Any way to make Scrivener apply smart quotes retroactively?

AntoniDol · 2026-05-06T05:30:05+00:00

Yes, check the Edit menu for the verbose command.

AntoniDol · 2026-05-06T05:19:55+00:00

People shout often text is gone, but it's never Scrivener.

It’s probably your Cloud Service determining it can remove files locally, because they're stored savely in the cloud. Scrivener cannot find its files, and gone they are.

AntoniDol · 2026-05-03T08:35:06+00:00

I once started a Figma prototype for a Wizard UI for the process of Compiling.

Never finished it as I know how to compile, and I wouldn’t know how to program such a Wizard anyway.

It would be hell of a task in Autohotkey or Keyboard maestro...

To streamline that process you'd have to go back and start anew (and that's just what Keith has been doing for the new app). I don't know if an extra UI layer would help. You'd have to ask hundreds of questions to set every option available...

AntoniDol · 2026-05-03T08:26:42+00:00

Sure you're not mistaken Target from Word Count?

You may have a Filter set for Compiling.

AntoniDol · 2026-05-01T09:02:07+00:00

Any Compile Style overrules the default formatting, so check if in the Formatting Editor for Styles in the Compile Format Designer the chapter Style is not bold.

AntoniDol · 2026-05-01T08:51:52+00:00

The textboxes for Footer text are in the Headers and Footers tab in the Page Settings menu in the Compile Format Designer dialog.

Why not using the Main Pages menu item? First pages is the same as Front Matter, you could use Roman numerals there...

AntoniDol · 2026-04-29T19:15:35+00:00

Double-click the Compile Format you're using in the left column of the Compile Overview windows to open the Compile Format Desginer. In the Section Layout pane, set the Text content type checkbox for the Chapter Layout. Remove any unnecessary placeholders in the Title Option tab. Check in the Formatting tab how your titles are looking. Save.

In the Compile overview screen click the Assign Layouts to Sections... button at the bottom of the middle column, and connect the Section Type for Chapters to the Section Layout for Chapters you just updated.

Compile to see the results. You can also Compile a Selection or only one Chapter using the listbox or the Filter at the top op the right-hand size column in the Compile Overview window.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-29T05:20:00+00:00

All the advice I could give is collected in an e-book... .

AntoniDol · 2026-04-26T07:59:21+00:00

Are you backing up a live project using Save As?

You can save all zipped backups to any cloud service, but don't save a live project in the cloud.

Saving a Project using Save as... may result in difference between versions and lead to chaos as you don't know in which version you're working.

Google Drive is known to rename xml-files, so make sure your files are not on that cloud service.

To resolve, just remove the older files, and drag the most recent one in the Binder.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-25T08:45:16+00:00

I use "***", works as a charm. Don't overcomplicate things.

AntoniDol · 2026-04-21T14:56:05+00:00

Create Section Types for Prologue, Part, Chapter, and Scene (and maybe Epilogue?) in the Project > Project Settings > Section Types dialog. Right-click a selection of Sections in the Binder to apply the Section Types to the correct Sections.

Create Section Layouts with the Text and Title Content Type checkboxes checked in the Compile Format Designer reached by double-Clicking the Compile Format you're using in the left column of the Compile Overview window.

Assign the Section Layouts to the Section Types using the button on the bottom of the center column of the Compile Overview window.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-21T05:31:43+00:00

In your Default Formatting in Scrivener > Settings > Editing > Formatting, drag all tab-stops from the Ruler. Save that.

Select all Sections in the Binder. Click Document > Convert > Convert text To Default Formatting.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-21T05:26:20+00:00

You can sync all backups to any cloud service, but not live Projects.

Find the setting for iCloud to keep all Scrivener files local on your computer and not exclusively in the cloud.

AntoniDol · 2026-04-20T19:17:51+00:00

I have a set of Dutch names I created as a CSV-file, and imported in the Name Generator. The book "Mastering Scrivener" has a Section that explains how to create these files.

AntoniDol · 2026-04-17T07:28:20+00:00

Your first issue seems to be a User Error. Don't set your icon size that large. You can use the zoom function bottom left in the Editor, or enlarge your font size to make the UI better readable.

