Skip to main content

Scribe FAQ

A short list of the most common questions about Scribe. For broader account and billing questions that apply to all Catalpas Atelier products, see the Support FAQ.

General​

Which platforms does Scribe support?​

Scribe runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Builds are downloadable from the Catalpas Atelier download page.

Where are my manuscript files stored?​

Scribe stores your project as a normal folder on your computer. The manuscript is a tree of Markdown files plus an assets/ directory for images and a small project file that records your settings. You can back it up to Dropbox, iCloud Drive, OneDrive, or Git — anything that syncs ordinary files.

Does Scribe send my manuscript text to the cloud?​

Scribe is local-first: your text and images stay in the Project folder on your computer unless you move or synchronize that folder with another service. Account sign-in, plan refresh, updates, and website links require a network connection.

Does Scribe train AI on my manuscript?​

No. Your manuscript text is never used to train any AI model.

Scribe itself offers no AI-related services. Because Scribe includes no cloud storage or sync service, all files and projects are saved locally by you. However, we cannot know whether a network drive or third-party cloud-sync service you use might read the Scribe project data stored on your computer — Scribe has no control over how software and services not operated by Catalpas Atelier handle your data, so please verify this yourself.

Plans​

What's the difference between Free, Plus, and Pro?​

The short version: Free covers writing and image export, Plus adds EPUB / Word / RGB PDF export, and Pro adds CMYK PDF, custom page masters and templates, and the more typographically demanding features (LaTeX, ruby, references, custom fonts). The full matrix is on the Plans & features page.

Can I keep writing if my subscription lapses?​

You can keep opening and editing your projects on the Free plan indefinitely. Any features outside Free — EPUB / Word / PDF export, custom page masters, etc. — become unavailable until you renew, but the files themselves are not locked.

Can I install Scribe on more than one computer?​

You can install Scribe on more than one computer. When you sign in to Scribe on another device, the app may ask you to replace the sign-in on the first device. Save your work there before confirming. Scribe does not move Projects between computers automatically; use your own secure file-transfer or synchronization method and avoid opening the same Project for editing on two devices at once.

Files & exporting​

Can I open my Scribe project in another editor?​

Yes. Because the project is a folder of Markdown files, you can open the individual chapters in any text or Markdown editor (VS Code, Obsidian, iA Writer, plain Notepad). Scribe-specific syntax such as shortcodes will look like plain text in those tools and may not render, but nothing is lost.

Why is the PDF export option greyed out?​

PDF export is part of the Plus plan (grayscale / RGB) and Pro plan (CMYK / CMYK + ICC). If the option is greyed out, your account may be on the Free plan, or the latest plan change may not have reached the app yet. Confirm that you are signed in to the correct account. If you just upgraded, reopen the account panel and choose Refresh subscription.

The grayscale and CMYK modes also require Ghostscript, a free tool Scribe does not bundle. If only those modes are unavailable while RGB still works, install Ghostscript and restart Scribe.

Why does my exported image still have a watermark?​

The Scribe brand watermark is locked on for the Free plan. On Plus you can toggle it off; on Pro you can replace it with your own. See Watermark.

How do I make a print-ready CMYK PDF?​

Follow the Print-ready CMYK tutorial — it covers picking a print master, embedding the right ICC profile, adding bleed, and verifying the PDF before you upload it to your print-on-demand service.

Editor & writing​

Where are keyboard shortcuts documented?​

See Editor basics. You can view and customize the shortcuts inside Scribe under Function → Keyboard Shortcuts….

Does Scribe support vertical Chinese / Japanese layout?​

Every plan supports CJK vertical preview, but the vertical-layout export formats available differ by plan. See the usage section of CJK vertical layout, and the per-plan feature notes on Plans & features.

Does Scribe support furigana / pinyin / bopomofo?​

Yes, with ruby annotations, which require Pro.

Troubleshooting​

Scribe will not launch / crashes on launch​

See Installation help. It covers the most common platform-specific causes: macOS Gatekeeper, Windows SmartScreen, and missing Linux libraries.

I cannot sign in​

See Account help for a step-by-step recovery flow covering password reset, account verification, and plan-status checks.

I found a bug​

Please email support@catalpasatelier.com with your platform and the build number shown under Help → About, plus steps to reproduce the problem.