Blog
October 2023
Being an InDesign shortcut master doesn’t just boost your geek status. It boosts productivity and saves time.
Out of everything we do, we graphic designers spend most of our time formatting type. From logos to magazines, there will be text needing a designer’s touch. Knowing a variety of InDesign shortcuts — particularly how to typeset in InDesign using copy format shortcuts — is an essential step to working more efficiently. But who has the time spare to read through all of Adobe’s default keyboard shortcuts?
In this blog post, we’ve saved you even more time by pulling together our top type-related InDesign shortcuts for Apple keyboards, starting with ten basics, before moving on to ten more advanced examples.
Words: Command + Left OR Right arrow
Paragraphs: Command + Up OR Down arrow
Need to move accurately between words and paragraphs? This InDesign shortcut allows you to flow through text to your heart’s content within the selected text frame.
Character: Shift + Left OR Right arrow
Line: Shift + Up OR Down arrow
If you’re needing a more precise approach to your selection processes, use this InDesign shortcut to select individual characters. For the whole line, use the up or down arrows instead.
Word: Command + Shift + Left OR Right arrow
Paragraph: Command + Shift + Up OR Down arrow
By using different combinations of arrow keys, you can pick out single words or several paragraphs at a time. Don’t forget to select the text frame before using this InDesign shortcut (the same applies for all others, too).
One word: 2 x clicks
One line: 3 x clicks
One paragraph: 4 x clicks
Keep clicking the mouse too many times when trying to select a word? Remember the above and you’ll never twitch frantically on your mouse again.
Command + I
Avoid embarrassing spelling mistakes with InDesign’s spellcheck. You can pre-select text to only check that section or have nothing selected to go through the whole document.
Command + Shift + < OR >
Quickly change the type size of selected text using this InDesign shortcut. This will increase / decrease size by two points, or include the ‘Alt’ key to for an even larger scale.
Italic: Command + Shift + I
Bold: Command + Shift + B
Underlined: Command + Shift + U
Regular: Command + Shift + Y
These InDesign shortcuts allow you to change the style of your text without a single click, collectively saving a tonne of time. Remember: they will only work if the font family you’re working in has the listed weights.
Left: Command + Shift + L
Right: Command + Shift + R
Centre: Command + Shift + C
Justified: Command + Shift + J
Fully justified: Command + Shift + F
With this next InDesign shortcut, easily switch between paragraph alignments after selecting your chosen text.
Command + Option + Up arrow + G
When typesetting large amounts of text, you’re going to need a baseline grid. Quickly align copy to your desired baseline grid with this InDesign shortcut.
Command + F
When you’re trying to find a single word or need to replace a group of words (for example: if you spot you’ve been spelling ‘typesetting’ wrong throughout a blog post), this handy InDesign shortcut is a must-know. You can even change the character and paragraph styles of selected text.
Already feeling more confident with your InDesign copy formatting shortcuts? We hope you found the basics above helpful. But, if you’re ready to add a bunch more to your toolbox, here’s where to start.
Option + Left OR Right arrow
Kerning is the individual space between characters in a word. To adjust this, simply click between two characters and use the above shortcut to move the letters closer or further away from its neighbour.
Command + Option + Left OR Right arrow
When a whole word needs tracking, use this keyboard combination to adjust the tracking of the selected text.
Option + Up OR Down arrow
Leading refers to the space between lines of copy. By adjusting the leading appropriately, it can improve readability. ‘Up’ pushes the lines of text closer together by two points, while ‘down’ pushes them apart by the same amount.
Option + Shift + Up OR Down arrow
All text sits on an invisible line called the ‘baseline’. This InDesign shortcut moves selected text higher or lower in relation to that invisible line.
Command + Option + Shift + H
This shortcut toggles the hyphenation setting on and off. It can’t be applied to individual words, though — instead, it affects the full paragraph, even when only one word has been selected.
Command + Option + I
This setting gives a visible icon for special characters that are otherwise invisible, such as spaces and paragraphs. Showing these characters is a great way to spot any double spaces or unwanted breaks in the text.
Shift + Enter
Want to split text across two lines but don’t want to create a new paragraph? This InDesign shortcut is the one for you.
Select text frame box + J
An underrated InDesign shortcut that enables you to switch between Frame Attributes and Text Attributes after selecting a text frame box. This is tremendously helpful for when you need to edit text after changing the frame’s background colour, and vice versa.
Command + Option + Shift + N
Need a marker to show current page number? Skip the several clicks to open the Special Character panel and add them in a few seconds.
Command + Option + Shift + O
Outlining text is a handy InDesign hack when creating a large format piece, or to avoid font errors at printing stage. But don’t forget to keep a live text version — no one wants to start an InDesign typesetting project from scratch if lost.
Well, it’s official: you’re now an InDesign typesetting shortcut whizz. If you’re looking to outsource some of your graphic design work, we’re always happy to help at Transform Digital.
Get in touch today and speak with one of our friendly team.
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