Main window layout
When you open a script in Inkwell, you’ll see three primary areas:- Editor (center): Where you write your screenplay
- Project Panel (left sidebar): Navigate scenes, manage characters, and store metadata
- Minimap (right edge): Visual overview of your script’s structure
Screenshots showing light and dark theme layouts will be added here. Check
SCREENSHOT_TODO.md for progress.The editor
The editor is your main writing space. It displays your screenplay with live formatting as you type.Editor features
- Live formatting: Automatic screenplay layout based on Fountain syntax
- Typewriter scrolling: Keeps your cursor centered (toggle in View menu)
- Line numbers (optional): Useful for production or tracking changes
- Page markers: Shows industry-standard page breaks (1 page ≈ 1 minute of screen time)
- Cursor position: Displays current element type (Scene, Action, Character, etc.) in the status bar
Editor modes
- Edit mode (default): Write and edit your screenplay
- Focus mode: Hides sidebars for distraction-free writing (press
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+F) - Preview mode: View formatted PDF output (press
Cmd/Ctrl+P)
Project Panel
The Project Panel (left sidebar) organizes your script’s structure and metadata. It has four tabs:Navigation tab
Displays a hierarchical outline of your script:- Sections: Major story divisions (Acts, Sequences)
- Scene headings: Every
INT.andEXT.scene - Notes: Inline notes you’ve marked with
[[ note ]] - Synopses: Scene summaries prefixed with
=
- Click any item to jump to that location in your script
- Collapse/expand sections by clicking the arrow icons
- Drag items to reorder scenes (coming in future update)
Project Info tab
Contains script-level information:- Logline: One-sentence story summary (Quill AI can access this)
- Scratchpad: Freeform notes, beat sheets, to-dos, or outlines
- Edit directly in the panel
- Quill references your logline when providing story suggestions
- Use the scratchpad for brainstorming without cluttering your script
Characters tab
Shows all characters detected in your script:- Character list: Names in order of first appearance
- Dialogue count: How many lines each character speaks
- Dialogue percentage: Share of total dialogue
- Metadata fields: Age, gender, aliases, biography
- Click a character to highlight all their dialogue in the editor
- Edit metadata by clicking the edit icon next to each character
- Quill AI can access character bios for contextual suggestions
Script Info tab
Title page metadata for professional submissions:- Title: Screenplay title
- Credit: “Written by” or “Story by”
- Author(s): Your name(s)
- Source: “Based on…” or “Adapted from…”
- Date: Draft date
- Contact: Email or representation details
- Fill these fields to auto-generate a properly formatted title page
- Update before exporting for agents or producers
Minimap
The minimap (right edge) provides a bird’s-eye view of your entire script.What it shows
- Script overview: Compressed visual representation of all pages
- Current position: Green highlight shows where you’re currently writing
- Scene boundaries: Visual breaks between scenes
- Character occurrences (when selected): Highlights where a character appears
How to use it
- Click anywhere to jump to that part of your script
- Scroll to navigate long scripts quickly
- Select a character in the Characters tab to see their distribution across the script
Top menu bar
The menu bar provides access to all Inkwell features:File menu
- New Script (
Cmd/Ctrl+N): Create a new screenplay - Open (
Cmd/Ctrl+O): Open an existing.inkfile - Save (
Cmd/Ctrl+S): Manually save (auto-save is always active) - Import: Bring in Fountain, FDX, or PDF files
- Export: Save as PDF, FDX, or Fountain
- Print Preview (
Cmd/Ctrl+P): View formatted output
Edit menu
- Undo/Redo (
Cmd/Ctrl+Z/Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z) - Cut/Copy/Paste (standard shortcuts)
- Find (
Cmd/Ctrl+F): Search your script - Find and Replace (
