Scribe | Books and Writing

All-in-One Book Mod for Book Lovers and Writers

Writing utilities and book customization.
Write, format and read books with chapters and bookmarks, personalize them with dyes, covers, trims and buckles, and place books and ink bottles in your world.

Writing utilities

Formatting | Page tools | Undo and redo | Copy and paste | Text styles and colors | Text alignment | Symbols | Chapters and index | Bookmarks | Navigating | Subtitle | Pen names | Files exports/imports | Backups | Signs

Book customization

Dyed books | Book cover designs | Leather straps | Metal trims and buckles | Enchanted book personalization | Chiseled Bookshelves, Lectern and Enchanting Table book colors

In the world

Placeable books | Reading pose | Librarians that read | Reading and writing on lectern | Open and close books on lecterns | Look-at tooltips

Ink Bottle

Craft ink bottles | Place up to 4 in one block (like candles) | Add a quill using a feather | Use them just like dyes

Use settings to turn on and off features to personalize your own books and writing experience.

Currently available for Fabric 26.3, older versions coming soon.

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I. Formatting

Style selected words, or what you type next, with one click.

• Styles | Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough and magic text.
• Colors | The 16 available text colors.
• Alignment | Left, center or right, for whole paragraphs.
• Symbols Panel | Add arrows, shapes, math, music, alphabets and more, with search by name.
• Nothing cut off | Typing or pasting in the middle of a page pushes the text down or to the next page.
• Signs | The same bar, symbols, copy, paste, save and load for sign text.

More Writing Utilities

• Undo and redo | Brings back changes, deleted pages and cleared books.
• Copy and paste | Selected text, a page, or a whole book of your own.
• Page tools | Add, delete, move, split and tidy pages.
• Text Alignment | Saved as spaces and line breaks, so every player sees it, with or without the mod.
• Visible for All | Players without the mod see the same colors and styles.
• Shortcuts |
  • Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U and Ctrl+Shift+X style text, Ctrl+K is magic text and Ctrl+</code> clears formatting.
  • Ctrl+L, Ctrl+E and Ctrl+R align.
  • Ctrl+Z undoes, Ctrl+Shift+Z redoes.
  • Ctrl+S saves without closing.
  • Use Cmd instead of Ctrl on a Mac.
  • Use Left Alt (Option on a Mac) on its own to type §.

Book Tools

• Copy Books | Copy, paste or clear a whole book.
• Flows back | Delete and backspace work across pages, like in a word processor.
• Tidy Pages | Pull text back to fill empty pages, up to the next chapter title.
• A book holds 100 pages (like in vanilla), and a message tells you when it is full.

Chapters and Index

• Chapter titles | Create a title with the H button
  • Chapters are part of the book's text, so they stay through signing, copies, lecterns, files and servers. Players without the mod see a bold line.
  • A small red line in the margin marks a chapter.
  • Use Alt+Up and Alt+Down to jump between chapters.
• Index | See every chapter and its page, click to go to chapter page.
• Contents page | Add, update and remove a page with chapters and page numbers.
  • The contents page updates automatically when you save.

Bookmarks

• Bookmark personalization | Choose between 16 colors and add an optional name
  • Explore all bookmarks on the Index page.
• Ribbons on the edge | Click one to jump to its page.
  • With many bookmarks the ribbons move closer together.
  • Display up to the closest 20 on each edge.
• Edit bookmarks | Click a bookmark again, or right-click it on the edge or in the index, to edit its color or name, or remove it.
• Follow the text | A bookmark is attached to the words and moves across pages with them.
  • Books and quills get the same bookmarks.
  • Copies of the same book share your bookmarks, and signing keeps them.
  • Bookmarks are saved on your computer, so they work on every save or server.

II. Navigation & Reading

A centered reader for written books, with the same page controls in the editor.

• Page buttons | First, previous, next and last page.

• Page turns | Mouse wheel, arrow keys, Page Up and Down, Home and End.

• Page jump | Click the page number, type a page, press Enter.

• One or two pages | Switch between views.

• Remember last page | The editor reopens on the page you last used.

