Justify text using Kashida and hyphenation

Last updated on Oct 27, 2025

Learn how to insert automatic Kashidas in Arabic text to modify the text visibility.

Automatic Kashida insertion

In Arabic, the text is justified by adding Kashidas. The whitespace between the characters doesn’t modify.

Select the paragraph with Arabic text using the Type tool.

Select Type > Convert To Area Type to wrap the text within the box.

Select Window > Type > Character and then select the Character panel menu.

In the Character panel menu, select Kashidas.

Select Window > Type > Paragraph, and change the alignment of the paragraph to any of the justified alignments

Note

This setting isn't applicable for paragraphs that have alignment settings.

Select one of the following options from the Insert Kashidas dropdown menu:

  • None: No changes are applied.
  • Short: Adds small Kashidas in text
  • Medium: Inserts moderate-length Kashidas
  • Long: Inserts extended Kashidas
  • Stylistic: Changes Kashidas automatically based on the font style.
The Paragraph panel displays various options to align and modify Arabic text with highlighted Insert Kashidas dropdown, while the Character panel displays various font editing options along with Kashidas enabled for Arabic text.
Modify Kashidas for Arabic text as required.

Hyphenation

Sentences with more words that can fit one line of text automatically wrap into the next line. The type of text justification when wrapping sometimes causes unnecessary spaces to appear in the line, which isn't aesthetically appealing or linguistically correct. Hyphenation enables the splitting of the word at the end of a line, using a hyphen. This fragmentation causes the sentence to wrap into the next line.

Mixed text

The Kashida insertion feature affects how hyphenation occurs in mixed text.

Select Window > Character.

To hyphenate text, do one of the following:

  • Enable Kashidas to hyphenate both Arabic and non-Arabic texts.
  • Disable Kashidas to hyphenate only non-Arabic texts.
Note

This functionality is disabled when you select Arabic as the Language in the Character panel.

Hebrew text

In the Paragraph panel, select the Paragraph panel menu , and then select Hyphenation.

In the Hyphenation panel, customize the settings and select OK.

The Hyphenation panel displays the following highlighted customization settings: Words Longer Than, After First, Before Last, Hyphen Limit, and Hyphenation Zone.
Insert Hyphenation by customizing the options in the Hyphenation panel.

Note

Make sure Hebrew is selected in the Language dropdown in the Character panel.