Page Setup
Configure page dimensions, margins, and layout.
Opening Page Setup
Go to File > Page Setup to open the Page Setup dialog.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Page Width | 8.5 inches | Width of the page (US Letter) |
| Page Height | 11 inches | Height of the page (US Letter) |
| Top Margin | Standard | Space above the first line of text |
| Bottom Margin | Standard | Space below the last line of text |
| Left Margin | 1.5 inches | Standard left margin for screenplays (allows for hole punches) |
| Right Margin | 1 inch | Standard right margin |
The header and footer margins moved to Format > Header & Footer, alongside the content they position.
Changing page dimensions affects your page count and timing estimate (1 page ≈ 1 minute). The standard US Letter (8.5×11") with default margins is the industry standard for screenplays.
Headers & Footers
Configure what appears at the top and bottom of each page from Format > Header & Footer.
Each header and footer has three zones: left, center, and right. Type plain text into any of them, or use dynamic fields that are replaced when the page renders. The Insert field buttons at the top of the dialog drop a field into whichever zone you were last typing in.
| Field | Renders as |
|---|---|
{page} | The number printed on this page |
{pages} | The number printed on the last page |
{title} | The screenplay title |
{date} | Current date |
{revision} | Current revision label |
A preview at the bottom of the dialog shows the first script page next to the one after it, so you can see the effect of the two settings below before you apply them.
The first page
By industry convention a screenplay's first page carries no page number. The title page carries none either, and is never counted. This is why a new script shows nothing at the top of page 1 and 2. at the top of page 2 — it is correct, not a missing number.
Each band has its own Show on first page checkbox. Tick it to number the opening page as well. Start showing on page underneath is the same setting written as a number, for the rarer case of starting further in — it is the printed page number the band first appears on.
Starting page number
Start numbering at sets the number printed on the first script page. Everything after it follows, and {page} and {pages} both shift with it.
Raise it when the script's opening sheet is front matter rather than the script proper — a synopsis on the first page, for instance, means the script should start at 2.
Editing on the page
You do not have to open the dialog to change the text. Double-click a header or footer on the page and type into it directly. You are editing the template, so {page}. stays a live page number instead of freezing as the number of the page you clicked.
- Enter keeps the change; Escape discards it; clicking away keeps it.
- There is one header and one footer per document, so a change made on any page applies to all of them — and to the Header & Footer dialog.
- The gear button beside the band opens the full dialog.
Tip: The standard setup ships as the default — {page}. in the right header zone, hidden on the first page. Hover over a blank header or footer area to see where you can double-click to add your own.
Resetting to Defaults
Click Reset to Default in either dialog to restore the standard screenplay settings — page dimensions and margins in Page Setup, header and footer content in Header & Footer.