You can start a new crossword by selecting New from the File menu or clicking on the icon on the toolbar. The New Crossword window will also appear when you start the program.
Click on the button corresponding to the type of puzzle you want to make. You can also click on one of templates and press the Other template button to create other types of puzzles.
The options are:
| Cryptic or quick | Standard non-American puzzle. |
| American | Standard American puzzle |
| Freeform/vocabulary | Non-symmetric puzzle using themed words. You can generate these automatically from a short list of words. |
| Word search | Puzzle where the solver has to circle words in the grid. You can generate these automatically from a short list of words. |
| Shape | Puzzle with a non-rectangular outline. You can fill the shape with words from a short list. |
| Barred | Words are separated by thick lines rather than black squares. |
| Clues in squares | Short clues are written directly into squares in the grid. |
| Coded | Each square has a number corresponding to the letter, crack the letter code to solve the puzzle. |
| Sudoku (Number Place) |
Number puzzle in which each number appears once in each row, column and 3x3 (or larger) subsquare. |
Other templates supplied are
| French Style | Squares are numbered down the side and clues numbered by column and row. |
| Italian | These are like a standard crossword except that the black squares do not fill the square. |
If you want to re-open an existing puzzle click the Recent files button and select one, or click on the Open existing file button. If you don’t want the New Crossword window to show when you start the program uncheck the Show at startup box.