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Ditch the Typos with InDesign’s Dynamic Spellcheck Settings

Adobe InDesign is considered by many to be the gold standard for print publishing – including layouts for magazines, posters, flyers, annual reports, and more.

With InDesign’s full palette of artistic tools at your fingertips, it’s easy to get lost in the creative process while preparing for print. But gorgeous full-color spreads can be marred by one dreaded element – that embarrassing typo.

InDesign offers several layers of editing support. Here’s what they are and how to use them.

Perfect Your Text with InDesign's Dynamic Spellcheck Settings

1. Basic Spellchecking

The first line of defense against typos is running a basic spell check.

1. Select the Type tool.
2. Choose Edit > Check Spelling > Spelling.
3. InDesign will check your full document unless you alter the scope using the Search option. Select key text blocks or choose from All Documents, Document, Story, or To End of Story to prioritize sections for review.
4. Press Done, then File > Save.

2. Spellcheck Editor Settings

Are unique or branded words being flagged as typos? You can choose to ignore them or add them to your lexicon as follows:

In the Not in Dictionary field, choose from these options:

Skip: Use this option to bypass one flagged word but check any repeats later in the document.

Change: To alter a word spelling ONE time, follow the prompts in the Change To box.

Ignore All: Select this prompt when you’re sure a problematic spelling works for the entire document.

3. Dynamic Spelling and Document-Specific Settings

Annoyed by an overactive spellchecker?

Tweak your Check Spelling settings by modifying the Find section tailored for Missed Words, Repeated Words, Uncapitalized Words, and Uncapitalized Sentences. Example: Deselect Misspelled Words if you’re designing a brochure with hundreds of names.

You can also enable Dynamic Spelling to instantly highlight errors or use autocorrect settings to fix typos or complete acronyms as you write. Here’s how to set up autocorrect:

1. To see autocorrect options, choose Edit > Preferences > Autocorrect (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Autocorrect (macOS).
2. If enabling autocorrect, select Add.
3. Click OK to add the word, then OK to dismiss the Preferences dialog box.
4. Use menu option Edit > Spelling > Autocorrect. When you type a space, period, comma, forward slash, or greater than/less than sign, the word will autocorrect after you type it.
5. In the document text, enter this word followed by a space using the Type tool.
6. Until the term you inserted is removed, choose Edit > Undo.
7. Select File > Save.

To record modifications or allow multiple editors to propose and review adjustments, try the Story Editor feature and choose Type > Track Changes. Play around with tools like Seven Layer, Track Changes, Accept All Changes, or Dynamic Spelling.

Leave Nothing to Chance

After devoting hours to your masterpiece, don’t let simple errors take you down. Enable advanced editing features to ensure a flawless finish!