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Centering Left-aligned Text On Longest Line Per Page

Participant ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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I am working on a book of poems. I need to make sure that the (left aligned) text running within each page is centred on the longest line. As far as I am aware there is no mechanism for doing this automatically in inDesign and besides, the optical centre will always be different from the actual centre.

So I need to manually add an indent to every page to indent the text until it feels centred on the page. My problem is that some of the stanzas/paragraphs run between two pages which each need different indentation. I can only apply indent to a whole paragraph, meaning it will effect the beginning of the paragraph on one page and the end on another. If the second page requires a different indent this means the end of the paragraph that has run over from the previous page will indented correctly for the previous page and not the current page or vice-versa.

Is there any sensible solution to this problem?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

I've had some good fun setting poetry in the past. Most of it can be scripted. As Ariel and Bill mentioned, each line should be a separate paragraph. Then you can left-align the lines and centre the page on the longest line using the following script:

Select a text frame, then run the script

if (app.selection.length && app.selection[0] instanceof TextFrame) {

  frame = app.selection[0];

  longest = Math.max.apply (null, frame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset);

  indent = (frame.geometricBounds[3

...

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LEGEND ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Screenshots!

(^/)

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Participant ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Untitled-2@2x-100.jpg

Hopefully this will help. In this example, the paragraph in red runs over two pages, but each page needs a different left indent.

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People's Champ ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Each line should be a separate paragraph.

When you need extra space between the stanzas, use a different paragraph style that has that extra space.

That way you will be able to control the indents of individual lines within each stanza independently.

Ariel

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Participant ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Thanks, this does seem viable, but I'm surprised this kind of hackery is the best solution going.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Hadn't spotted Michel's suggestion.

> I'm surprised this kind of hackery is the best solution going

Why do you call this 'hackery'?

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Community Expert ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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It seems to me that the simplest solution is to insert a paragraph return at the end of the last line on the page. Then whatever falls on the next page is not affected by the indent of the previous page. Every way that I have ever heard of applies indent to an entire paragraph.

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Participant ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Thanks Bill, yes this is a workable solution, though it will break if the text reflows at all (for example the space between paragraphs increases).

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LEGEND ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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As we talk about poetry and as my very clever friend Ariel said, I suppose each line is a para!

So, it's easy: just select the text on each page and align in 1 click!

Capture d’écran 2017-08-13 à 16.12.52.png

(^/) 

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Community Expert ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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I've had some good fun setting poetry in the past. Most of it can be scripted. As Ariel and Bill mentioned, each line should be a separate paragraph. Then you can left-align the lines and centre the page on the longest line using the following script:

Select a text frame, then run the script

if (app.selection.length && app.selection[0] instanceof TextFrame) {

  frame = app.selection[0];

  longest = Math.max.apply (null, frame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset);

  indent = (frame.geometricBounds[3]/2) - (longest/2);

  frame.lines.everyItem().leftIndent = indent;

}

You'll often find that you need to tweak the alignment because centring on the longest line isn't always optically aligned.

Peter

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LEGEND ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Nice code, Peter!

Maybe a loop on each page to find each main text frame and a limitation to the "Body" para style could be allow the op to do it in just 1 click on all the doc? 

About this kind of discussion, see:

Re: Horizontal alignment of text in InDesign

For memory, the older solution proposed by someone and that I noted a very long time ago is:

Re: Setting poetry (2) Centering frames?

in April 2010, written by … Ariel! [ He certainly forgot it! … and Jong too!  ]

(^/)

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LEGEND ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Supposing the op has styled each poem lines as "Body" (in Green), the title, as "Title" (in Blue) and the author, as "Author" (in Red) …

Capture d’écran 2017-08-13 à 21.32.16.png

1 click will be enough to get this result: each page is centered-aligned-on-the-poem-longest-line! 

Capture d’écran 2017-08-13 à 21.32.40.png

/*

    0190_PoetryLines_MichelAllio.jsx

    based on an orginal code written by Peter Kahrel | See: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2370094

    Written 2017/08/13

*/

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, [], UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Poetry Lines! …" ); 

       

function main()     

{

    var myDoc = app.activeDocument,

    myPages = myDoc.pages,

    P = myPages.length,  p;   

    for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ ){ 

        var myFrames = myPages

.allPageItems,

        F = myFrames.length,  f;

        for ( f = 0; f < F; f++ ) {

            var myFrame = myFrames;

            if ( myFrame instanceof TextFrame && myFrame.contents.length > 0 ) {

                longest = Math.max.apply (null, myFrame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset); 

                indent = (myFrame.geometricBounds[3]/2) - (longest/2); 

                myFrame.lines.everyItem().leftIndent = indent; 

            }  

        }

    }

    var myParas = myDoc.stories.everyItem().paragraphs.everyItem().getElements();

    var P = myParas.length,  p;   

    for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ ) myParas

.appliedParagraphStyle != myDoc.paragraphStyles.item("Body") && myParas

.clearOverrides();     

(^/)

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 21, 2019 Nov 21, 2019

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I've been searching for an Indesign script to do just this. However, I can't seem to get yours to work (nothing happens when I run the script). Peter's simple script worked okay, but I needed something that would go through an entire document (sometimes 200+ pages) and do this.

