# Switch from Final Draft to Inkwell

> Import FDX, name your first save point, and export FDX or PDF when production asks — a step-by-step migration for screenwriters leaving Final Draft.

Final Draft remains a production-office standard. Import its FDX into Plot, name the baseline, and export FDX or PDF at the next handoff. This guide covers that first session.

First-hour path

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

1. 1 Export

   FDX from the revision 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 from Final Draft

   In Final Draft, save or export your script as .fdx. If you use revision mode, export the revision you want to continue in Inkwell — locked-page semantics may need a fresh save point after import.

2) Step 2

   ## Create an Inkwell account and open Plot

   Sign up at Inkwell, open Plot, and start a new screenplay project or open an existing one you want to replace.

3) Step 3

   ## Import via Import / Export

   In the Plot editor toolbar, open Import / Export and choose Final Draft (.fdx). Review any import warnings — edge-case elements surface here rather than silently dropping.

4) Step 4

   ## Name a save point before you edit

   Before changing a line, create a save point — e.g. Imported from FD — Mar 12. That immutable snapshot is your rollback if the first rewrite goes wrong.

5) Step 5

   ## Export PDF or FDX for your next handoff

   When production needs a file, use the same menu to export PDF (reads) or FDX (systems). The export reflects the version you are on — save points make that explicit.

## Will I lose formatting on import?

Standard screenplay elements map into Plot. Complex production metadata may warn on import — check the import summary before continuing.

## Can I keep using Final Draft part-time?

Yes. Many writers draft in Inkwell and export FDX for coordinators. Round-trip when you control the handoff; avoid editing the same file in both tools without a named version.

## What about revision colors and locked pages?

Pro includes the full production lifecycle: revision colors, locked-page numbering, A-pages, breakdowns, and production exports stay tied to the same structured screenplay and save-point history.

## 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/final-draft)

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Canonical page: <https://www.inkwell.software/resources/migrate/from-final-draft>