaced with the SVG representation.
Embedded drawings
You can embed Excalidraw drawings in other notes using the standard Obsidian embed syntax:
![[Example.excalidraw]]Linked drawings
Regular links to Excalidraw files are converted to standard links:
[[Example.excalidraw]]
[[Example.excalidraw|Custom text]]Example
Notes
- Excalidraw files are transformed at a file level, meaning the entire file content is replaced with the SVG representation.
- Interactive features of Excalidraw (like editing) are not available in the published version - it becomes a static image.
- The generated SVG respects the drawing’s original dimensions and styling.
- Theme switching relies on Quartz’s
saved-themeattribute on the<html>element.