The editor’s appearance options
Editor Appearance
Many options that affect the Editor appearance and function are found in the Options Panel. Which options you choose can have significant effects on your writing process.
A.) Use the Menu command File> Options > Appearance to reach these settings.
1. Highlight Current Line
Under colors is where you can change the highlight color.
Doing this can make it easier to find your place in a document. The color can be adjusted as well under the colors tab for the Main Editor (above). (see an example below)
2. Default Editor Width- the best number will depend on your screen size and whether you want a background to show. The zoom size you choose to view documents with will also affect the editor appearance as well.
3. Are several other appearance options. (Unclicking the fixed width option allows the Editor width adjust to your screen and fill the whole editor window.)
4. Editor margins- You can adjust the left, right, top, and bottom margins.
B.) Use the Menu command options are under View> Text Editing to change the Editor’s appearance as well.
Format Bar
It usually helps to have this at your fingertips when editing. This allows you to apply styles without shortcuts and sits under the main toolbar.
Ruler
This will appear if chosen just below the Editor Header. [Note: In the Quick Reference Panel must enable the Ruler from the panel by View> Text Editing> Ruler]
How to display the Ruler in the Editor window.
1. Menu command View > Text editing > Ruler will bring it up. (Ruler measuring units are set in File> Options> Editing in the top portion of the panel.)
2. The View Icon has the option to check Ruler to make it visible.
2. Use the Ruler Icon in the Format Toolbar if added. (See icon below.)
Note: You can right click on the Ruler and set tabs and indents. (Editors recommend never to use the tab function to indent. Using the tab key to indent rather than automatic indents messes up the Compile process.)
Scrivenings Titles (three options)
1. Uncheck both options (above) and no titles will appear.
2. Show Titles in Scrivenings- This option will include titles for both folders and files.
3. Only Scrivenings Titles for Folders- File titles will not appear. However, folder titles will but you can only show this view if you have first checked the above option and are displaying titles.
Show Invisibles
Hide Markups (Only for Main Editor)
Options to hide include:
Comment highlights
Footnote highlights
Links
Highlight boxes around styled text
Or Preserve Formatting Markup.
These Options are set in the Options Panel (see below)
Page View
Three methods-
1. Menu command View > Text Editing> Page View
2. Keyboard shortcut Alt + Shift + P will toggle view
3. Add and use the Toolbar View Icon
Show Line Numbers (Paragraph numbering feature)
Adds a paragraph numbering feature to the standard editor. This feature is unavailable in either Page View or Scrivenings mode.
Only Count Every Fifth Line
An option similar to showing line numbers as above, but Scrivener only counts every fifth paragraph.
Typewriter Scrolling
You can turn “typewriter scrolling” (via the Menu command View ▸ Text Editing ▸ Typewriter Scrolling). This is available for the:
Main Editors
Quick Reference Panels
Composition Mode Editor
When enabled, the line you are typing on in the editor will advance only down to the middle of the screen (by default), where it will remain in a fixed position thereafter, rather than advancing all the way to the bottom of the screen. Whatever you type will stay centered in the middle of the editor as your type.
Don’t Forget to Zoom
Improving readability when writing and editing is most easily done by changing the Zoom level rather than the font size.
1. Zoom- can be changed for a specific editor window by clicking in lower left corner where you will see current Zoom level and can adjust this by clicking the caret and choosing a default value or use other to set a custom zoom level. The primary use is to help old eyes read more easily and does not affect the compile function. (see below)
Footer Bar
