SfC Home > Publishing > InDesign >
Hidden Characters in InDesign
by Ron Kurtus (15 May 2020)
Hidden characters in InDesign documents include extra spaces between words, tab space, paragraph breaks, and figure space.
You can show or hide the hidden characters as you see fit. You can also change them.
Questions you may have include:
- What are typical hidden characters?
- How do you show or hide the characters?
- How can you find and change these characters?
This lesson will answer those questions.
Hidden characters
Typical hidden character in an InDesign document include:
Paragraph or line break (¶)
Extra spaces (´´´)
Tab space (»)
Figure space (#)
Show or hide
You can show the hidden characters in your document by accessing from the menu bar:
Type > Show Hidden Characters or Hide Hidden Characters
You can also simply key in: Alt+Ctrl+i.
Find and Change
You can find and change a hidden character from:
Edit > Find/Change or Ctrl+f.
Then click the @ icon at end of Find what: and Change to: boxes. A Drop-down window displays. Select the name of the hidden character to find or change.
Summary
Hidden characters in InDesign documents include extra spaces between words, tab space, paragraph breaks, and figure space.
You can show or hide the hidden characters by keying Alt+Ctrl+i. You can also find and change hidden characters as you see fit.
Learn the nuances of InDesign
Resources and references
Websites
Books
(Notice: The School for Champions may earn commissions from book purchases)
Students and researchers
The Web address of this page is:
www.school-for-champions.com/indesign/
hidden_characters.htm
Please include it as a link on your website or as a reference in your report, document, or thesis.
Where are you now?
Hidden Characters in InDesign