Feature Request: Highlight Text Effect

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I’d love to see a text effect to highlight text. Right now, designers everywhere use underline options and have to manually add spaces to simulate a highlight effect. I think this would be a very easy effect to program, especially when the highlight text effect is very in right now.

Dave Creamer of IDEASCorrect answer

Community Expert

This is the best/proper place to suggest a new feature (or bug):

https://indesign.uservoice.com/

Be sure to search for existing posts to vote on before adding a new one.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

Frans v.d. Geest

Community Expert

Use a character style, that is what they are for ;-)

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Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

If I understood it correctly, the OP adds spaces before and after the highlight. I assume to make sure the highlight doesn’t stop at the edge of the letters. A character style would not solve that.

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David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

K

kelly_5757Author

Participant

That’s exactly correct.

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rob day

Community Expert

Hi @kelly_5757, It can be scripted and usually that means it wont get added as a feature. If you like I can post a sample.

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K

kelly_5757Author

Participant

Yes please!

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rob day

Community Expert

Something like this where the selection is one or more words. Adds a new swatch named “Highlight”

highlightWords(app.activeDocument.selection[0])

/**
* Adds an underline to highlight the words of a selection 
* @ param Selected text with at least 1 word
* @ return value void
* 
*/
function highlightWords(s){
    if (s == undefined) {
	    alert("Please Make a Selection")
        return null
    } 
    if (s.constructor.name == "Text" || s.constructor.name == "Word") {
        var c = makeSwatch(app.activeDocument, "Highlight")
        c.properties = {model:ColorModel.PROCESS, space:ColorSpace.CMYK, colorValue:[0,5,100,0]}
        var p = s.words[0].pointSize
        s.words.everyItem().properties = {underline:true, underlineColor:c,  underlineWeight:p, underlineOffset:-(p*.25)}
    } 
}


/**
* Makes a new named Swatch 
* @ param the document to add the color to 
* @ param color name 
* @ return the new swatch 
*/

function makeSwatch(d, n){
    if (d.colors.itemByName(n).isValid) {
        return d.colors.itemByName(n);
    } else {
        return d.colors.add({name:n});
    }
}