How to Format a Quote in InDesign

People new to typography frequently mistake the double prime symbol for proper quotation marks. This symbol, which is used to represent inches, is the character that appears when you press the quotation key on your keyboard. In a professionally prepared document, the double prime symbol can look sloppy and awkward. InDesign's industry-standard typesetting capabilities let you set your document's preferences to use true typographer's quotes instead of primes.

Instructions

1. Launch InDesign and select "New" from the "File" menu. Select your page preferences, such as page, margin size and number of pages and columns, then click "OK."

2. Select "InDesign" from the main menu, then select "Preferences" and "Type" from the sub-menu.

3. Check the box next to "Typographer's Quotes," then click "OK."

4. Select the "Text" tool from the "Tool" palette. Type your quote, using the same key that generates the double prime marks.

Tips & Warnings

• Word and RTF text files export quotation marks as double prime marks.

References

• Adobe CS5 and CS5.5: Place (Import) Text