• Page numbers | Hover the page number to see the total, how far into the book you are, and words and chapters.

• Running header | The current chapter shows at the top of the page.

• Cover View | A book opens at its cover the first time.

• Scroll Modes | Hold Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) with the mouse wheel to turn several pages at once, 10 by default, or Shift to go slowly.

• Vanilla screen | Hold Shift while opening a book to get the vanilla book screen.

III. Files & Backup

Save books as files and load them into any world.

• Save and load | Text, JSON or Markdown files

• Export | Text, JSON, Markdown, PDF, or a picture of every page

• Backups | Every save keeps a copy

• Safe closing | Escape and Done saves your text

• PDF and pictures | Pages are drawn as the reader shows them in single page view.

• Backups | Up to 100 are kept by default.

• Drag and drop | Drop a file on the book to load it.

• Commands | /books export, /books import, /books list and /books folder.

• Fair play | Only your own books can be saved or copied.

• Saved on your computer | Files are saved in scribe/books, scribe/signs and scribe/backups, in your Minecraft folder.

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I. Dye Books

Dye books like leather armor, and see the color wherever the book appears.

• Dye any book | Book item, book and quill, written book and enchanted book
• Wash it off | Use a water cauldron to remove dye
• Chiseled bookshelves | Books show their item color

Colors and Dyes

• Colors that stay | Signing, copying, crafting and enchanting keep the color.
  • Colors are shown in hand, lecterns, enchanting tables, when placed and while reading/writing.
  • Dyes mix like leather armor using the crafting grid.
  • Only a written book's real author can dye it or wash it.
  • A signed book keeps its color, its author can still dye it again or wash it.
• Data packs | The loot function scribe:random_dye mixes random dyes.

Glint Color

• Neutral glint | Signed books shine in a neutral tone instead of purple, so their color stays visible.
  • A setting turns the neutral glint off.
  • Enchanted books keep the purple.
  • Chiseled bookshelves and placed books show only enchanted books' glint.

II. Book Covers

Design the cover on the 'Sign' screen. Type the title, subtitle and author right on it and choose the decorative elements.

• Title | Up to 32 characters
• Title color | One of the 16 text colors
• Subtitle | Optional, up to 50 characters
• Decorations | 16 designs, carved or set in metal
• Spine material | Leather or one of 11 trim materials
• Corners | 16 corner designs for books with trim corners
• Save details | Edit details on a book and quill, save before signing and edit later.

Author and Pen Names

• Author Rights | Only the real author can dye it or change its cover.
• Hide author | A tick leaves the author off the cover. The tooltip still names the author.
• Pen name | Sign as another author
  • A pen name shows in italics, so a borrowed name is plain to see.
  • Use settings to turn pen names and subtitles off.
  • Admins can run /scribe author to see who really wrote a book, even one signed with a pen name.

Tooltips

• The tooltip shows the title, subtitle, number of pages and chapters, and binding: strap, buckle, trim material and corners.
• Players without the mod still see the subtitle in the book's tooltip.

Decorations

• Every book starts plain.
• Decorations, spine and title color don't need ingots.
• The 16 decorations are named after the armor trims they are inspired by.
• The title color also changes the item name color.

Cover Editing

• Author only | Only a written book's real author changes its cover.
  • Use /books cover edit to reopen the Sign screen for your own books.
  • Admins can use /books cover edit override to edit any book.
  • Cover designs need Scribe on the server, with Bookbinding on.
  • Players without Scribe see the plain book.

III. Book Binding

Add leather straps and corner trims at the smithing table.

• Add a strap | Use only leather in smithing table and dye it any color.
• Add a metal buckle | Use leather plus a trim metal to add a buckle.
• Add corners | Use one of the 11 trim materials to add trim corners.
• Take it off | Use a grindstone to remove the strap, buckle and trim.
• Shown in the world | Straps, buckles and corners are shown in the item texture, book cover, lecterns, placed books and books held open.

Leather Straps

• Use leather alone to add a strap.
• Use leather and a dye to color the strap.
• A grindstone removes the strap with the rest of the binding elements.

