Skip to main content
Inspiring
August 12, 2024
Question

How can I have both English and Hebrew text written correctly in InDesign?

  • August 12, 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 3864 views

How can I have both english and Hebrew text written correctly?

I tried all paragraph composers but none get both written properly.

Either Hebrew comes out left to right or english from right to left.

 

<Title renamed by moderator>

 

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 20, 2024

So you didn't install it yet? Your screen shot shows you at step 4 on this page. https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/access-install-hebrew-arabic-indesign-illustrator-CC.html

 

Will you confirm that you completed steps 5, 6 & 7?

 

~Barb

 

 

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 20, 2024

Maybe they got it installed but they're looking in the wrong place. Writing-direction is not in the Story panel, but in (among other places) the Character panel and the Character Style window. That was mentioned more than once in this thread, but it appears to make little impression.

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 20, 2024

I believe you Peter,  but I'm seeing the section shown below on this page: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/arabic-hebrew.html (dated Jun 4, 2024).

 

Was it removed? Or just added?

 

~Barb

 

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 14, 2024

To be clear, to access the direction buttons, it's not about changing InDesign preferences or CC preferences.

 

You need to install the English/Hebrew version of InDesign. You might not want to, or be ready to, but the buttons are only available in the ME versions of InDesign. They are not part of the US English (North American) version. 

 

Also, @devorah_9121 and @Hendy374084080dng, are you two separate users with the same issue, or one person with two Adobe IDs. I can't tell. At any rate, @Hendy374084080dng, based on your screen shot, you will need to install an ME version

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Inspiring
August 15, 2024

Why might not I want to?

And how do I install it?

Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
August 15, 2024
Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 12, 2024

I have combined English and Arabic many times without problems (not too many, anyway).

Set the world composer globally, it handles both Hebrew and English.

The paragraph's alignment is determined by the basic language: right-aligned for Hebrew, left aligned for English.

 

The important part is to use a character style to change character direction. If you have an English text with some Arabic, create a character style for Arabic and set its character direction to right-to-left. (You need a character style anyway yo set the font.)

 

If each language is always a full paragraph, then it's much easier: create a separate paragraph style for both English and Arabic. But I'm guessing you mix langaueges inside paragraphs, correct?

Known Participant
August 14, 2024

I'm working on a hebrew profect with some english text here and there.

It's set on 'eniglish USA' language and on world-ready composer.

The hebrew text come out fine, but all english text is backwards.

For example: number 21 comes as 12!

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 14, 2024

Create a character style for the English text and set its character direction to left-to-right.

Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
August 12, 2024

Are you talking about both in the same paragraph?