Configuration

Configuration

Fount is configured through a plain-text configuration file and command-line flags.

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Configuration File

Location:

• Linux: ~/.config/fount/fount.conf
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Fount/fount.conf
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Fount\config\fount.conf

On first launch, Fount automatically creates this file with sensible defaults. You can also specify a custom path:

fount --config /path/to/my.conf

Syntax

The config file uses a simple set / unset format:

# Enable a boolean option
set autocomplete

# Disable a boolean option
unset focus_mode

# Set a string value
set theme "Dracula"

# Set a numeric value
set heading_spacing 2

# Comments start with #

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All Configuration Options

Editor View

Option	Default	Description
show_scene_numbers	set	Show scene numbers in the left margin
show_page_numbers	set	Show page numbers on the right side
mirror_scene_numbers	"export"	Mirror scene numbers to the right margin. Values: "always", "export", "off"
hide_markup	set	Hide Fountain markup sigils when the cursor is elsewhere
show_production_tags	unset	Show departmental metadata tags [[props: ...]] in the editor
highlight_active_action	unset	Highlight the active action line in bright white
typewriter_mode	unset	Keep the active line vertically centered
strict_typewriter_mode	unset	Force centering even at the start of the document
focus_mode	unset	Hide title and status bars for distraction-free writing

Editor Behavior

Option	Default	Description
autocomplete	set	Suggest character names and scene locations
auto_contd	set	Automatically append (CONT'D) to consecutive character names
auto_paragraph_breaks	set	Insert blank lines after Action, Dialogue, etc.
match_parentheses	set	Auto-close parentheses ()
close_elements	set	Auto-close [[]], /**/, ****
auto_title_page	unset	Insert a title page template when creating a new file

Formatting

Option	Default	Description
contd_extension	"(CONT'D)"	The text appended for consecutive dialogue
break_actions	set	Allow action blocks to split across pages
goto_end	unset	Open files with the cursor at the end
heading_style	"bold"	Scene heading style: "bold", "underline", "bold underline"
heading_spacing	1	Blank lines before each scene heading (1 or 2)
shot_style	"bold"	Shot element style: "bold", "underline", "bold underline"

Auto-Save

Option	Default	Description
auto_save	set	Periodically save the buffer to disk
auto_save_interval	30	Save interval in seconds

Display & Terminal

Option	Default	Description
no_color	unset	Disable all terminal colors
no_formatting	unset	Disable bold, italic, and underline
force_ascii	unset	Use ASCII characters instead of Unicode
force_ansi	unset	Force ANSI color output even when unsupported
use_nerd_fonts	set	Enable Nerd Font icons (file picker, etc.)
theme	"Adaptive"	The active color theme

PDF Export

Option	Default	Description
paper_size	"a4"	Paper size: "a4" or "letter"
force_scene_numbers	unset	Force scene numbers in PDF even if not in source
export_bold_scene_headings	set	Render scene headings in bold in PDF
export_format	"pdf"	Default export format: "pdf", "fountain"
report_format	"csv_scene"	Default report format
include_title_page	set	Include the title page in exports
export_font	"courier_prime"	Document font: "courier_prime" or "courier_prime_sans"

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Command-Line Flags

Fount supports extensive command-line overrides. These take precedence over the config file:

fount [OPTIONS] [FILES...]

File & Config

Flag	Description
[FILES]	One or more .fountain files to open
--config <FILE>	Use a custom config file

View Overrides

Flag	Description
--hide-scene-numbers	Hide scene numbers
--hide-page-numbers	Hide page numbers
--show-markup	Show all Fountain markup sigils
--typewriter-mode	Enable typewriter mode
--strict-typewriter-mode	Enable strict typewriter mode
--focus-mode	Enable focus mode
--goto-end	Start with cursor at end of file

Behavior Overrides

Flag	Description
--no-autocomplete	Disable autocomplete
--no-auto-contd	Disable auto (CONT'D)
--no-auto-paragraph-breaks	Disable smart paragraph breaks
--auto-title-page	Auto-insert title page for new files
--no-break-actions	Prevent action blocks from splitting across pages

Formatting Overrides

Flag	Description
--contd-extension <TEXT>	Custom (CONT'D) text
--heading-style <STYLE>	Scene heading style
--heading-spacing <N>	Blank lines before headings
--shot-style <STYLE>	Shot element style
--mirror-scene-numbers [MODE]	Mirror mode: always, export, off

Display Overrides

Flag	Description
--no-color	Disable colors
--no-formatting	Disable text formatting
--force-ascii	Force ASCII output
--force-ansi	Force ANSI colors
--no-nerd-fonts	Disable Nerd Font icons

Export (Headless)

Flag	Description
--export [FILE]	Export to file (use - for stdout)
--format <FORMAT>	Export format: plain, pdf, etc.
--paper-size <SIZE>	Paper size for PDF export
--force-scene-numbers	Force scene numbers in export
--export-bold-scene-headings	Bold headings in export
--include-title-page	Include title page
--export-font <FONT>	PDF Font: courier_prime, courier_prime_sans

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Mac Mode

Fount automatically detects Apple Terminal and enables safe defaults:

• Colors are disabled (no_color)
• ASCII mode is forced (force_ascii)
• Nerd Fonts are disabled

For a better macOS experience, use iTerm2, Ghostty, Kitty, or WezTerm.

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Next: FAQ — Frequently asked questions.