composition mode layout and colors

I am using composition mode for writing in scrivener an I love it. It offers so many different ways of customization and helps you minimizing any distraction from the actual task of writing.

I am currently using the simple black and white (black font, white “paper” and black background). I was wondering if any of you experimented with other color settings? Also I would be interested in the general setup of your composition mode – if you use it at all that is, of course.

Thanks for sharing!

My usual has been amber text on black (black paper, black background), but NaNoWriMo always brings out the best in my creative procrastination skills, so currently I have something a bit more exciting for that sci-fi project:

NASA’s Picture of the Day provided the backdrop. (You can waste gobs of time looking through backlog there!) Halfway through the month when I was puttering about, waiting for the caffeine to kick in, I created another similar one with another image and text colour but roughly the same set up. I use typewriter scrolling in composition mode, usually somewhere around 2/3 down the page, but that can vary if I need to leave room at the bottom for the backdrop. Likewise I’ve tried shifting the page location around and adjusting the width and the page margins for whatever works best for the image, my mood, and how much I need to see in my other floating windows (or whether I have any at all).

Despite the way it sounds, I don’t fiddle with it that much once I get it set up. I have my amber & black saved in my default preference set, and I have the the colour combo for the one pictured above saved as a theme because I spent a bit of time mucking around to get something that I liked and was easily readable. That way even if I destroy it all when testing something in preferences, it’s fairly simple to restore.

I love how we are able to fully customize the background, I myself am not a big fan of color only, so as you can see I added a parchment paper. I also create each theme in 2 versions, 1 is lighter, which is for daytime use, and the darker one is for night time use. I find that the images and lighting help set the mood, for example, if I am writing something in fantasy, I will use a fantasy theme, and if I am writing something where it is foggy outside, I will change to a misty fog sort of theme. I think you get the picture, by changing these, you can help yourself get into the ‘zone’ a little easier so to speak. I do realize not everyone is a graphic artist, but you can still change the basic theme by just searching for backgrounds on the internet. This is one I made for a friend, as you can see, I changed the mood to a cool color and added parchment paper so it would be easier on her eyes.

I am not allowed to attach any files here, (maybe because I am new) but if anyone would like these two backgrounds, just send me a pm.

The Light Version, for day-time use.

The Dark Version for night-time use.

Thanks for this tip!

I´m still trying to find my way around scrivener, trying out as many tips as I can find around here.
I made a background to fit my screen, and made the page width just small enough to fit a poem-ish thing.
I found how to fade the background, but not the paper, is it one of those things that is only in the mac version, or is it hidden somewhere?

This is what I did…

I am on Windows using version 1.6, and to change the color of the paper or its opacity, just go to…
Tools > Options > Appearance > Fullscreen > Page
Then click on the little color button (just above the big “Use Default Color” button)
From here you can select a different color for your page, or change the opacity of the page by changing the “Alpha Channel”
If you set the “Alpha Channel” to 0, you will not see any page at all, you will see only the background.
So basically, the lower the “Alpha Channel”, the more transparent the page will be.

Pro Tip: If you would like to change your paper from just being color, to say a parchment paper or something else, just make it part of the background image before you upload it. Then of course, set the “Alpha Channel” to 0, so you can see it.

Oh! Ok thank you! I´ll try that.

I´m not quite sure what you mean by “make it part of the background image before you upload it.”
Do you mean that it would just be like a “fake” paper/ parchment paper, just for inspiration?
I won´t actually be writing on it right?
Sorry if it´s a stupid question, I´m not sure at all what Scrivener can do yet.

Here is what I do, when I create my background in photoshop, I add a parchment paper right in the center. The reason I do this is so that it will appear that I am typing right onto the parchment paper, because I like that look better than the plain paper. If you do this, just remember to reduce the “Alpha Channel” to 0

Ok, I understand perfectly now. Thank you again.