# DISSOLVE > A transition where one image gradually replaces another. On the page, often written DISSOLVE TO: to suggest time passage, memory, or thematic linkage rather than a hard cut. Also known as: DISSOLVE TO:, lap dissolve **On the page** ``` DISSOLVE TO: ``` ## In practice A dissolve tells the audience the cut is soft on purpose: time has slipped, two images rhyme, or a memory bleeds into the present. If nothing about the relationship between shots needs that softness, prefer a clean scene heading. Empty dissolves are how drafts start to feel dated without earning nostalgia. In specs, use dissolves sparingly — the same rule as most camera grammar. One well-placed DISSOLVE TO: after a funeral into a childhood backyard can do more than five ornamental dissolves in Act Two. Pair the transition with a clear destination heading so readers never wonder whether time jumped. Shooting drafts may mark dissolves for editorial intent; development drafts should still prioritize story clarity over optical fetish. If a note asks for "more cinematic transitions," fix the emotional hinge first, then decide whether a dissolve, smash cut, or match cut actually serves that hinge. ## Common questions ### Is DISSOLVE TO: outdated? Not when the soft link is motivated. It feels dated when used as default scene glue. Reserve it for time, memory, or image rhyme that a hard cut would flatten. ### How is a dissolve different from a fade? A fade usually goes to or from black (or another solid). A dissolve overlaps two pictures. Fades bookend; dissolves braid. ### Should I write DISSOLVE TO: in every montage? No. Montages often work with headings, smash cuts, or simple action chains. Add dissolves only when the blend itself carries meaning. ### Can a dissolve replace LATER in a scene heading? They answer different jobs. LATER (or a specific time) is a heading time cue; DISSOLVE TO: is an optical transition into the next image. You can use both when both are true. ## Related terms - [Transition](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/transition): An editing instruction between scenes — CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO:, SMASH CUT TO:. Modern specs use them rarely; most cuts are assumed. - [FADE IN / FADE OUT](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/fade-in-fade-out): Classic bookend transitions: FADE IN: opens a script (or sequence); FADE OUT. or FADE TO BLACK ends it. They mark soft boundaries rather than hard cuts. - [Montage](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/montage): A run of short beats or shots in quick succession — often under a MONTAGE heading — used to compress time or braid parallel action. - [Flashback](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/flashback): A scene or sequence set in earlier story time. Scripts mark the shift with FLASHBACK (or similar) and return with BACK TO SCENE or a clear present-day slugline. --- Canonical page: