Typesetting tricks archive
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- krisscott210
In CS3 I created a key command for the eyedropper tool. That way I could easily toggle back and forth to it while still in text. this along with the various Shift+opt+command combos for navigation would make quick style changes when styling body text or agate or whatever.
For some reason now my special opt+i customized eyedropper key command ain't working the same in CS4. I dunno what it is, and it's a small thing.. but annoying
- gramme0
Holy crap, we've made a thread that has something useful in just about every post.
- baseline_shift0
any thing else‽
- Smoking the interrobong, I seegramme
- lol. always.baseline_shift
- HAHA. This is so true.duckofrubber
- DeSiard0
learn how to use style sheets. It amazes me how many designers that don't use them come through my office.
- not really a trick, but thanks... :)baseline_shift
- yeah, my type trick is: learn about typemonospaced
- gramme0
This is general typesetting protocol, not InDesign per se. TV, CBS, BC, FBI, and all other acronyms without periods should be set in small caps (IF true small caps are part of the font). State abbreviations can go either way depending on preference (I personally like them in small caps). U.S.A., C.S. Lewis, and other proper nouns that typically have periods should not be small capped.
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For kerning, always start with metrics rather than optical. Depending on the font, sometimes they'll look better with optical kerning; sometimes they require hand-kerning (which is preferable anyway if time allows).Like Bringhurst says: it's better not to kern at all than to do it poorly.
- krisscott210
cmnd+return = quick apply. Once you get used to it, it makes styling large # of pages super fast.
- rkrd0
I thought it was well-known, but had to explain it to a colleague just yesterday: instead of drawing a rectangle behind certain headlines every time, set the rule below in paragraph prefs to whatever thickness is needed and a negative offset. Rule below will always stay behind the type, rule above will always cover it.
- Useful but a nightmare at the same time. Hard returns at the end of every line... pfftDancer
- but still better than drawing and moving all those rectangles ;)rkrd
- FYI. Any rules or bullets or color boxes in text boxes disappear if you outline text.duckofrubber
- Just change the underline options. You can specify a character style to apply an underline. saves time.Gucci
- rkrd0
to make a font default in InDesign, just choose any font in characters palette, and restart. Bye bye, TNR
same goes for units and you can set horizontal ruler to mm and vertical one to inch or something. with no file opened, it will become default- This applies to EVERYTHING. You can set your hyphenation/justific... rules, everything. Even your swatch palette.monospaced
- yeah, that was so frustrating before i found that out. Prefs apply only to the doc open, unless you do them without an open doc.baseline_shift
- You should note that there can't be any documents open while you do this...Gucci
- rkrd0
Kind of oldschool, but still useful sometimes: if the font has no fi ligature and ugly collisions, mass substitute all f_i with f_dotlessi
- ADRENONLINE0
What percentage of magnification is good to use for kerning in Indesign? Sometimes it changes when you zoom in and out. Also, it looks different sometimes on screen and laser printed.
Any suggestions?- only trust the printed results, and common sense.rkrd
- Print it if you can't figure it out, I guess.monospaced
- gramme0
baseline, I just used your little dagger trick. Works like a charm! :)
- studderine0
gramme is the kiiiing of typesetting!
- non0
I always change all double carriage returns and work with space before/after.
shift+return = soft line break (yeah, I didn't know...)
Awesome tips everyone
- scrameone0
bump
- imakethepictures0
Bump indeed. Thanks everyone for the tips. It's like Christmas in this thread.
- d_rek0
Although I don't believe in evaluating type that will be printed on screen I have found that on a Mac inverting your screen color helps identity white space in blocks of copy in a pinch.
The default keystroke for it is:
ctrl+alt+apple+8- also, if you do this in an apple store, you can watch the "geniuses" panic.Gucci
- BaskerviIle0
- awesome!d_rek
- — i needed that yesterdayindex
- damn you, I pressed the 'ok' button when I'd finished reading.... :)Amicus
- FYI. If you outline the type, the underlines disappear.duckofrubber
- bulletfactory0
saw an interesting twitter post - here are scripts for InDesign - saw one that lets you adjust kerning tables - haven't tried, but could be useful