Apply Kenten to text

Last updated on Jun 2, 2026

Learn how to use emphasis marks to highlight specific Japanese text characters in Adobe InDesign.

Kenten (also known as Bouten) adds emphasis marks above horizontal text or to the right of vertical text to highlight specific characters. In Japanese typography, use this feature to draw attention to important words or phrases. Choose from preset mark styles, such as small circles or sesame dots, or specify custom characters as emphasis marks.

Select a Kenten style

Select the text characters you want to emphasize.

Select Type > Character.

Select Kenten, then choose a mark style such as Fisheye, White Circle, or Sesame Dot. You can view the selected Kenten marks above your horizontal text or to the right of vertical text.

Customize Kenten appearance

Select the text with Kenten marks applied.

Select Type > Character.

Select Kenten > Kenten Settings.

In the Kenten Type section, choose a preset style or select Custom to specify your own character.

For custom characters, type the character directly in the field or specify a character code for your character set.

Adjust Position to set the spacing between Kenten marks and the parent characters.

Select Above/Right to attach Kenten above horizontal text or to the right of vertical text, or select Below/Left to attach it below horizontal text or to the left of vertical text.

Set the Size value to control the size of the Kenten marks relative to the text.

Select an Align option to position marks at the Center or Left (above for vertical text) of each character's em box.

Adjust HScale and VScale values to modify the horizontal and vertical proportions of the Kenten marks.

Select OK.

Change Kenten color

Select the text with Kenten marks applied.

Select Type > Character.

Select Kenten > Kenten Settings.

In the Kenten Color section, select a color swatch from the list.

Specify tint percentage and stroke weight values as needed.

Select Overprint Fill or Overprint Stroke to enable overprinting for the Kenten marks when printing to commercial presses.

Select OK.

After applying Kenten marks, you can modify individual character formatting as needed. The marks stay linked with their parent characters and move with them during text reflow or editing.

To remove Kenten marks, select the emphasized text, then select Kenten > None from the Character panel menu.

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