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Jumping columns when hitting enter at end of paragraph

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
April 5, 2022
4 replies
5457 views

Just like my subject line says, when I hit enter at the end of a paragraph/line, rather than taking me to the next typical paragraph line, it's jumping me to the next column. I have spent the better part of the day trying to find a solution to no avail.

I am up to date, but I did get a new computer (transitioned from HP to Gateway, if that makes any kind of difference).

I've attached a screenshot. So, the arrow is where I first experienced the issue (the other paragraphs ahead of the ones in question were already in the document, as they had been pulled over from a previous document - I'm operating on a template of our calendar). In every place in the document, if I hit enter after something, it automatically jumps to the next column at this point.

Correct answer Peter Spier

Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts...

Choose Type Menu in the Product area dropdown then scroll through the list to Insert Break Character: Paragraph Return and select it.

Put yourt cursor in the New Shortcut box and press your Enter key.

Click the Assign button, then OK. You should be asked to name your new custom set.

Sorry, one more thing. Seems you may need to change the Context field to Text from Default to get this to work.

hammer0909

Community Expert

I'd try turning off Num-lock and make sure that the function key is not somehow enabled. The behavior you're experiencing is that of using the enter key instead of the return key. If you're on a laptotp, it's probably intiated by an additional key on the keyboard. Any lights enabled indicated something has been enabled?

Peter Spier

Community Expert

Aside from Rebecca telling us she has no numpad, turning off numlock is going to cause trouble in any other program that uses a number pad for input. Better to just fix the keyboard shortcuts in InDesign. It solves the problem where it lives, it's simple, and remapping the Num Enter to paragraph break means it won't matter if the user has made a mistake along the line somewhere and accidentally enabled a fn or numlock key. A new shortcut can be created in the same set to handle column breaks if desired.

This is a fairly isolated problem -- I've only seen it myself in real life on one old HP laptop and in the forums only a handful of times. I suspect it's some sort of BIOS quirk on certain machines and trying to remap things through the OS would be near impossible

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Rebecca23913714hjouAuthor

Participating Frequently

Okay, back again because it's not just that particular document (or type of document). I discovered in any document that I go into and have to hit "enter" it automatically shoves everything into the next column (or into oblivion when there are no additional columns in play).

A bit more background. I recently switched from an HP to a Gateway (both laptops - there is no return button on the Gateway, only enter), and the app is up to date, I have uninstalled InDesign, restarted my computer, reinstalled it, and restarted it again, all to no avail. Full disclosure, I don't know enough to start fresh with a document. I am primarily using InDesign to create calendars that are plugged into a magazine. The moral of that story is that I am always working from an existing document, rather than creating a new one.

I am at a total loss. Any help would be appreciated!

BobLevine

Community Expert

You're using the enter key on the number pad. Stop doing that and use the standard enter key.

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Rebecca23913714hjouAuthor

Participating Frequently

I don't have a number pad on this keyboard. No return key/additional enter key at all, just enter.

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

@Manan Joshi probably has the correct answer - sounds like it's Keep Options.

An alternative

Enter and Return are two different keys on the keyboard.

One does a normal return and the other is to insert a column break.

Are you sure you're hitting the correct key - or that a Keyboard Shortcut hasn't been transitioned over.

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Rebecca23913714hjouAuthor

Participating Frequently

I had seen a video on this as a possible issue early on in my digging, and had a glimmer of hope, unfortunately, this keyboard only has the one button (enter).

Thank you for your response, though!

Peter Spier

Community Expert

Laptop? I've seen this problem where the regular enter and numpad enter keys sre mapped together and this sounds similar. The solution is to edit the keyboard shortcuts and change the vbehavior of the numpad enter key from column break to paragraph break.

M

Manan Joshi

Community Expert

Please check the Keep Options settings of the paragraph style applied on the text. It might contain the setting to start the paragraph in the next column.

-Manan

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Rebecca23913714hjouAuthor

Participating Frequently

You know, I tried this and I don't know if I'm just dumb, but this didn't fix my issue either. 😞 Still working on a solution.

Thank you for trying to help my cause!

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