# Switch from Fade In to Inkwell

> Export FDX or Fountain from Fade In, import into Plot, and name the desktop baseline — a first-session migration for desktop-first writers.

Fade In is a professional desktop editor at a one-time price. Import the draft you mean to continue, name it, and write in the browser. Export FDX or PDF when someone wants a desktop file.

First-hour path

Switching is a file you can name, not a weekend of retyping.

1. 1 Export

   FDX or Fountain from the draft you mean to keep.

2. 2 Open Plot

   Create the shared project before anyone rewrites.

3. 3 Import

   Read the summary. Warnings are decisions, not noise.

4. 4 Name it

   A save point is the rollback if the first pass fails.

5. 5 Handoff

   Export PDF or FDX when production asks — not before.

1) Step 1

   ## Export FDX or Fountain from Fade In

   Open the revision you intend to keep — not an older .fadein backup. File → Export to Final Draft (.fdx) for production metadata, or Fountain for a plain-text source. If you use revision mode, export the current revision so locked-page semantics have a clean baseline after import.

2) Step 2

   ## Open Plot and start the destination project

   Create an Inkwell account if you need one, open Plot, and start a screenplay project. Invite anyone who will write with you. Fade In collaboration is session-based on the desktop; Inkwell collaboration is the shared project itself.

3) Step 3

   ## Import the export

   Use Import / Export in the Plot toolbar. Choose Final Draft (.fdx) or Fountain to match the file you exported. Read import warnings — Fade In-specific navigator notes and some production fields may not map one-to-one.

4) Step 4

   ## Name the imported desktop baseline

   Create a save point such as Imported from Fade In — Aug 15 before you change a line. Fade In history lives in that desktop file. The named save point is how you reconstruct this moment later without digging through backups.

5) Step 5

   ## Export when production asks

   Draft in Plot. When someone wants a desktop file, export FDX or PDF from the same menu. Do not edit the exported FDX and the Plot draft at the same time unless you re-import and name another save point.

## Do I lose the Fade In license I already paid for?

No. The license stays yours. Draft in Plot. Export FDX or PDF when you need a desktop file.

## Will revision colors survive the import?

Standard elements map into Plot's Fountain types. Complex revision metadata may warn on import. After you land, Plot's own revision colors and locked pages attach to save-point history.

## Can I work offline the day I switch?

Plot is cloud-first today. Export Fountain from Plot if you need an offline plain-text copy, and keep the Fade In file as a fallback. A desktop Inkwell app is in development for the same projects.

## Try Inkwell on your current draft

Import FDX or start in Fountain — compare save points and skills against your existing tool.

[Start writing free](https://app.inkwell.software/signup) [Compare tools](https://www.inkwell.software/compare)

[Start in Plot](https://app.inkwell.software/signup) [Detailed guide](https://www.inkwell.software/resources/guides/import-fdx) [Full comparison](https://www.inkwell.software/compare/fade-in)

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Canonical page: <https://www.inkwell.software/resources/migrate/from-fade-in>