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Set up the editor like your favorite writing desk. Editor settings only change the page you write on. The rest of 4thewords keeps the Color Theme you picked for the site.
Where to find it: Open any file → file actions menu (⋯) → Editor Settings Open in 4TW ↗

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Typography

Pick from classics like Georgia, Garamond, and Times New Roman, or OpenDyslexic for easier reading. Writing in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean? Noto Sans fonts for each are in the list too.

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Colors

Set a Background Color and a Font Color for your page. Leave them empty to match your site theme.
Writing late at night? Try a warm, dark background with a soft cream font color. Your eyes will thank you.

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Autoscroll

Autoscroll keeps the line you’re typing in a comfortable spot on screen. Pick Top, Center, or Bottom to hold your cursor there, or None to scroll yourself. Center feels a lot like writing on a typewriter.

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Typing helpers

Three helpers, all on by default:
  • Smart Typography. Turns two hyphens into a long dash and straight quotes into curly ones.
  • Auto-link URLs. Turns anything that looks like a web address into a link.
  • Slash Command Menu. Opens the formatting menu when you type /. See The slash menu.
Changes to these three kick in the next time you open a file.
In shared files, all three typing helpers stay on for everyone, whatever your own settings say.

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Resetting

Each section has its own reset button. Reset all at the bottom puts every setting back to its default.

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More editor options

You’ll find a few more options in the file actions menu (⋯):
  • Spellcheck. Uses your browser’s spellchecker, and it’s on by default. Turn it off if a very long page feels sluggish.
  • Header: classic or minimal. Choose a full header or a slim one. See Classic or minimal header.
  • Pin toolbar. Keeps the toolbar in view with the minimal header.

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Pasted words

You decide whether pasted text counts toward your daily words.
Where to find it: Left sidebar → Account → Settings → Opt Out of Copy/Paste Open in 4TW ↗
Pick one of three options:
  • Always count pasted words. Pasted words count right away.
  • Never count pasted words. Pasted words never count.
  • Ask each time. After you paste, a copy icon appears in the editor header. Click it to open Pasted Words Detected, then choose Count pasted Words or Ignore pasted Words.
During a battle, pasted words always deal damage, whichever option you pick. The one exception is a co-op room that doesn’t allow pasting.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Typing helper changes kick in the next time you open a file. Open another file and come back. In a shared file, the helpers are always on.
Yes. They’re saved to your account, so they’re there wherever you sign in. Desktop and mobile margins are separate, so each screen gets its own.
Turn off Smart Typography in Editor Settings, then reopen your file.
Check Opt Out of Copy/Paste in your Account Settings. If it’s set to Ask each time, click the copy icon in the editor header and choose Count pasted Words.
Back to writing

The Writing Editor

The header, panels, formatting, and shortcuts.

Account & Settings

Your profile, timezone, and account-wide preferences.