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e ch n
e ch n
Inspiring
August 12, 2024
Answered

Break Character Shortcuts... Wrong?

  • August 12, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 1133 views

Hello, community.

 

(I am working on InDesign v 19.5)

 

In the "Type" menu - Insert Break Character - The first 3 options "seem" to have a keyboard shortcut but, the symbol reiterated in the three options, which looks like a lying letter "K", and its combinations, do not work when trying to apply them on the keyboard (besides that the keyboard does not have a lying letter K) and in the "Keyboard Viewer", I did not find that symbol... which could well be an option, but I did not find it... despite using different key combinations (command, option, shift etc.).

At Adobe phone support they told me that those that, to me, "seem to be keyboard shortcuts" next to the options "Column Break, Frame Break and Page Break", are not shortcuts, but that, when applying those functions, they would be the symbols that would appear in the text, when the invisible characters are active... but in the observable evidence, it is not like that... because the symbols of those functions, are different in practice, as well as in theory, inside the InDesign help page in the Adobe site...

Inside InDesign:

 

 

Applied to text:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Adobe site dedicated to InDesign:

 

 

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

 

So... if they are not keyboard shortcuts:

 

  1. Why are they placed where the keyboard shortcuts are placed?
  2. Why do these symbols, in the Break menu, do not appear in the text as the Adobe support explains, if not others?  And...
  3. What are they then?

 

Thank you very much for reading and for any guidance you can provide.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Mike Witherell

macOS uses icons to represents keys. In this case, it is the Enter key on the numeric keypad on a full size keyboard. On a small keyboard, you would press fn Return as an equivalent. No, they are not the onscreen symbols, as you correctly observed. InDesign distinguishes between the Carriage Return and the Enter key and has different keyboard shortcuts for them. So, yes, altho not super clear on a mac, these are keyboard shortcuts built into InDesign.

2 replies

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Mike WitherellCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 12, 2024

macOS uses icons to represents keys. In this case, it is the Enter key on the numeric keypad on a full size keyboard. On a small keyboard, you would press fn Return as an equivalent. No, they are not the onscreen symbols, as you correctly observed. InDesign distinguishes between the Carriage Return and the Enter key and has different keyboard shortcuts for them. So, yes, altho not super clear on a mac, these are keyboard shortcuts built into InDesign.

Mike Witherell
e ch n
e ch nAuthor
Inspiring
August 14, 2024

Thank you very much, Mike Witherell.


Very clear and concise explanation, indispensable for those of us who have a short version keyboard and want to save time with keyboard shortcuts.

Very grateful for your time and attention.

jmlevy
Community Expert
jmlevyCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 12, 2024

Hi @e ch n this is not a rotated K, but it represents the “enter” key, the very right one on the keyboard on the numeric part.

Edit: if you have a laptop without extended keyboard, press the Fn key while pressing the Return key.

    e ch n
    e ch nAuthor
    Inspiring
    August 12, 2024

    I understand, that does make sense. Thank you jmlevy.

    It happens that, my keyboard is short version and that symbol does not appear in the included keys and, I did not find it in the keyboard viewer.

    Question: on a keyboard of this size, is there any way to access the keyboard shortcut, or can the program be configured for that purpose?

    Thank you very much, jmlevy.

    jmlevy
    Community Expert
    jmlevyCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 12, 2024

    You must press simultaneously on the “fn” key (at the very left) and the “enter / return” key at the right.

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