Free Screenplay Formatter Format your script online

Q: What is the standard format for a screenplay?

Standard screenplay format uses 12-point Courier on US Letter paper, a 1.5-inch left margin and 1-inch top, bottom and right margins. Scene headings and action start at the left margin, character names at 3.7 inches from the page edge, parentheticals at 3.1 inches and dialogue at 2.5 inches. Transitions sit flush right, and page numbers go top right from page 2.

Q: What font and size is a screenplay written in?

Courier at 12 points, or a Courier-style font such as Courier Prime or Courier Final Draft. Courier is monospaced at 10 characters per inch and 6 lines per inch, which keeps every page the same length and makes the one-page-per-minute estimate work.

Q: What are the margins for a screenplay?

1.5 inches on the left to leave room for binding, and 1 inch on the top, bottom and right. Inside those margins, dialogue runs in a column from 2.5 to about 6 inches, parentheticals from 3.1 to about 5.6 inches, and character names start at 3.7 inches.

Q: How many pages is a 90-minute screenplay?

About 90 pages, because one formatted page runs roughly one minute of screen time. Dialogue-heavy pages play a little faster and dense action pages a little slower, so treat the page count as an estimate of runtime.

Q: What does CONT'D mean in a script?

CONT'D, short for continued, appears after a character's name when their speech continues onto the next page, paired with (MORE) at the bottom of the first page. Writers also add it when a character keeps talking after a line of action. The formatter adds (MORE) and (CONT'D) at page breaks for you.

Q: Can I format a screenplay in Google Docs or Word?

Yes. Set Courier 12 pt, the 1.5-inch left margin and indents for each element, then apply them line by line. A quicker route is to write in plain text here, then use Print / Save as PDF for a finished US Letter PDF, or Copy as plain text to paste the indented script into a document.

Q: What is a .fountain file?

A plain-text screenplay file written in Fountain, a simple markup where a line starting with INT. becomes a scene heading and a name in caps becomes a character cue. Screenwriting apps such as Highland, Fade In and WriterDuet open Fountain files, so a script saved here moves straight into a full screenwriting app.

Q: Where can I get a free screenplay template?

Download the free screenplay template on this page as a .fountain file, or press Open it in the formatter and then Print / Save as PDF for a US Letter PDF template. Both follow standard screenplay format: Courier 12 pt, a 1.5-inch left margin and every element at its industry indent.

Type or paste your script in plain text. The preview lays it out in standard screenplay format on US Letter pages, with every scene heading, character name, parenthetical, line of dialogue and transition at its industry position. Print it to PDF, save a .fountain file, or rehearse the dialogue on a teleprompter.

Your script

Leave a blank line between elements. Start scene headings with INT. or EXT., type character names in CAPS with their dialogue on the next line, wrap directions in (parentheses), and end transitions with TO:. Your draft is saved in this browser as you type.

Pages

0:00

Approx. runtime

Scenes

Speaking roles

Rehearse your lines: send the dialogue to the free online teleprompter and read it aloud at your own pace.

Lines for

Pick one character to rehearse only their lines. The text opens in the teleprompter in this browser.

What is standard screenplay format?

Standard screenplay format is 12-point Courier on US Letter paper with a 1.5-inch left margin and 1-inch top, bottom and right margins. Scene headings and action run the full width from the left margin. Character names start 3.7 inches from the left edge of the page, parentheticals 3.1 inches, and dialogue 2.5 inches in a column about 3.5 inches wide. Transitions sit flush right. Page numbers go in the top-right corner from page 2 onward, and one page runs about one minute of screen time.

How to format a screenplay

Every screenplay page is built from six elements. Each one has a fixed indent, so a reader can tell at a glance who speaks, where the scene happens and what the camera sees.

Scene heading: INT. or EXT., the place and the time of day, in caps.
Action: what we see, in present tense, full width.
Character: the speaker's name in caps, 3.7 in from the page edge.
Parenthetical: a short note on delivery, at 3.1 in.
Dialogue: the spoken words, in a column from 2.5 in.
Transition: CUT TO: or FADE OUT., flush right.

Type them in plain text in the formatter above and each one lands in its place.

