reMarkable 2 · Customization
Custom templates on the reMarkable 2
How to use the built-in template set, and how to add your own template images through developer mode and SSH — with community tools that make it far easier on the reMarkable 2.
For most people the built-in templates are enough. Adding your own is an advanced job — developer mode, SSH, copying files and hand-editing JSON — but the reMarkable 2’s long-standing community means there are well-tested helper tools that automate it and survive firmware updates, which the newer models do not yet have. If you only need one layout, sending it in as a PDF and writing on that is still the simplest route.
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Use the built-in templates first
Open a notebook, open the page menu, and choose "Template". The built-in set is large — lined at several spacings, dotted, grid, checklists, planners, music, storyboard and more. Each page can use a different one, so try these first; most needs are covered.
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Understand what a custom template is
A custom template is a full-screen background image the device draws behind your writing. reMarkable stores templates as PNG files plus an SVG, listed in a "templates.json" file. Adding one means placing the files and editing that list — which needs developer mode and SSH.
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Enable developer mode and connect over SSH
Turn on developer mode in Settings (this wipes the device, so sync and export first), then connect the USB cable and run "ssh root@10.11.99.1" with the password shown on the device's licenses screen.
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Copy your template image to the device
Prepare a PNG at 1404 by 1872 pixels with light-grey lines on white. From your computer, use "scp yourtemplate.png root@10.11.99.1:/usr/share/remarkable/templates/". Add a matching SVG in the same folder if you have one.
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Register the template in templates.json
Edit "/usr/share/remarkable/templates/templates.json" and add an entry for your template — a name, the filename without extension, an icon code, and the categories it should appear under. Copy an existing entry's structure exactly and change the values.
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Restart the interface and test
Restart the device, or the "xochitl" UI process, so it re-reads the list. Open a notebook, open the template picker, and your template should appear in the category you set.
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Consider a community tool to manage this
The reMarkable 2 has mature helper tools that copy templates and re-apply the JSON edits for you, including after a firmware update wipes them. If you add templates regularly, one of these saves a lot of repeated SSH work — look in the reMarkable community resources for a current one.