Converting Final Draft to PDF?

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  • #16
    Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

    If I may, too, jump in on an unrelated Final Draft query....

    Comic, I also have a jumping, shaking cursor at times, not to mention these "sudden death" moments when the program suddenly decides to 'abort'. This is about every ten times I use it?

    I'm running Windows 10 on my laptop and version 8 of Final Draft. Windows suggests that I need to re

    I keep getting a message that this app FD) doesn't work with this version of Windows, and I keep ignoring it because I'm unsure about trying to reinstall the software. Do you have any advice? (And please--use small words and talk verrry slowly. I'm not super tech savvy. I actually had to look up what version of Windows I'm using.) I don't want to create more problems for myself than I solve.

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    • #17
      Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

      Jon,

      The CIDFont matter is something that I had to look up. It is extremely complicated, but basically it is a font technology that works better with Asian languages than the usual methods do. You should be all right in terms of embedding, because your properties message used the word 'embedded'.

      I think that the font is embedded just fine, and the person who receives your file should see the same font that you used. The only thing that worries me is that the message does not say that a 'subset' was embedded. That could make a significant difference in file size of the PDF (but it may not).

      You did not mention the size of your 8-page short script (the PDF of it).

      I read online that the Microsoft PDF driver does not optimize (or maybe does not do so efficiently) the PDF file. PDF is a condensed form of Postscript, and a Postscript file can be huge.

      I did a test just now on a 14-page short script of mine. I used Fade In and created the PDF with the built-in PDF driver. The font was embedded as a subset (True Type CID), and with the title page (a total of 15 pages) the PDF size was 36K.

      The matter of upgrading ...

      With version 8, Final Draft began to use the .fdx format, which is an XML-based format. It is sort of like HTML. If you open a Final Draft 10 file with a text editor, you see something like this (from the short script that I mentioned):

      Code:
            <Text>SELENA</Text>
          </Paragraph>
          <Paragraph Type="Dialogue">
            <Text>Dexter, how sweet — I think. Oh, what happened to your face?</Text>
          </Paragraph>
          <Paragraph Alignment="Left" FirstIndent="0.00" Leading="Regular"
      LeftIndent="1.50" RightIndent="7.50" SpaceBefore="11" Spacing="1" 
      StartsNewPage="No" Type="Action">
            <Text>She touches his jaw, which has a scratch.</Text>
          </Paragraph>
          <Paragraph Alignment="Left" FirstIndent="0.00" Leading="Regular" 
      LeftIndent="3.75" RightIndent="7.25" SpaceBefore="11" Spacing="1" 
      StartsNewPage="No" Type="Character">
            <Text>DEXTER</Text>
          </Paragraph>
          <Paragraph Type="Dialogue">
            <Text>Just an accident. My dog scratched me.</Text>
          </Paragraph>
          <Paragraph Alignment="Left" FirstIndent="0.00" Leading="Regular" 
      LeftIndent="1.50" RightIndent="7.50" SpaceBefore="11" Spacing="1" 
      StartsNewPage="No" Type="Action">
            <Text>He takes her hand and kisses it. She withdraws it with some 
      embarrassment, but not with anger.</Text>
          </Paragraph>
      This kind of document has some advantages, but I do not have the expertise to explain it all with ease, so I will not try.

      Fade In also uses an XML-based format. I have converted back and forth between Fade In (.fadein) and Final Draft (.fdx) many times in working with people on scripts.

      With your Final Draft 7, you are not able to open the default Final Draft file (.fdx) that Final Draft 8 and above produce. These newer versions can save in the older .fdr format, but it is an inconvenience to ask people
      to save in an older format just for you.

      While you are deciding, you might at least try the demo of Fade In. You can also download my four-page easy-to-understand, step-by-step how-to guide for setting up Fade In.

      "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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      • #18
        Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

        Deb, your post got chopped off:

        I'm running Windows 10 on my laptop and version 8 of Final Draft. Windows suggests that I need to re
        What does Windows want you to reinstall? Windows? Final Draft?

        I would think that Windows 10 runs FD-8, since Jon has Windows 10 and is running FD-7.

        But I really do not know. FD is a creaky program. Just try the Fade In demo and you will see the difference.

        If you need to reinstall FD-8, be sure to "deauthorize" the program (online, under HELP, I think); then uninstall it through the Control Panel; then reinstall the program and authorize it through HELP.

        The Control Panel bit may have you terrified. I do not know if you are accustomed to installing and uninstalling programs. You can find the Control Panel under the Start menu, if Windows 10 still has that. See, Windows keeps changing, and Final Draft changes (sort of), and you end up with problems. And it is hard to explain how to fix things when we are dealing with different versions of FD and Windows.

        Honestly, just try the demo for Fade In and do not look back at FD. You can put Fade In onto all of your own computers, and you can download it again if you need to. You do not have to deal with the crap that Final Draft brings into your life. Your life will be lots simpler with Fade In. Trust me.

        "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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        • #19
          Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

          Thanks, ComicBent--probably sound advice, as always

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          • #20
            Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

            ComicBent, thanks for explaining and you're right, it's time for me to upgrade.

            Fade In sounds better than Final Draft, but I will try the demo first. Hopefully I will be able to transport my FD 7.1.3 files to Fade In.

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

              Jon, Fade In can open your Final Draft version 7 documents (.fdr format).

              You will then save them as Fade In (.fadein) documents.

              If you ever need to provide them as Final Draft documents to someone, you will export them to the modern version of Final Draft (which is .fdx).

              Be sure to download my free "how to" document for Fade In. It is very short, and it gets you up and running.

              The Fade In program has several templates that you can select for a new file. These include Final Draft, Cole and Haag, and Warner, as well as a default 'Screenwriting' template. I recommend that you pick the Final Draft template, instead of the default 'Screenwriting' template. You can easily switch to a different template even after you have started a script.

              Let me know if you have any problems.

              [email protected]

              "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

                Originally posted by Braincramp View Post
                Why is it that when I try to cut and paste title page into body of screenplay from Final Draft to send out as PDF the option to paste is not there? Why is title page separate from the screenplay in Final Draft? How can I send the Final Draft WITH TITLE PAGE in one document using PDF?
                If nothing else works, you could save to .fdx format, read into afterwriting.com (which will convert to fountain) and then save to PDF. Just tested it and it worked fine and printed the title page without issue.
                STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?



                  Centos, don't let it hurt your feelings if you do not receive a "thank you" from Braincramp.

                  Did you happen to notice that he posted that question seven years and one month ago?

                  Final Draft now lets you create a PDF (Save as PDF) that includes the Title Page.

                  "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Converting Final Draft to PDF?

                    Originally posted by ComicBent View Post
                    Did you happen to notice that he posted that question seven years and one month ago?
                    No, I didn't notice (never do). I just saw a currently active thread that I hadn't noticed until yesterday.
                    STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

                    Comment

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