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Export Your Script

Goal: Download your script in a standard format — Final Draft, PDF, or plain text — so you can share it, print it, or use it outside ACT3 AI.

ACT3 AI keeps your script in its own internal format while you work. When you need to hand the script to a collaborator, send it to a producer, submit it to a competition, or open it in another writing tool, the export function converts it to an industry-standard file. The process takes only a few clicks from inside the Script Editor.

Steps​

  1. Open the Script Editor. In the left sidebar, click Script Editor. The editor opens showing your current script.

  2. Click the Export button. In the top-right toolbar of the Script Editor, click Export (an arrow-pointing-out-of-a-box icon). The Export Script dialog opens.

  3. Choose your export format. The dialog presents three format options:

    • Final Draft (.fdx) — the industry-standard format, compatible with Final Draft 9 and later, WriterDuet, Fade In, and most professional script software. Choose this when sharing with other writers or producers who use screenwriting software.
    • PDF — a formatted, print-ready document with correct screenplay margins, fonts, and page numbering. Choose this for submissions, printing, or sharing with anyone who doesn't use screenwriting software.
    • Plain Text (.txt) — unformatted text with scene headings and dialogue preserved. Choose this for feeding into other AI tools, archiving, or quick reference.

  4. Set export options. Below the format selector, configure the available options for your chosen format:

    • Include act headers — toggles whether act titles (Act One, Act Two, etc.) appear as labeled section breaks in the exported file. On by default for PDF and Final Draft; ignored for plain text.
    • Include scene numbers — toggles scene numbers in the left margin of each scene heading. Turn this on when submitting to a production that requires numbered scenes; turn it off for early-draft sharing.
    • Include watermark (PDF only) — overlays a faint DRAFT or custom text watermark on every page. Enter your watermark text in the field, or leave it blank for no watermark.

  5. Name your export file. In the File name field, edit the default name if needed. The default is your project name plus the current date, for example: MyScript_2026-04-12.fdx.

  6. Click Download. ACT3 AI generates the file and your browser downloads it automatically. The file saves to your default downloads folder (usually ~/Downloads/ on Mac or C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\ on Windows).

  7. Verify the downloaded file. Open your Downloads folder and confirm the file is there. Double-click a .fdx file to open it in Final Draft or another compatible app, or open the PDF in your system viewer to confirm formatting looks correct.

  8. Export a specific historical version if needed. If you want to export an older draft rather than the current version, open the Version History panel first (clock icon in the Script Editor toolbar), select the version you want, and then click Export this version from within that panel. The same export dialog appears.

Tips​

  • Use Final Draft (.fdx) as your default export for any professional collaboration — it preserves scene colors, scene tags, revision marks, and other metadata that PDF and plain text discard.
  • If your PDF export shows incorrect fonts or line spacing, check that you haven't applied any custom CSS overrides in Project Settings > Script Formatting. Reset to defaults to restore standard screenplay formatting.
  • You can export your script at any time without affecting your working version in ACT3 AI. Exporting is non-destructive — it simply generates a copy.

Next steps​