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BeetleBot edited this page May 12, 2026 · 5 revisions

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Fount.

General

What is the Fountain format?

Fountain is an open, plain-text markup language for writing screenplays. Your .fountain files are just text — no proprietary format, no lock-in. You can open them in any text editor, share them via email, and version-control them with Git.

Is Fount free?

Yes. Fount is free and open-source.

What platforms does Fount support?

Fount runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows — anywhere Rust compiles and a modern terminal exists.

Editing

How do I force a scene heading that doesn't start with INT./EXT.?

Prefix it with a period:

.BEETLE'S NIGHTMARE

How do I create dual dialogue?

Add ^ to the end of the second character's name:

BEETLE
I think I'm winning.

BEE ^
I think you're dreaming.

Why is my text auto-uppercasing?

Fount automatically uppercases scene headings, character names, and transitions — this is standard screenplay formatting. If you want to keep mixed case for a character name, use the @ prefix:

@McCoy

How do I disable auto-(CONT'D)?

Type /set contd off or add unset auto_contd to your config file.

Files & Saving

Where is the config file?

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

Where are snapshots stored?

  • Linux: ~/.local/share/Fount/snapshots/
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Fount/snapshots/
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Fount\data\snapshots\

How often does auto-save run?

Every 30 seconds by default. You can change this in the config with:

set auto_save_interval 60

I lost my work. Is there a backup?

Check the snapshots directory (above) — Fount keeps up to 50 snapshots per file for the last 30 days. Also check for emergency .save files next to your original file.

Display

Colors look wrong or missing

  1. Make sure your terminal supports Truecolor (24-bit color). Modern terminals like Alacritty, Kitty, WezTerm, Ghostty, and iTerm2 all support it.
  2. If using Apple Terminal on macOS, Fount automatically enters "Mac Mode" with colors disabled. Switch to a better terminal.
  3. Try the Adaptive theme (/theme adaptive), which uses your terminal's built-in colors.
  4. As a last resort, add set force_ansi to your config to force color output.

Icons look like boxes or question marks

Fount uses Nerd Font icons by default. If you don't have a Nerd Font installed, disable them:

unset use_nerd_fonts

Or use the --no-nerd-fonts flag.

The editor looks cramped

Try focus mode for a cleaner canvas:

/set focus

This hides the title and status bars, giving you the full terminal height for writing.

Mouse Support

Fount has basic mouse support:

  • Left click: Place the cursor at the clicked position
  • Click and drag: Select text
  • Scroll wheel: Scroll the document up/down
  • Click on Scene Tree: Jump to a scene in the sidebar

Compatibility

Can I open Final Draft (.fdx) files?

Not directly. Fount works with .fountain files. You'll need to convert your FDX files to Fountain format first using a tool like afterwriting or Highland.

Can I export to Final Draft?

FDX export is planned for a future release. Currently, you can export to PDF and Fountain.

Does Fount work over SSH?

Yes! Fount is a terminal application — it works perfectly over SSH connections. Make sure your SSH client supports Truecolor for the best visual experience.

Getting Help

  • Press F1 in the editor for the searchable shortcuts cheat sheet
  • Select "Tutorial" from the Home Screen for a guided walkthrough via The Codebreaker's Manuscript.
  • File issues on GitHub

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