diff --git a/src/compile.ts b/src/compile.ts
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+++ b/src/compile.ts
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+import { ContextAwareRenderer } from './graphics/rendering/renderer/context-aware-renderer';
+import { StartupSettings } from './graphics/rendering/settings/startup-settings';
+import { DrawableDescriptor, Renderer } from './main';
+
+/**
+ * Compiles a new renderer instance. There can multiple renderers on a single page.
+ * > Asynchronous behaviour is required for parallel shader compiling.
+ * > Trying to draw before the returned promise resolves, results in no action taken.
+ * > Settings can be set before promise resolution and they will be applied later.
+ *
+ * The descriptors of every to-be-drawn objects are required before creating the renderer,
+ * allowing the compiler to only create the shaders that will actually be used.
+ *
+ * Example usage:
+ *
+ * ```js
+ *  import { compile, hsl, CircleFactory, CircleLight } from 'sdf-2d';
+ *
+ *  const canvas = document.querySelector('canvas');
+ *  const Circle = CircleFactory(hsl(30, 66, 50));
+ *  const renderer = await compile(canvas, [Circle.descriptor, CircleLight.descriptor]);
+ * ```
+ *
+ * @param canvas The returned renderer will only be able to draw to this canvas.
+ * @param descriptors The descriptor of every single object (and light) that
+ * ever needs to be drawn by this renderer has to be given before compiling.
+ * @param settingsOverrides Sensible defaults are provided, but these can be overridden.
+ */
+export async function compile(
+  canvas: HTMLCanvasElement,
+  descriptors: Array<DrawableDescriptor>,
+  settingsOverrides: Partial<StartupSettings> = {}
+): Promise<Renderer> {
+  const renderer = new ContextAwareRenderer(canvas, descriptors, settingsOverrides);
+  await renderer.initializedPromise;
+  return renderer;
+}