Use the Type tool to select inside the text frame you want to edit, or select multiple text frames.
- What's new
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Get started
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Settings and preferences
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Create and organize pages
- Import and convert file to InDesign
- Create documents
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Arrange and order pages
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- Split a page from the spread
- Rotate the spread view
- Delete a page or spread
- Manage layers
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Layout and grid tools
- Apply layout adjustments
- Rulers and measure tools
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Grids
- Create and customize layout grids
- Use a baseline grid
- Use a document grid
- Convert between text frames and frame grids
- Set frame grid properties
- Show or hide frame grid character count
- Show or hide grids
- Snap objects to grids
- Create and apply named grids to frames
- Edit or delete named grids
- Import grid formats from other documents
- Generative AI features
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Add and manage text
- Add and manage text frames
- Add and import text
- Type on a path
- Conditional and variable text
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Format and style text
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Text styles
- Create and edit text styles
- Override text styles
- Delete text styles
- Add and manage text styles from CC libraries
- Find and replace text styles
- Map styles to export tags
- Apply sequential text styles to multiple paragraphs
- Break the link between text and its style
- Auto-style text
- Apply style pack presets or create a style pack
- Manage style packs
- Map Word styles to InDesign text styles
- Create GREP styles
- Create nested styles
- End or remove a nested style
- Character formatting
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Tabs, indents, and spacing
- About kerning and tracking
- Adjust kerning between characters
- Adjust text spacing with tracking
- Adjust text baseline and vertical position
- Adjust text spacing
- Control glyph scaling
- Highlight spacing issues
- Set and repeat tabs
- Edit and manage tab settings
- Specify characters for decimal tabs
- Set indents
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- Lists and numbering
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Text styles
- Fonts
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Language and proofing
- Language settings
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Arabic and Hebrew
- Set up World-Ready composers for Arabic and Hebrew
- Control text direction for Arabic and Hebrew
- Justify Arabic text with automatic Kashida insertion
- Apply ligatures to Arabic and Hebrew text
- Adjust diacritical marks and coloring in Arabic text
- Set digit types for Arabic and Hebrew text
- Copy and paste Arabic and Hebrew text from Microsoft Word
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Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
- About Mojikumi and Yakumono in Japanese layout
- Spacing classes and Yakumono types
- Apply Yakumono character types in layout
- Customize Mojikumi spacing sets
- Set spacing priorities in Mojikumi character classes
- Adjust spacing around Japanese punctuation
- Use Kinsoku settings
- Format CJK text
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- Apply Shatai to text
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- Adjust aki before and after characters
- Apply Tate‑chu‑yoko in vertical text
- Add and format Ruby text annotations
- Apply Kenten to text
- Set Character Alignment for East Asian text
- Set Gyoudori for Japanese text
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Glyphs, characters, and expressions
- Insert glyphs and special characters
- Open and view glyphs
- Replace characters with glyphs
- Find and replace glyphs
- Construct a GREP expression
- Find and replace items using queries
- Hidden character glossary
- View or show hidden characters
- Create and insert math expressions
- Edit math expressions
- Stylize math expressions
- Find and replace with text patterns (GREP)
- Save and manage find and replace queries
- Manage language dictionaries
- Spell check
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Indexes and references
- Add a Table of Contents
- Footnotes and endnotes
- Create an Index
- References and bookmarks
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Add graphics and media
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Add and edit graphics
- Generate images with text prompts
- Extend images beyond borders
- Apply effects to text and shapes
- Add images to documents
- Add and manage graphics from CC libraries
- Edit images
- Import Firefly assets
- Import options for Adobe files
- Import options for image formats
- Import Illustrator graphics
- Use Adobe Stock images
- Create contact sheets
- Manage frames and objects
- Object libraries and snippets
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Transform and arrange objects
- Move, scale, rotate, shear, and flip objects
- Transform multiple objects and repeat transformations
- Object transformation settings and options
- About anchored objects
- Transform anchored objects
- Create and position anchored objects
- Manage and update anchored objects
- Group and lock objects
- Create hidden and nonprinting objects
- Align or distribute objects
- Manage links
- Manage object styles
- Movies and sound
- Animation
- Page transitions
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Add and edit graphics
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Add tables and data
- Create tables
- Format tables
- Table and cell styles
- Strokes and fills
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Interactive elements and forms
- Buttons
- Hyperlinks
- QR Codes
- Forms and PDFs
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Create lines and shapes
- Drawing tools
- Draw lines and shapes
- Edit and style paths
- Combine and convert paths
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Apply color
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Define and manage color assets
- Apply color to text, objects, and backgrounds
- Mix and define custom colors
- Organize and reuse color swatches
- Add and manage colors from CC libraries
- Sample colors from placed graphics
- Apply colors to grayscale images
- Find and replace colors
- Swatch types
- Create and define new swatches
- Modify and delete swatches
- Import and share swatch libraries
- Create and edit tints
- Create mixed ink swatches and groups
- Edit and convert mixed ink swatches
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Advanced color techniques
- Apply opacity and transparency effects
- Transparency effects options and settings
- Change transparency display settings
- Apply blending modes
- Blending mode options
- Control blending with isolation and knockouts
- Create and name gradient swatches
- Modify and adjust gradients
- Transparency flattening overview
- Apply flattener presets for output
- Create custom transparency flattener presets
- Transparency Flattener preset options
