How Do I Type Vertical Text in InDesign?

Adobe InDesign text by default runs horizontally across text boxes. A few different methods exist for running text vertically. If you use the CJK edition of InDesign, which supports Chinese, Japanese and Korean scripts, you can type English words in text boxes that allow vertical type. If you don't use that version, you can insert a space after each letter in the text and then reduce the text box's width until the words run vertically. For a less tedious solution, assign the text to a vertical path within the document.

Instructions

1. Click the "Line" tool from the Tools toolbar.

2. Press and hold the "Shift" key.

3. Click the area where you want the text to begin.

4. Hold down the mouse button and drag your cursor to the lowest point where you want the text to appear.

5. Click the "Text on a Path" tool from the Tools toolbar. Its icon shows a letter "T" on a slope.

6. Click the path that you drew with the Line tool. Type your text.

References

• Adobe: Creating Type on a Path
• InDesign Secrets; Setting Vertical Text in InDesign; David Blatner; March 2007

Resources

• Viz Com: InDesign Tips
• Brown University: InDesign CS2 Tutorial