Import 3 min read

Moving from Scrivener to Deckle

A real step-by-step guide to switching from Scrivener to Deckle, covering what carries over automatically, what needs fresh setup, and common mistakes to avoid.

Switching from Scrivener to Deckle is a one-time import plus a short setup pass. Your manuscript structure, formatting, and research come across automatically, but your book's visual design doesn't, because that's a genuinely different system in each app.

What You'll Need

  • Scrivener, to create a ZIP backup of your project.
  • A Deckle project to import into (new or existing).

Step-by-Step: Switching from Scrivener to Deckle

  1. Back up your Scrivener project as a ZIP. In Scrivener: File → Back Up → Back Up To…, and check "Compress backup as ZIP file." Identical steps on Windows and Mac.
  2. Import it into Deckle. Open the Binder, click + → Import…, choose Scrivener (.zip), and select the file.
  3. Review what landed where. Your Draft content and Research/Notes content each land in a timestamped "Imported [date]" folder. This is intentional and non-destructive, but worth knowing so you're not searching for chapters that actually just aren't at the very top level.
  4. Set up your book's design in Styles. Scrivener's own compile formatting settings are specific to Scrivener's compile system. There's no way for Deckle to read or translate them, so this is a fresh (but one-time) setup step, not something broken. Start from a preset if you want a quick baseline.
  5. Check your imported Title Page and front matter. Scrivener's own un-compiled placeholder tokens (like <$Title> or <$FullName>) get stripped on import rather than imported as literal junk text, which usually means your imported Title Page will be mostly blank where those tokens were. Fill it in directly, or better, use Deckle's own book metadata (Compile → Metadata tab), which drives your title page instead of relying on manually-typed front matter content.

Common Mistakes

  • Expecting Scrivener's compile formatting to carry over. It doesn't, and that's not a bug. Deckle's Styles is a separate system, and setting your book's look up there is a real, but one-time, step.
  • Not realizing content lands inside "Imported [date]" folders rather than directly at your binder's top level. Look inside them rather than assuming the import silently failed.
  • Trying to import the raw .scriv project folder instead of a ZIP backup. Deckle needs the ZIP specifically.

FAQ

Will I lose any of my formatting when I move from Scrivener to Deckle?

Your text-level formatting (bold, italic, and similar) carries over. Scrivener's compile-time design and layout settings don't, since that's a separate system; you set your book's look up in Deckle's Styles instead, as a one-time step.

Is importing safe? Will it modify or delete my original Scrivener project?

Importing only reads your ZIP backup; your original Scrivener project file is never touched.

Can I import the same project more than once, or will it create duplicates?

Each import creates a new, separately timestamped "Imported" folder. Re-importing after fixing something in Scrivener won't overwrite your first import, so you'll end up with two copies unless you delete the earlier one yourself.

Do I need to redo my labels and statuses after switching?

No. Scrivener Labels and Statuses import automatically, matched to existing Deckle ones by name or created fresh if they don't exist yet.