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StuartsIdeas
Participant
Apr 29, 2020 1:35 AM UTC
Answered

Selected text does not highlight?

Hi there, 

I can tell the text is selected when I double-click text inside a text frame, because when I trial deleting it disappears. However, the usual blue highlight of the selcetion does not show up (as it does in previous versions of InDesign, every other Adobe program and InDesign's story editor), which makes things difficult! How can I get those highlights to show? I'm working in the latest version (CC Indesign 15.0.2). 

sarah_5290Correct answer
Participant
Jul 29, 2025 2:56 PM UTC

Un-hiding a hidden spread allowed me to get text boxes to highlight correctly.
I also noticed the hidden spread was goofing up copy/pasting elements.


Un hide a hidden spread is what fixed it for me as well. Previously mentioned fixes did not work.

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19 replies

luke casey28787798q1q9
Participant
Oct 31, 2024 6:36 PM UTC

This thing still happens - it's a bug. 

You can get rid of the bug by using the search find tool to search for some text within your document - as that auto highlights the text whenever it finds something - it will highlight and then you can highlight as normal. 

Sorry if this thread is old, it just happened to me and I figured out how to get it back. 

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    defaultf542tu8qhzpr
    Participant
    Jan 9, 2025 8:04 PM UTC

    The Find + Replace is not a fix.
    Another work around is to reuse text boxes that do allow highlighting, and copy/paste new text into those.

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    defaultf542tu8qhzpr
    Participant
    Jan 9, 2025 8:09 PM UTC

    Nevermind. That doesn't work either. Something with the zoom level maybe? Ugh.

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    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 4, 2020 5:37 PM UTC

    Hi Stuart,

    don't know what your exact issue is, but you could also try the Story Editor Window:

    https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/editing-text.html#use_the_story_editor

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

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    StuartsIdeasAuthor
    Participant
    May 4, 2020 9:19 PM UTC

    Thanks Uwe, 
    Yes, this is how I've been surviving. Its still an awkward work-around, so I'd prefer an actual solution. 

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    Barb Binder
    Community Expert
    Barb BinderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    Apr 29, 2020 2:15 AM UTC

    If you think this is an InDesign issue, try rebuilding preferences:

    https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-rebuilding-preferences-cache/

     

    ~Barb

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    ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
      StuartsIdeasAuthor
      Participant
      Apr 29, 2020 9:59 PM UTC

      Thanks Barb. I've already tried this. It's not the issue. Since inquing above, I have found that some text frames in the document select text as one might expect, while others still do not. Those that do are typically newly created ones, or ones copy and pasted onto different pages. So, still wanting to know what the issue is. 

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