Screenplay margins commonly measure 1.5 inches on the left and 1 inch elsewhere, with 12-point Courier on US Letter paper.
| Setting | Common convention |
|---|---|
| Font | Courier |
| Font size | 12 point |
| Paper | US Letter |
| Left margin | 1.5 inches |
| Right margin | 1 inch |
| Top and bottom margins | 1 inch each |
| Page numbers | Top right, starting on page 2; page 1 has no number |
These are conventions, not universal requirements. Contests and companies publish their own requirements, so check those before submitting. For the layout of the writing itself, use the screenplay format guide.
What font and paper size should a screenplay use?
Screenplays commonly use 12-point Courier on US Letter paper. Outside North America, A4 is commonly used instead. For example, changing a document from US Letter to A4 changes how many lines fit.
- Courier
- Courier is a fixed-width typeface: every character takes the same width. Screenplays commonly use it at 12 points, which keeps the page layout predictable.
Scriptsolo uses US Letter pages with 12-point Courier Prime, a 1.5 inch left margin, and 1 inch margins at the right, top, and bottom.
Can you cheat the margins to fit a page count?
Keep the margins consistent and revise the writing instead. Shrinking margins or line spacing is commonly discouraged; the Academy Nicholl Fellowships FAQ warns against it.
- Page count
- Page count is the number of pages in a script. It commonly serves as a rough guide to running time, not a measurement.
For example, if a scene runs onto another page, look for repeated information before changing the layout. Cut a repeated description, not a detail that changes what the audience sees.
For revision advice, read about writing action lines, the descriptions of what an audience sees or hears. For spoken lines, see screenplay dialogue formatting.