SIMStylebook.com - Better Homes and Gardens® Special Interest Media Stylebook and Resources

SIMStylebook.com - Better Homes and Gardens® Special Interest Publications

SIMSTYLEBOOK.COM - Better Homes and Gardens® Special Interest Media

InDesign Tips

FIND THE SCRIPTING WINDOW: To get to the scripting window (to make fractions, dimension x’s, and contact sheets), pull down the Window menu and select Automation, then Scripts. If you don’t want to mess with this step every time, drag the Scripting window to a corner of your screen instead of closing it when you’re done. It will show up there in each new document you open. (4/26/07)

FORCE AN APOSTROPHE: When InDesign tries to make an apostrophe at the start of a word or number into into an opening single quote, you can force the apostrophe with option-shift-]. (1/4/07)

BEWARE SEARCH AND REPLACE: Never, ever use a universal search and replace, even for a task as simple and repetitive as fixing page numbers. If you replace every instance of "00," for example, think about what happens to "100 square feet" or "May 2006." If you replace every instance of "xx," a proper name such as Exxon can get you into trouble. Confirm every change. Yes, it takes a little extra time—but so does looking both ways before you cross the street. (11/2/06)

FLOW IN DUMMY TYPE: When you're placing dummy text in a layout, please don't copy actual text from another story. Old headlines, captions, and pull quotes can easily slip through if the grammar and spelling are correct and the topic makes sense. Instead, use the dummy type that InDesign provides: Select the text box, click on the Type menu, then choose "Fill with Placeholder Text." You'll get text that no one could ever mistake for actual copy. It's also a good idea to remove dummy text or unused text from the pasteboard before sending a story to CEs. (8/24/06)

FIX DOUBLE SPACES: Microsoft Word is pretty intuitive about where to put spaces when you cut and paste copy. InDesign, not so much. Moving type around often leaves double spaces, so it's a good idea to do a search-and-replace before you approve a layout. Go to the Edit menu and select Find/Change, or just type apple-f. Enter two spaces under "Find what" and a single space under "Change to." Please confirm each change. Don't choose Change All, or you'll delete double spaces that were left intentionally for spacing, particularly in folios and display type. (7/20/06)

EDIT IN TEXT-ONLY WINDOW: To read copy in a text-only window, click inside a text box, then go to the Edit menu and select Edit in Story Editor, or just type apple-y. To return to the layout, go to the Edit menu and select Edit in Layout, or type apple-y again. (You can choose the colors, font, and type size for this window. Go to the InDesign menu and select Preferences, then Story Editor Display.) (6/8/06)

FIX WIDOWS: Please be cautious about forcing line breaks to get rid of widows. You might leave the line above much too airy, which can be as big a problem as having a widow in the first place. In that case, leave the widow and note the problem for the designer, who can adjust spacing throughout the paragraph. (4/13/06)

TURN OFF HYPHENATION: Remember that we don't hyphenate rag-right copy. To turn off hyphenation, uncheck the Hyphenate box in the paragraph menu. This command works at the paragraph level. (Please don't eliminate hyphens by forcing line breaks. If you insert extra returns, even minor edits can leave bad text wraps.) (4/6/06)

SELECT OBJECTS BEHIND OTHERS: To select an object behind another object, hold down the command key as you click through each object in that layer. Once you have an object selected, move it by dragging the center point. (Dragging from anywhere else will move the object on top.) (3/23/06)

TURN OFF PARAGRAPH COMPOSER: Are you frustrated when InDesign changes the text wrap above a word or sentence you’re altering? That feature is called Adobe Paragraph Composer, and it plays heck with copy-fitting. But you can turn it off. Pull down the Type menu and select Paragraph. Click the arrow at the upper right corner of the Paragraph box, then choose Justification. In the Composer window, select Adobe Single-line Composer. (2/23/06)

SHOW INVISIBLES: Can’t get paragraph and space marks to show in an InDesign document? You’re probably in preview mode. Click the bottom left icon in the toolbox to switch to normal mode. (This mode will also let you see type that’s been placed on the pasteboard.) (1/19/06)