FADE IN:

INT. SMALL APARTMENT - NIGHT

A desk lamp lights a cluttered table. A phone leans against

a stack of library books, its camera pointed at MAYA REYES

(28), who wears a blazer over pajama pants.

MAYA

(to the phone)

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to...

Welcome to... the channel.

Behind her, the door creaks open. GRANDPA LEO (70s) shuffles

in with two mugs of tea.

GRANDPA LEO

Is it recording?

CUT TO:

The opening of the built-in example, rendered by the formatter. Numbers match the list.

Script format: one page, about one minute

Script format exists so that every page holds the same amount of story. Courier prints 10 characters and 6 lines per inch, so a full page carries about 54 lines and plays close to a minute on screen. A 100-page script reads as a 100-minute film, and producers, readers and contests rely on that page count.

That is why the formatter shows pages, runtime, scenes and speaking roles as you write, and breaks pages the way a printed draft would, with (MORE) and (CONT'D) when a speech runs over. Print it, punch three holes, add two brads, and it reads like any professional draft.

Screenwriter at a desk reading a printed script in screenplay format, pencil in hand

From formatted pages to a table read

A table read is where a script first sounds like a film: the cast sits together and reads every scene aloud while the writer listens for lines that land and lines that drag. Clean screenplay format helps everyone find their cue fast, because each name sits at the same indent on every page.

Before the read, choose a character under the preview and press Read it in the online teleprompter. Only that character's lines open in the online teleprompter, scrolling at the speed you set, so an actor can run them for a self-tape or an audition. For more ways to learn them, see how to memorize lines fast.

Actors around a table reading printed screenplay pages aloud at a table read

Writing for social video instead of the screen? The script timer checks a script against TikTok, Reels and YouTube lengths. Recording a self-tape? Check your camera with the webcam test.

How to use the script formatter

Four steps from plain text to a finished US Letter PDF.

Type or paste your script. Write the way you would in any text editor, with a blank line between elements. Press Load example to see a short two-scene script.
Check the preview. Each element snaps to its position as you type, and the pages break where a printed script would, with (MORE) and (CONT'D) added when a speech runs onto the next page.
Read the page count and runtime. The counter fills 54 lines per page, the same as a printed Courier page, and estimates runtime at one page per minute.
Export. Print / Save as PDF opens your browser's print dialog with US Letter pages; choose Save as PDF and set scale to 100%. Download .fountain saves a plain-text file for screenwriting apps, and Copy as plain text copies the script with its indents typed out in spaces.

Your script stays on your device: the formatter runs in this browser tab, and the draft is saved in this browser so it is here when you come back.

Screenplay format elements and margins

Positions are measured from the left edge of an 8.5 × 11 inch page. These are the settings the formatter uses.

Element	What it does	Position
Scene heading	Also called a slugline. Says inside or outside, the location and the time of day, in caps: `INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT`	1.5 in, full width
Action	What the audience sees and hears, in present tense. A character's name is in caps the first time they appear.	1.5 in to 7.5 in
Character	The speaker's name in caps above each speech, with extensions such as (V.O.) for voice-over and (O.S.) for off screen	3.7 in
Parenthetical	A short direction for how a line is said or who it is said to, in parentheses under the name	3.1 in to about 5.6 in
Dialogue	The spoken words, in a narrow column under the name	2.5 in to about 6.0 in
Transition	An editing instruction between scenes, such as `CUT TO:` or `FADE OUT.`	Flush right at 7.5 in
Page number	Top-right corner with a period, starting on page 2	0.5 in from the top

Margins follow Final Draft's screenplay margin guide and StudioBinder's screenplay margins. Courier prints 10 characters per inch and 6 lines per inch, which is why a full page holds about 54 lines of text and runs close to a minute.

Free screenplay template

Start from a script that is already in screenplay format. The template is the two-scene example from the formatter as a plain-text .fountain file: scene headings, action, characters, parentheticals, dialogue and transitions, ready to overwrite with your own story.

Download the template (.fountain)

Print a PDF screenplay template

Open the template in the formatter, press Print / Save as PDF and choose Save as PDF at 100% scale. You get US Letter pages with the 1.5-inch binding margin and page numbers in place, ready to print or share.