Metal Buckle

• Use leather and a trim metal to add a strap with a buckle.
  • 4 buckle designs: Stud, Buckle, Ornate and Plaque (the title on a plaque).
  • Pick one when signing or with /books cover metalwork.
  • When none is picked, the design follows the book's generation.
  • A new material buckle replaces the old material.
• A grindstone removes the buckle with the rest of the binding elements.
• Shown in the tooltip as "Buckle: Gold" for metal buckles.

Trim Corners

• Use a trim material alone to add trim corners.
• Pick one of 16 corner designs when signing, or no corners.
• A new material replaces the old trim.
• A book trimmed after signing keeps plain triangle.
• Use /books cover corners to change trim corners design.

Copies

• Copies come out unbound, but keep their color, name and cover design.
• Copies of copies and Tattered books cannot be trimmed or get a metal buckle.
• Copies of copies can get a leather strap.

Settings

• Use settings to turn Bookbinding off.

IV. Enchanted Books

Enchanted books have customizable colors and covers. They can be opened and read like real books, with a cover screen and a page for every enchantment.

• Customize book colors | By category or by enchantment
• Level shades | Low levels lighter, high levels darker
• Straps and buckles | A different strap/buckle design for levels I to V
• Shown everywhere | Item textures, chiseled bookshelves, lecterns, placed books and books held.
• Customizable cursed look | Cursed books get a dark strap and a red lock by default.

Customizable colors

• Customize enchantment looks in "Enchanted book colors…" in the settings.
• Choose a color for each category (armor, weapons, tools, bows, tridents, fishing, curses, other) or for a single enchantment.
• Choose strap color for all books, or one by category.
• If enabled by level, a max level book is always the darkest.
• The colors only change how books look for you.
• Compatible with other mods or resource pack that modify how enchanted books look.

Read enchanted books

• Read in hand | Right-click an enchanted book
• Cover | Name in Galactic Alphabet, a strap and level buckle
• Maker | Shows "By" the player who made it at an enchanting table or anvil in the author slot.
  • A book generated by the game or sold by villagers shows a magic text 'name'.
• Content | Maximum level, items and conflicts
• Multiple Enchantments | A book with two or more enchantments shows the full list.

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I. Book Placing

Lay books down in piles or stand them in rows, as decoration.

• Piles | Place up to 4 books lying flat on top of a block

• Rows | Place up to 8 books standing against a block

• Pick up | Right-click one and it pops out

• Placed books use vanilla's original model and show dye, title color, strap, trim corners, buckle and glint if enchanted.

• A book, a book and quill, a written book or an enchanted book can be placed.

  • A plain book goes down with a right-click, and the others need sneaking.
  • Sneak and right-click a pile or a row to add a book.
  • A full pile or row sends the next book to the space beside.
  • Remove any book from the pile or row without breaking.
  • Piles and rows need a solid block under them, like a candle.

• Players without Scribe can still put books down, take them and break them, seen as the book item.

Uninstalling Scribe loses the placed books.

II. Ink Bottles

Craft ink bottles you can place for decoration and add a quill to the bottle.

• Craft | A Water Bottle and a dye make one ink bottle

• Place | Up to 4 bottles in one space

• Quill | Right-click a placed bottle with a Feather

• Re-dye | An ink bottle and another dye change its color

  • The 16 colors match the 16 dyes.
  • Ink bottles stack to 16.

• An ink bottle works as a dye on sheep, signs, wool, leather, books, enchanting tables and in any recipe that dyes an item.

• When used in crafting the glass bottle comes back.

• A book, an ink bottle and a feather also make a Book and Quill.

III. Reading

A player reading or writing holds an open book using vanilla's book model.

• Read animation | Hold open and look down to the book when reading or writing.

• Page flips | Every page turn shows a flip page animation

• Librarians read | A librarian at work also holds and reads a book every now and then

• Opens and closes | The book opens when you start reading or writing and closes when you stop.

• Pose command | /books pose holds book in hand, no reading/writing screen.

