Using Formatting

EpicDraft splits formatting across two toolbars: the main toolbar is about what an element is, and the floating toolbar is about the words inside it and the element under the cursor.

The main toolbar

The main (fan) toolbar across the top of the editor holds the structural tools: undo and redo, the view mode switcher, the element types (Scene Heading, Action, Character, Dialogue, and the rest), Page Break, Soft Line Break, Note, and Dual Dialogue. As the window narrows, its groups collapse into compact menus so everything stays reachable.

The floating toolbar

The floating toolbar follows your cursor and works on the current selection and element:

• Bold, Italic, Underline, and Strikethrough
• Text color and Highlight
• Link
• Move element / dialogue / scene up or down
• Per-element spacing overrides — indent and right margin, in inches
• Delete element
• The AI buttons — see Commands and Suggestions

Toggle it with View ▸ Toggle Floating Tool Bar (⌘L / Ctrl+L).

Marks

A few conventions worth knowing: italics are the usual choice for thoughts, internal dialogue, or stressed words; bold and underline read louder on the page, so they tend to be reserved for headings and moments that really need the weight. Use whichever serves the read.

Text color and highlight

Select some text, then pick a color from Colorize to recolor it or from Highlight to mark it — handy for flagging lines to revisit, color-coding a character's dialogue, or marking placeholder text. At narrow widths the two buttons collapse into a single Colors popover with Text color and Highlight sections.

The color pickers search the CSS named colors: start typing (crimson, teal, goldenrod…), move through the matches with the arrow keys, press Enter to apply and Escape to back out. Picking a name stores the name itself — so your color-coding stays legible in the saved file, not a wall of hex codes.

Colors and highlights are saved in the .sp file but are not part of standard printed screenplay formatting, so consider clearing them before exporting a clean draft for submission.

Links

Three ways to work with links:

• The link button in the floating toolbar
• ⌘K / Ctrl+K on a selection
• Every link shows a small open arrow just past its end — always visible, no hovering needed

Clicking the link's text places the cursor so you can edit it; the arrow is what follows the link. Links to your own pages open in-app; everything else opens externally. Links are saved in the .sp file along with your other formatting.

Page-aware pagination

In the Print Editor (from the toolbar or the View menu), EpicDraft paginates your script and avoids cutting elements awkwardly across a page boundary — a Character cue is kept with the start of its Dialogue, and long blocks carry a (MORE) / (CONT'D) indicator when they must break. This keeps the script readable and standards-compliant when you print or export to PDF.

Screenplay formatting elements

• Scene Headings — Written in all caps, indicating the location and time of day of a scene. For example, "INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY".
• Action Lines — Describe what is happening in the scene and are written in the present tense. They should be concise and clear.
• Character Names — When a character is about to speak, their name is centered and written in all caps. For example, "JOHN".
• Dialogue — Follows the character's name and is indented. It should be written in a conversational tone, reflecting how the character would naturally speak.
• Parentheticals — Provide additional context for how a line should be delivered. They are placed in parentheses directly below the character's name and before the dialogue. For example, "(angrily)".
• Transitions — Indicate how one scene transitions to another, such as "CUT TO:" or "FADE OUT:". They are typically aligned to the right side of the page and written in all caps.
• Shots — Specific camera angles or movements, such as "CLOSE ON" or "WIDE SHOT". They are used to guide the cinematography and are typically written in all caps.
• Centered — Text aligned to the center of the page, typically used for song lyrics or important visual elements.
• Page Breaks — Indicate a change in the scene or a significant shift in the narrative. They help to organize the screenplay and make it easier to read.