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Adobe InDesign is an incredibly powerful tool for creating professional-level layouts and designs. From books and brochures to flyers and magazines, it’s the industry standard for handling all types of print and digital publications. Among the many text-editing tools and features that InDesign offers, users sometimes need to add visual emphasis to their text by highlighting it. You might be wondering whether it’s possible to highlight text directly in InDesign—and if so, how you can go about it. This article will guide you through the process of highlighting text in Adobe InDesign and explain various approaches you can take to achieve that effect.

Highlighting Text in Adobe InDesign

Unlike word processors such as Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign doesn’t have a built-in, one-click text highlighting button. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve a highlighting effect. There are several techniques you can use to make text stand out in your InDesign documents. Below, we’ll cover the different methods you can use to highlight text and provide a step-by-step guide to each.

Method 1: Using Paragraph Shading

One of the easiest ways to create a highlight effect in Adobe InDesign is by using the Paragraph Shading feature. This feature allows you to apply a colored background to an entire paragraph, effectively giving it a highlighted look.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Paragraph Shading

1. Select the Text: Use the Type Tool (T) to select the text that you want to highlight. You can select an entire paragraph or just click inside the paragraph without selecting specific characters.
2. Open the Paragraph Panel: You can access the Paragraph Panel by going to Window > Type & Tables > Paragraph.
3. Activate Paragraph Shading: In the Paragraph Panel, look for the Paragraph Shading button. It looks like a square with a shaded color. Click on this button to activate shading for the selected paragraph.
4. Customize the Highlight Color: To customize the shading, click on the Shading Color drop-down menu and select the color you want to use. You can choose from the default colors or create a custom color swatch that matches your design.
5. Adjust the Shading Offset: You can fine-tune the shading by adjusting the Offset settings. This allows you to control how close the shading is to the text, ensuring that it looks clean and visually balanced.

Using Paragraph Shading is ideal when you need to highlight entire paragraphs or blocks of text, and it allows you to apply uniform highlighting quickly and easily.

Method 2: Creating a Custom Highlight Box

Another effective way to highlight text in Adobe InDesign is to manually create a highlight box behind the text using the Rectangle Tool. This method gives you greater flexibility in customizing the appearance of the highlight and works well for emphasizing specific words or phrases within a paragraph.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Custom Highlight Box

1. Select the Rectangle Tool: Press the M key or select the Rectangle Tool from the Tools Panel on the left-hand side of your workspace.
2. Draw a Highlight Box: Draw a rectangle around the text you want to highlight. Make sure the box is large enough to cover the entire text area. You can adjust the size of the box later if needed.
3. Send the Box to the Background: With the rectangle still selected, go to Object > Arrange > Send to Back. This will place the highlight box behind the text.
4. Adjust the Color: With the highlight box still selected, go to the Swatches Panel and choose a fill color for your highlight. You can use a solid color or even add a gradient for a unique effect.
5. Adjust Transparency: If you want a more subtle highlight, you can reduce the opacity of the highlight box by opening the Effects Panel (Window > Effects) and adjusting the Opacity setting.
6. Align the Highlight Box: Ensure that the highlight box aligns well with the text. You can manually adjust the position of the box to achieve a clean, balanced appearance.

This method works well when you need to highlight individual words or phrases rather than entire paragraphs. It also allows for greater creative freedom, as you can play with different colors, transparency levels, and shapes.

Method 3: Using Underline Options to Create a Highlight Effect

A creative workaround for highlighting specific words in Adobe InDesign is to use the Underline Options to simulate a highlight effect. This method gives you a similar look to traditional highlighting without creating additional shapes or elements.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Underline Options

1. Select the Text: Use the Type Tool to select the text that you want to highlight.
2. Open Character Panel: Go to Window > Type & Tables > Character to open the Character Panel.
3. Underline the Text: Click on the Underline button in the Character Panel to add an underline to the selected text.
4. Customize the Underline: With the text still selected, open the Character Panel Menu (accessible from the panel options in the top-right corner) and click on Underline Options.
5. Adjust the Underline to Create a Highlight Effect:

• Weight: Increase the weight of the underline to make it thicker. This will make it appear like a highlight rather than a simple underline.
• Offset: Adjust the Offset value so that the underline overlaps with the text, creating a background highlight effect.
• Color: Choose a color for the underline that works well as a highlight. You can pick from the existing swatches or create a custom color.

1. Preview and Refine: Preview your changes and make any necessary adjustments to the weight, offset, and color until you achieve the desired look.

Using Underline Options is a quick and effective way to highlight specific words without adding additional shapes or manually positioning elements. It’s particularly useful for projects that require a clean and streamlined workflow.

Tips for Highlighting Text in Adobe InDesign

• Maintain Readability: When choosing a highlight color, make sure there is enough contrast between the text and the highlight to maintain readability. Avoid using colors that make the text difficult to read, such as bright yellow with white text.
• Consistency: If you need to highlight text throughout your document, maintain a consistent style. Use the same color, opacity, and style for all highlights to keep your design cohesive and professional.
• Use Paragraph and Character Styles: Create Paragraph Styles or Character Styles for your highlights to make it easy to apply the same effect across multiple parts of your document. This will save time and help ensure consistency.
• Test for Both Print and Digital: If your project is intended for both print and digital formats, make sure to test how the highlights look in both versions. Colors that look good on screen may not print accurately, so adjust accordingly.

Conclusion

While Adobe InDesign doesn’t have a dedicated text highlight button like some word processors, there are multiple ways to achieve a highlighting effect that can add emphasis and visual interest to your design. Whether you use Paragraph Shading, create a custom highlight box with the Rectangle Tool, or use the Underline Options for a creative solution, Adobe InDesign provides the flexibility needed to highlight text effectively.

By understanding and mastering these methods, you can enhance your layouts and ensure that key information stands out, helping you to create impactful designs that resonate with your audience. So, the next time you need to highlight text in Adobe InDesign, try out one of these techniques and see how it can elevate your design.