- Fix transparency flattener preview
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Define and manage color assets
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Collaborate and review
- Track changes and review
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Share and collaborate
- Share for review overview
- Share documents with review links
- Review a shared InDesign document
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- Edit InDesign documents with InCopy on the web (beta)
- View custom fonts
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- Import PDF comments
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Edit with InCopy
- About assignment files between InDesign and InCopy
- Set user identification
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- Create and manage assignments
- Relink or unlink assignment files
- Open and update managed content
- Check in and check out content
- Save managed layout changes
- Workflow icons for managed files
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Save, export, and publish
- Save and export
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Export to EPUB
- Export to EPUB
- EPUB export options in InDesign
- Accessibility features while exporting to EPUB
- Accessibility enhancements for indexes
- Adjust text resizing for accessibility
- Add ARIA role while exporting to EPUB
- Add ARIA labels to objects
- EPUB export support and limitations
- Create accessible glossaries
- Export to HTML and web
- Publish work online
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Print
- Page setup and printer marks
- Ink and color management
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Color output and separations
- About color separations
- Prepare documents for color separation
- Create color separations
- Save and print color separations
- Print gradients as separations
- About ink trapping
- Trap a document or a book
- Trap preset options
- Set the trap width for colors next to black
- Print a composite
- Use color management when printing
- Color output options
- Print objects on all color plates
- About overprinting
- Overprint strokes and fills
- Overprint paragraph and footnote rules
- Simulate spot ink overprinting
- Change the black overprint setting
- Preview color separations and ink coverage
- Preflight
- Print booklets
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Automation and scripting
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App integrations
- Access Express templates from InDesign
- Adobe Capture plugin
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Troubleshoot
- Known and fixed issues
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Launch and crash issues
- Submit a crash report
- Crash or Error 2 when saving documents
- Launch issues after Windows update
- InDesign Rosetta version won’t open in future macOS releases
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- App running slower than usual
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- Crash during print setup on Windows
- Crash while working with remote libraries
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- Crash, freeze, or app open issues at launch
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- Crash on lost network connection
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File and output issues
- Can't open PDF files created in InDesign
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- Damaged or corrupt documents
- Insufficient system memory errors
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- Recover InDesign documents
- Printing and PDF export errors
- PDF export fails when downsampling large images
- Graphics appear pixelated, fuzzy, or grainy
- Received an error when working with HEIF or HEIC files
- Adobe Print Engine output failures
- Page and layout options unavailable
- Can’t open documents in previous versions
- Error codes while using publish online
- InDesign PDF export hangs in the background
- InDesign documents won't print
- Font and plugin issues
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Settings, interface, and feature issues
- Feature keyboard shortcuts don’t work
- InDesign preferences and support file locations
- Data merge fails with absolute paths on macOS
- Pages panel scroll bar missing or UI elements disappear
- Missing user dictionaries
- Error 195 during InDesign installation
- InDesign Server activates as Developer Edition
- InDesign Server license fails after VM move
- InDesign Server licensing issues
- Cloud collaboration and web issues
Open and use Story Editor
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to edit text without layout distractions and view tracked changes using Story Editor in Adobe InDesign.
Story Editor displays text in a simple, continuous flow, making it easier to read, review, and edit overset content. Each story opens in its own window using a consistent font and size, and changes update the layout instantly.
Open and Exit Story Editor for a text frame
Select Edit > Edit in Story Editor.
A. Vertical depth ruler B. Paragraph styles C. Drag divider to adjust column width D. Overset text indicator
Select Edit > Edit in Layout to return to the layout view with the same text selection or insertion point.
Configure Story Editor preferences
Use the Type tool to select inside the text frame you want to edit.
Select Edit > Edit in Story Editor.
Select Edit > Preferences > Story Editor Display (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Story Editor Display (macOS).
In Text Display Options, select your preferred display font, size, line spacing, text color, background color, and theme.
Select Enable Anti-aliasing to smooth text edges and select an antialiasing type if desired.
Under Cursor Options, adjust cursor appearance settings.
Select Blink to make the cursor flash.
Select OK.
Tip
If working with South-East Asian scripts, set the Story Editor display font to match the font used in your document to ensure characters display correctly.
Show or hide Story Editor components
Use the Type tool to select inside the text frame you want to edit.
Select Edit > Edit in Story Editor.
Select View > Story Editor.
Select the option you want to toggle:
- Show Style Name Column or Hide Style Name Column: Controls visibility of the paragraph style names on the left.
- Show Depth Ruler or Hide Depth Ruler: Displays or hides the vertical ruler indicating text depth and overset boundaries.
- Expand All Footnotes or Collapse All Footnotes: Controls whether footnotes display expanded or collapsed.
- Show Paragraph Break Marks or Hide Paragraph Break Marks: Displays or hides paragraph return symbols to mark where new paragraphs begin.
View tracked changes and notes
The Story Editor uses workflow usernames to identify authors of notes and tracked changes. Each user's contributions appear color-coded according to settings in Edit > Preferences > Notes (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Notes (macOS).
Use the Type tool to select inside the text frame you want to edit.
Select Edit > Edit in Story Editor.
To add a note while in Story Editor, select where you want the note anchor.
Select Type > Notes > New Note.
Type your note content between the note bookends that appear.
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