Use it in free screenplay software

This formatter is free screenplay software that runs in any browser and is ready the moment the page loads. Fountain is an open format, so the same file opens in Beat on Mac and imports into Highland, Fade In and WriterDuet when you move to a full screenwriting app.

FADE IN:

INT. SMALL APARTMENT - NIGHT

A desk lamp lights a cluttered
table. A phone leans against a
stack of library books...

MAYA
(to the phone)
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to...

GRANDPA LEO
Is it recording?

CUT TO:

Fountain syntax cheat sheet

Fountain is a plain-text markup for screenplays. The formatter reads these conventions.

To get	Type
Scene heading	A line starting with `INT.`, `EXT.`, `EST.`, `INT./EXT.` or `I/E`, after a blank line. Start any other line with a period, as in `.FLASHBACK`, to make it a heading.
Character and dialogue	A name in CAPS on its own line after a blank line, with the dialogue on the very next line. Start a name with `@` to use mixed case, as in `@McCLANE`.
Parenthetical	A line in parentheses under the name or inside the dialogue: `(beat)`
Transition	An all-caps line ending in `TO:` with blank lines around it, or any line starting with `>`. `FADE OUT.` works too.
Centered text	Wrap it in angle brackets: `>THE END<`
Action	Everything else. Start a line with `!` to keep an all-caps line as action.
Bold, italic, underline	`bold`, `italic`, `_underline_`
Page break	A line of three or more equals signs: `===`
Notes to yourself	`[[double brackets]]`, `/* comment blocks */`, and lines starting with `#` stay out of the printed pages.

Teleprompter-Scrolling Scripts on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with the script scrolling over the camera

Next step

Rehearse your lines out loud

Send one character's dialogue to the free online teleprompter and run it at your own pace until it sounds natural. When you are ready to self-tape, Teleprompter-Scrolling Scripts on iPhone, iPad and Mac records you in Camera mode while your lines scroll next to the lens, so your eyes stay on the camera through the whole take. Free to download.

Open the online teleprompter Get the free app

Screenplay format FAQ

What is the standard format for a screenplay?

Standard screenplay format uses 12-point Courier on US Letter paper, a 1.5-inch left margin and 1-inch top, bottom and right margins. Scene headings and action start at the left margin, character names at 3.7 inches from the page edge, parentheticals at 3.1 inches and dialogue at 2.5 inches. Transitions sit flush right, and page numbers go top right from page 2.

What font and size is a screenplay written in?

Courier at 12 points, or a Courier-style font such as Courier Prime or Courier Final Draft. Courier is monospaced at 10 characters per inch and 6 lines per inch, which keeps every page the same length and makes the one-page-per-minute estimate work.

What are the margins for a screenplay?

1.5 inches on the left to leave room for binding, and 1 inch on the top, bottom and right. Inside those margins, dialogue runs in a column from 2.5 to about 6 inches, parentheticals from 3.1 to about 5.6 inches, and character names start at 3.7 inches.

How many pages is a 90-minute screenplay?

About 90 pages, because one formatted page runs roughly one minute of screen time. Dialogue-heavy pages play a little faster and dense action pages a little slower, so treat the page count as an estimate of runtime.

What does CONT'D mean in a script?

CONT'D, short for continued, appears after a character's name when their speech continues onto the next page, paired with (MORE) at the bottom of the first page. Writers also add it when a character keeps talking after a line of action. The formatter adds (MORE) and (CONT'D) at page breaks for you.

Can I format a screenplay in Google Docs or Word?

Yes. Set Courier 12 pt, the 1.5-inch left margin and indents for each element, then apply them line by line. A quicker route is to write in plain text here, then use Print / Save as PDF for a finished US Letter PDF, or Copy as plain text to paste the indented script into a document.

What is a .fountain file?

A plain-text screenplay file written in Fountain, a simple markup where a line starting with INT. becomes a scene heading and a name in caps becomes a character cue. Screenwriting apps such as Highland, Fade In and WriterDuet open Fountain files, so a script saved here moves straight into a full screenwriting app.

Where can I get a free screenplay template?

Download the free screenplay template on this page as a .fountain file, or press Open it in the formatter and then Print / Save as PDF for a US Letter PDF template. Both follow standard screenplay format: Courier 12 pt, a 1.5-inch left margin and every element at its industry indent.

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