Export PDF, FDX, and Fountain

Export produces a file from the script as it stands on the current draft line — or from any save point you pick. PDF and Fountain are on every plan; Final Draft (.fdx) export comes with Writer and above.

1. 1

   Open the Import / Export menu

   Choose Import / Export in the toolbar. The formats are listed under Export; typing "export" into the command palette reaches the same list.

2. 2

   Choose the format

   PDF for anyone who reads scripts. Final Draft when a production office asks for an .fdx — scene numbers and revision marks carry across. Fountain for a plain-text copy that any screenwriting tool can open. Choosing a format starts the export straight away.

3. 3

   Export the version you mean

   Export writes the draft line you are on, as it stands, unless you pick a save point or milestone in the dialog — last week's table-read draft, say — in which case it writes that version and leaves your draft where it is.

4. 4

   Know what the file carries

   A PDF opens with the title page — title, author, contact, and draft date from the project's title page — and, during a colored revision, carries the revision marks and color; see Turn on revision mode. Final Draft carries the text, its structure, scene numbers, and revision marks. Fountain carries the text and its structure.

5. 5

   Download

   The file downloads with the script's title in its name. A PDF shows its progress while it renders, and you can cancel it from there.