Usenet Posted 17 years ago
Screenwriting
Final draft question
This is actually something I noticed a long time ago when I switched between computers and carried a bunch of screenplays typed on FD from one to the other.
They all changed page lengths every one of them. And there was nothing I could do about it. Fiddle with the margin. Lock the pages. Unlock them. There was just something about the change in computers. Maybe because the printer was different. I don't know. I was never able to figure it out.
And even though I went through a number of computer changes, it never happened again.
Until now because I've just noticed, going from my Dell workstation to my HP laptop and looking at screenplays in FD that were 98 pages typed on the Dell open them up with the exact same FD program on the HP laptop BANG they're now at 110 pages.
No earthly reason that I can figure out. It's the same program. I haven't touched or adjusted any of the defaults. They should all be exactly the same. And the two computers are set to print on exactly the same printer, so to the extent that printer defaults might be to blame they shouldn't be, because they're both set to use the same printer.
This is just absolutely maddening plus, I'm using FD-5, so Final Draft, being the big-time customer support moguls that they are, doesn't even provide any support for the freaking thing any more.
Surely, I can't be the only person that this has happened to so somebody else out there must know why it happens and how to fix it.
But who? Who?
NMS
They all changed page lengths every one of them. And there was nothing I could do about it. Fiddle with the margin. Lock the pages. Unlock them. There was just something about the change in computers. Maybe because the printer was different. I don't know. I was never able to figure it out.
And even though I went through a number of computer changes, it never happened again.
Until now because I've just noticed, going from my Dell workstation to my HP laptop and looking at screenplays in FD that were 98 pages typed on the Dell open them up with the exact same FD program on the HP laptop BANG they're now at 110 pages.
No earthly reason that I can figure out. It's the same program. I haven't touched or adjusted any of the defaults. They should all be exactly the same. And the two computers are set to print on exactly the same printer, so to the extent that printer defaults might be to blame they shouldn't be, because they're both set to use the same printer.
This is just absolutely maddening plus, I'm using FD-5, so Final Draft, being the big-time customer support moguls that they are, doesn't even provide any support for the freaking thing any more.
Surely, I can't be the only person that this has happened to so somebody else out there must know why it happens and how to fix it.
But who? Who?
NMS
Top answer
I don't use Final Draft (I use plain old vanilla Word), but there might be a usenet newsgroup out there for FD users. Also, you could post on Wordplay, such software questions pop up there regularly.
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I don't use Final Draft (I use plain old vanilla Word), but there might be a usenet newsgroup out there for FD users. Also, you could post on Wordplay, such software questions pop up there regularly.
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[nq:1]I don't use Final Draft (I use plain old vanilla Word), but there might be a usenet newsgroup out there for FD users. Also, you could post on Wordplay, such software questions pop up there regularly.[/nq]
Do you use a template? OpenOffice 3.0 has a screenwriting template that is actually very good. For free.
Do you use a template? OpenOffice 3.0 has a screenwriting template that is actually very good. For free.
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"nmstevens"
[nq:1]They all changed page lengths every one of them.[/nq]
What could make the printer print them longer or shorter:
Characters per line
Font: Courier or Courier New?
Page Margins: Identical?
Page width: A4 or Letter?
Lines per page
Line heights: depends on font, line height/pitch
Page length: A4 or Letter?
Top and bottom margins:
[nq:1]They all changed page lengths every one of them.[/nq]
What could make the printer print them longer or shorter:
Characters per line
Font: Courier or Courier New?
Page Margins: Identical?
Page width: A4 or Letter?
Lines per page
Line heights: depends on font, line height/pitch
Page length: A4 or Letter?
Top and bottom margins:
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You could be right about the printer (or more specifically the printer driver) making a difference: I don't use Final Draft, but certainly some word processors of my acquaintance (Word in particular) give different page layouts when used with different drivers.
Can you load a copy of the workstation's printer driver onto the laptop and (temporarily, at least) set it as the default? In my exper
Can you load a copy of the workstation's printer driver onto the laptop and (temporarily, at least) set it as the default? In my exper
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One more:
Single page or fan/continuous.
(Single page has fewer lines per page because the printer uses the last line or two to grip the page. Not applicable to tractor feed i.e. sprocket holes down sides of paper.)
Martin
Single page or fan/continuous.
(Single page has fewer lines per page because the printer uses the last line or two to grip the page. Not applicable to tractor feed i.e. sprocket holes down sides of paper.)
Martin
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[nq:1]You could be right about the printer (or more specifically the printer driver) making a difference: I don't use Final Draft, but certainly some word processors of my acquaintance (Word in particular) give different page layouts when used with different drivers. Can you load a copy of the workstation's printer driver onto the laptop and (temporarily, at least) set it as the default? In my e
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[nq:1]But that's what's so strange...[/nq]
It does sound odd, unless you're willing to embrace the theory that your computers are simply ganging up on you and having a laugh at your expense.
I hope you get it sorted out.
Bert
It does sound odd, unless you're willing to embrace the theory that your computers are simply ganging up on you and having a laugh at your expense.
I hope you get it sorted out.
Bert
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[nq:1]Maybe because the printer was different.[/nq]
But in your latest:
[nq:1]Same printer. Same driver.[/nq]
So I'm a little confused.
Bert
But in your latest:
[nq:1]Same printer. Same driver.[/nq]
So I'm a little confused.
Bert
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My writing partner and I used to have this problem - printing from my computer scripts would end up maybe 3-5% shorter than they would on his. Both on Macs. I think my printer's a HP1300 and his is an HP1200.
Absolutely infuriating. We only got as far as FD6. FD7 was supposed to be so buggy that we never bothered upgrading, and switched to MMS.
(Supposedly FD8 is coming out soon.
Absolutely infuriating. We only got as far as FD6. FD7 was supposed to be so buggy that we never bothered upgrading, and switched to MMS.
(Supposedly FD8 is coming out soon.
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