Rotate characters in East Asian text

Character rotation changes the orientation of individual characters without affecting overall text direction. Use it in vertical text that includes numbers, Latin characters, or symbols that need different orientations for better readability.

This feature adjusts characters in East Asian text and works independently of other formatting options, such as Shatai (oblique styling). You can combine it with Tate-chu-yoko (horizontal-in-vertical text) for better layout control. Character rotation affects only selected characters and leaves the surrounding text unchanged.

For broader orientation changes that affect entire frames or stories, use story direction controls in the Story or Paragraph panel instead.

The rotation pivot point is the center of each character. When applied, characters rotate around this center while maintaining their position in the text flow. This differs from rotating entire text frames, which affects all content within the frame.

Common rotation values and their effects

Different rotation angles serve specific layout purposes in East Asian typography:

• 90 degrees: Rotates horizontal characters to vertical orientation, useful for numbers in vertical text
• -90 degrees: Rotates vertical characters to horizontal orientation
• 180 degrees: Inverts characters completely, occasionally used for special design effects
• Custom angles: Any degree value between -360 and 360 for precise adjustments

Combining rotation with other East Asian features

Character rotation works with other CJK formatting options. You can apply it to characters with Shatai (oblique styling), though results may need adjustment. When using Tate-chu-yoko for horizontal-in-vertical text, rotation is usually unnecessary since characters are automatically oriented horizontally.