Bullet character AFTER text?

[Spenno]

Hi InDesign wizards.

I've looked into this a few times over the years without finding a satisfying solution!

Is there any simple way to add a bullet after text, in exactly the way a paragraph style could add one at the start of it with a character style dictating its appearance?

In my case I have a catalogue which is a grid of alternating text frames appearing on the left or right. When they appear on the right, there is a nice left arrow (bullet) at the start of the heading, pointing towards its image. When the text appears on the left, there needs to be an arrow pointing right - but just not at the start of the paragraph, but after it.

[Spenno]

I should add I did stumble upon David Blattner's terric tip by using Hebrew text - which is sooo close, but lots of my entries have a code or fraction at the very end - which ends up getting moved to the start of the paragraph.

[BobLevine]

Try using a nested style none through one tab and then type the character you want. You can assign a character style to it.

[MW Design]

I've done similar in QXP--and it is a touch easier in ID.

The below used GREP styles and separate p.styles for left/right.

When I did mine, the left/right heads actually used a corresponding letter on each side of the head, like so (in your case):

t heading u

The GREP style for the left h1 sets the font to the Wingdings 3 font and hides the u, the right h1 does the opposite.

Here's a link to an .indd file (CS6):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qo6w6nzg2yz9xjj/left-right-arrows.indd?dl=0

You can make it all more automatic via apply next be editing the styles. But you would need to make a sub2 style and only if they all use the same paragraph pattern in your pdf (thanks for including it).

Mike

[Spenno]

Mike this is great! But I assume I would need to manually add the left and right arrows and a space at the start end and of every heading? Anyway I can automate that please, no doubt with another fantastic GREP?

[MW Design · Accepted solution]

How are the t or u characters being put into place now?

These letters can be added but it takes the headings already having a paragraph style that isn't used for non-related text.

You would do a GREP find/change, setting the scope to the paragraph style used. What GREP cannot ascertain is whether a particular heading should be a left/right pointing heading.

I'm using a phone right now so off the top of my head...

In f/c, switch to the grep tab.

For the find what field type in (.+)

For the change to field type in t $1 u

At the bottom there is a box for find format. Click the magnifying glass symbol, and on the right, pick your paragraph style. Click OK.

The above will add a t<space> at the beginning of those headings and a <space>u at their end.