  • Takes a book and quill, a written book or an enchanted book from your main hand or your off hand.
  • Held books use vanilla's original model and show dye, title color, strap, trim corners, buckle and glint if enchanted.
  • It stops by itself when the book leaves your hand, a book screen opens, you die, go through a portal or leave the world.
  • Type it again, or press Escape, to stop.
  • In first person, you see the book open in both hands.
  • Other players see the pose and the page turns.

• Librarians | Librarians will read a book while standing or walking around during work hours.

  • They read an enchanted book from their trades.
  • If no enchanted book trades they read a plain book.
  • Reading does not stop them from working at their lectern.

• Use settings to turn the reading pose and the librarians' books off.

IV. Lecterns

Read and write on lecterns

• Open and close books | Books are placed closed, watch as they open and pages turn

• Shared reader | Everyone sees the same page

• Page memory | A book put back opens where it was left

• Write on it | Edit a book and quill in place

• Enchanted books | Place and read its content

• Books on lecterns use vanilla's original model and show dye, title color, strap, trim corners and buckle and glint if enchanted.

Write and Read on Lecterns

• One writer at a time | The first player to open a lectern's book and quill writes.
  • While someone writes at a lectern, nobody else can take or sign the book.
  • When they close it, the next player gets the pen, with the latest words.
• Take Book | Use a button to take the book back.
• If the lectern is broken while you write, your unsaved text goes to your backups.
• Use Settings to turn each lectern editing and enchanted book reading off.

Open and Close Books

• Animated | The book opens, closes and flips its pages.
• Librarians | A librarian opens or flips pages of the book for a few seconds at a time when using a lectern and leaves it as it was when done.
• For everyone | Going back to the cover closes the book for all readers.
  • The lectern remembers a closed book in the world save.
• Redstone | Comparators read the page, open or closed.
• Sneak and click | With an empty hand to close or open the book.
• Settings can turn closed books off.

V. Enchanting tables

Enchanting tables show colored floating books.

• Craft it | A table crafted with a dyed book keeps its color
• Dye it | Right-click a table with a dye
• Wash it | A water bottle removes the dye
• Rainbow book | Name a table jeb_ in an anvil
• GUI | The open book in the enchanting screen shows it too.

VI. Look-at Tooltips

Look at a lectern, chiseled bookshelf or a placed book to see its details.

• Lecterns | Title, author and page

• Chiseled bookshelves | The book you aim at

• Placed books | The book you aim at in a pile or row shows the same lines.

• Enchanted books | Show their first enchantment and "and more". Sneak for all.

• See title, subtitle, author/pen name, page number, chapter number and materials.

• The tooltip sits above the hotbar.

• Sneaking shows every line.

• A pen name is shown in italics.

• Use settings to switch where it is used and pick a text size

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• Settings | Open them from the gear in the book, with /books settings, or from Mod Menu
• Presets | Writer, Reader, or only Scribe's book screens
• Switch parts off | Every part has its own switch, and Writing utilities, Book personalization and Books in the world each have a master switch
• Guide | /books guide opens a book with info about Scribe
• Keys | Set keys binds for the guide, Scribe settings and reading book pose

Requirements and compatibility

Scribe needs Fabric API. It overlaps with the book mods listed below, so you can't use it together with them.

Requirements and works with

• Fabric API
• Optional: Mod Menu, for a settings button in the mod list
• Built-in support for More Chiseled Bookshelf Variants: its shelves show book colors too
• Enchantment Descriptions: its descriptions show in the enchanted book reader
• Resource packs: Book icons and chiseled bookshelf books are their own pack

These are compatible and will turn off Scribe's look-at tooltip:

• Jade
• WTHIT
• Chiseled Bookshelf Visualizer
• Bookshelf Inspector

Mod Conflicts

• Scholar
• Scribble
• Stendhal
• Colorful Books
• Book Scroll
• Book and Quick Save
• Bookmark
• Book Tweaks
• Book Formatting
• Enhanced Book Writing
• FixBookGUI
• Better Books Fabric
• Book Copy

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Thank you for the support. All ideas and suggestions are welcome.