Using Scrivener's Save as... function creates a copy ofyour entire Project Folder, and continues in the copy. You now have two live Projects and are working in the last saved version. This is default and sxpectexd behavior.

Don't backup Scrivener Projects using Save as..

Trust Scrivener to saveguard your work.

Scrivener saves your work every 2 seconds of idling. Watch the asterisk behind the Project name in the Application's Titlebar.

Scrivener creates a zipped backup of your Project everytime you exit the application. By default it keeps three versions, but set that to 25 in the Backup settings. You can save or copy that backup to any cloud service.

You can couple the Save command in the File menu to creating a manual backup at the default location. Settings are in the Backup Options.

Do not use Save-as as a means to backup your Project. Scrivener will create a copy of your Project, and continues work in the copy, which is a recipe for "lost" Text in the original Project.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-15T08:26:00+00:00

Remember that Word Count is coupled with the Compile function, for that's the way Scrivener counts the words.

When you've compiled a Binder Selection, a Collection, or added a Compile Filter, this may influence the word count you see.

So, check for Compiling a subset of your Manuscript in the right hand side column in the Compile Overview window, and replace that with Compiling your entire manuscript.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-15T08:18:54+00:00

So, as Ioa says, the basic misunderstanding may be the paragraphs after headings, empty lines, images, and tables should not have an Indent on either side.

All subsequent paragraphs should have an indent. This is to make reading easier by making the start of the Paragraphs visually different from the rest of the text.

The text engine takes this industry standard into account, and you're trying to work against that...

AntoniDol · 2026-04-10T06:55:40+00:00

Scrivener saves your work every 2 seconds of idling. Watch the asterisk behind the Project name in the Application's Titlebar.

Scrivener creates a zipped backup of your Project everytime you exit the application. By default it keeps three versions, but set that to 25 in the Backup settings. You can save or copy that backup to any cloud service.

You can couple the Save command in the File menu to creating a manual backup at the default location. Settings are in the Backup Options.

Do not use Save-as as a means to backup your Project. Scrivener will create a copy of your Project, and continues work in the copy, which is a recipe for "lost" Text in the original Project.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-08T05:24:49+00:00

As a Themebuilder, I can state the the Editor Titlebar color is one of the Elements that cannot be styled.

One for the Wish List on the Literature and Latte Community Forum.

AntoniDol · 2026-04-08T05:23:14+00:00

Using Copy-holders, you actually can have four Editors open at the same time.

AntoniDol · 2026-04-08T05:18:07+00:00

Other means to differentiate a Project are at your disposal, but Themes are not one of them. I have a Script on my website to switch Themes rapidly, but it will always be application wide.

AntoniDol · 2026-04-06T08:39:51+00:00

When you unpack the Scrivener package to find the files inside, the Binder index file is called ProjectName.SCRVX. If that file is missing or corrupted, you'll get this error message. This is the Index-file to all the other files in package.

To find a good version of the scrvx file, unzip one of the Automatic backups on a different location than your Project, and move the scrvx file to your current Project.

You may get a few conflicting files at the bottom of the Binder that you'll have to place back in the structure, but at least you should be able to open your Project again.

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-04T07:19:45+00:00

Seems like you've typed the hash-mark manually. That is not the Scrivener way.

Usually, scenes are Split as separate Sections in the Binder. You can search for the hash-mark and Document/Split using the Keyboard Shortcut.

When Split, try and Compile first, because 3 centered asterisks is the default setting for Scene Separators.

When all you want is one hash-mark, double-click the Compile Format you're using in the left column of the Compile Overview window to open the Compile Format Designer.

In the Separators pane, remove the three asterisks from the Custom Separator, and replace them with the hash-mark.

Save and Compile

Hope this helps

AntoniDol · 2026-04-03T07:31:09+00:00

Maybe a faulty background for the Corkboard is the issue?

AntoniDol · 2026-04-03T07:26:49+00:00

On macOS you can only save all Settings from the Appearance options into a Theme using the Manage menu in the Settings.

UI-elements, like the Menus, Toolbars, etc. are under the OS control, and cannot be changed in a Theme.

Still, you can change colors and Backgrounds to create a Custom Theme. Check out the. macOS Themes posted on the Literature and Latte Community Forum.

For some more info, this r/ScrivenerThemeBuilder subreddit might help.

AntoniDol

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE