A screenplay formatter applies industry screenplay format to text you have already written. Paste a script in plain text or Fountain, and this formatter recognizes scene headings, action, character names, parentheticals, dialogue and transitions, then lays them out on US Letter pages in Courier 12 pt, ready to save as a PDF or a Final Draft file.
How to format your screenplay
- Paste your script into the box, or open a Fountain, Final Draft, PDF or text file. Everything stays in your browser.
- Check the preview. Each page is drawn at print proportions, so what you see is what the PDF will look like.
- Add a title page with your title and name, or turn it off.
- Save as a PDF, Final Draft (.fdx), Fountain or plain text.
How to write the text so it formats correctly
The formatter reads the same simple rules screenwriters use in Fountain, the plain-text screenplay format. You don't need any special syntax if you follow these:
| Element | Write it like this |
|---|---|
| Scene heading | Start the line with INT. or EXT.: INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT |
| Action | Normal sentences, with a blank line before and after |
| Character | The name in CAPITALS on its own line, followed directly by the dialogue |
| Parenthetical | (in brackets) on the line under the character name |
| Dialogue | The lines directly under the character or parenthetical |
| Transition | A line in capitals ending with TO:, such as CUT TO: |
Leave a blank line between elements. Dual dialogue, centered text, notes and the other Fountain rules are supported; the Fountain format guide lists them.
What the formatter does for you
- Sets the margins and indents for each element, so dialogue sits in its column and transitions sit on the right.
- Breaks pages the way screenwriting software does: 55 lines a page, (MORE) and (CONT'D) when a speech crosses a page, and no scene heading stranded at the bottom of a page.
- Counts pages and estimates screen time at about a minute a page. For a fuller estimate, use the script timer.
Or format as you write
If you're starting a new script rather than fixing one, the Scenaloom editor formats each line as you type, so there is nothing to convert afterwards.
Formatting from Google Docs or Word
If you drafted in a word processor, paste the text in and fix any lines the formatter reads differently from what you meant: usually a character name that wasn't in capitals or a scene heading that didn't start with INT. or EXT. The Google Docs screenplay guide explains the workarounds if you want to keep writing there.
Write in format from the start
The Scenaloom editor formats as you type: press Tab and Enter to move between elements, and the page on screen is the page in the PDF. It imports the files this tool saves, and the Free plan needs no card. Start writing free, or read the screenplay format guide first.
Questions
Is this screenplay formatter free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up and no watermark, and it runs entirely in your browser. Your script isn't uploaded.
What format does the PDF use?
Standard US screenplay format: US Letter paper, Courier Prime 12 pt, a 1.5 inch left margin, 55 lines a page, and page numbers from page 2.
Can I format a screenplay written in Google Docs?
Yes. Copy the text from Google Docs, paste it here, and check that scene headings start with INT. or EXT. and character names are in capitals.
Will Final Draft open the .fdx file?
Yes. The .fdx file uses Final Draft's XML format with each line typed as the right element, so it opens in Final Draft and in other software that reads .fdx.
What is Fountain?
Fountain is a plain-text format for screenplays: you write in any text editor using a few conventions, and software turns it into a formatted script. This formatter reads and writes it.