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+F)
View menu
- Focus Mode (
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+F): Hide sidebars - Typewriter Scrolling: Keep cursor centered vertically
- Show Line Numbers: Display line counts in margins
- Zoom In/Out: Adjust editor font size
- Fit to Page: Scale editor to fit window width
Screenplay menu
- Number Scenes: Automatically add scene numbers
- Clear Scene Numbers: Remove all scene numbers
- Mark Selection Revised (
Cmd/Ctrl+[): Track changes with revision colors - Clear Selected Markers (
Cmd/Ctrl+]): Remove revision marks - Lock Script: Prevent accidental edits (production use)
Format menu
- Bold (
Cmd/Ctrl+B): Make text bold - Italic (
Cmd/Ctrl+I): Make text italic - Underline (
Cmd/Ctrl+U): Underline text - Clear Formatting: Remove all styling
Window menu
- Minimize/Zoom: Standard window controls
- Show Project Panel: Toggle left sidebar
- Show Quill Panel: Open AI assistant
Help menu
- Documentation: Opens this website
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick reference guide
- Report a Bug: Send feedback to the team
- Check for Updates: See if a new version is available
Status bar
The status bar (bottom of the window) displays useful real-time information:- Page count: Total pages in your script (e.g., “90 pages”)
- Word count: Total words written
- Element type: Current line type (Scene, Action, Character, Dialogue, etc.)
- Save status: “Saved” or “Saving…”
- Quill credits: Remaining AI credits (if signed in)
Quill AI panel
PressCmd/Ctrl+K to open the Quill AI panel. It appears as a sidebar on the right.
Panel features
- Chat interface: Type prompts and get AI responses
- Model selector: Switch between GPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.
- Credit counter: See cost per request and remaining balance
- Conversation history: Review past exchanges
- Inline suggestions: Accept or reject AI-proposed edits
Customizing the interface
Themes
Change the editor’s appearance in View → Themes:- Light: White background, black text (best for bright rooms)
- Focus: Dark UI, light paper (reduces eye strain)
- Sepia: Warm, paper-like tones (easy on eyes)
- Midnight: Full dark mode (dark UI and dark paper)
Font and zoom
- Zoom in/out:
Cmd/Ctrl +andCmd/Ctrl - - Reset zoom:
Cmd/Ctrl 0 - Fit to page: Scales editor to fit window width
Panel visibility
- Hide all panels: Press
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Ffor Focus Mode - Show/hide Project Panel: Click the sidebar icon or
Cmd/Ctrl+\ - Show/hide Quill Panel:
Cmd/Ctrl+K
Keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet
Here are the most essential shortcuts:| Action | macOS | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| New script | Cmd+N | Ctrl+N |
| Save | Cmd+S | Ctrl+S |
| Print preview | Cmd+P | Ctrl+P |
| Find | Cmd+F | Ctrl+F |
| Undo | Cmd+Z | Ctrl+Z |
| Redo | Cmd+Shift+Z | Ctrl+Shift+Z |
| Focus mode | Cmd+Shift+F | Ctrl+Shift+F |
| Open Quill | Cmd+K | Ctrl+K |
| Bold | Cmd+B | Ctrl+B |
| Italic | Cmd+I | Ctrl+I |
Common UI questions
How do I hide the sidebars?
How do I hide the sidebars?
Can I resize the Project Panel?
Can I resize the Project Panel?
Yes! Hover over the right edge of the Project Panel until you see a resize cursor, then drag left or right to adjust its width.
What does the green highlight on the minimap mean?
What does the green highlight on the minimap mean?
The green bar shows your current position in the script. As you write or scroll, it moves to reflect where you are.
Can I change the font used in the editor?
Can I change the font used in the editor?
The editor uses Courier Prime, the industry-standard screenplay font. This can’t be changed to maintain proper page-to-screen-time estimates (1 page ≈ 1 minute).
How do I see my script's statistics?
How do I see my script's statistics?
Look at the Status Bar (bottom of window) for page count, word count, and current element type. For character-specific stats, open the Characters tab in the Project Panel.