 

Not sure where the hiccup is...

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People's Champ ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Nice script, Peter. Especially this line:

longest = Math.max.apply (null, frame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset);

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 21, 2019 Nov 21, 2019

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Hi Peter,

 

Your script works well for me, but do you know how to set it up so that it would do this for every page in the document? I've tried Obi-Wan's script, but it doesn't seem to work, and not sure why.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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Copying your question, prefixed with "InDesign", into Google turned up lots of suggestions, including a Lynda course.

As well as this: adobe indesign - Centring Text On Longest Line - Graphic Design Stack Exchange - no need to answer here and now, then.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 13, 2017 Aug 13, 2017

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I would use the direct select tool to select the right edge of each text frame and use cursor keys to move the edge to the left, make the text frame narrower. Each press of a cursor key moved the frame on unit, as defines in Preferences > Units & Increments. Shift + cursor keys moves ten units, Command or Control + cursor key moves one tenth of a unit. Keep going until you find the narrowest working size. Finally use the Alignment panel to align the frame to the page. Repeat for each page. It’s time consuming, but short of scripting it is the easiest solution I can think of.

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LEGEND ,
Aug 18, 2017 Aug 18, 2017

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Scott Falkner, join The Rebellion!

MTFBWY! 

(^/)

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Community Expert ,
Nov 22, 2019 Nov 22, 2019

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Mike_Jensen_TG said: I've tried Obi-Wan's script, but it doesn't seem to work, and not sure why.

 

Hi Mike,

what exactly does that mean?

Is there an error message?

Is the result not the result you are hoping for?

Something else?

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 22, 2019 Nov 22, 2019

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Hi Uwe,

This is the error I get (Indesign CC 2019):

Screen Shot 2019-11-22 at 9.54.56 AM.jpg

 

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Community Expert ,
Nov 23, 2019 Nov 23, 2019

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Hi Mike,

that's rather strange. The mentioned object in the error message should be a Page object.

Page objects support property allPageItems . Even if there is no object on the page; then the length of that array is simply 0.

 

Best post your code using the forum's code markup for JavaScript.

Maybe something is missing…

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 25, 2019 Nov 25, 2019

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Hi Uwe,

Back at work now, thanks for your help. Here is the code:

/*

    0190_PoetryLines_MichelAllio.jsx

    based on an orginal code written by Peter Kahrel | See: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2370094

    Written 2017/08/13

*/

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, [], UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Poetry Lines! …" );  

        

function main()      

{

    var myDoc = app.activeDocument,

    myPages = myDoc.pages,

    P = myPages.length,  p;    

    for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ ){  

        var myFrames = myPages.allPageItems,

        F = myFrames.length,  f;

        for ( f = 0; f < F; f++ ) {

            var myFrame = myFrames;

            if ( myFrame instanceof TextFrame && myFrame.contents.length > 0 ) {

                longest = Math.max.apply (null, myFrame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset);  

                indent = (myFrame.geometricBounds[3]/2) - (longest/2);  

                myFrame.lines.everyItem().leftIndent = indent;  

            }   

        }

    }

    var myParas = myDoc.stories.everyItem().paragraphs.everyItem().getElements();

    var P = myParas.length,  p;    

    for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ ) myParas.appliedParagraphStyle != myDoc.paragraphStyles.item("Body") && myParas.clearOverrides();      

}  

 

 

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Community Expert ,
Nov 25, 2019 Nov 25, 2019

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Hi Mike,

this is the second time in some days where the same error pops up. In different scripts posted here.

Cannot tell if this is by chance or because transferring old code from the old Jive forum to this new one is the cause.

At least something is missing.

 

This should work:

 

/*

    0190_PoetryLines_MichelAllio.jsx
    based on an orginal code written by Peter Kahrel | See: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2370094
    Written 2017/08/13

*/

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, [], UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Poetry Lines! …" );

function main()      
{
    var myDoc = app.activeDocument,
    myPages = myDoc.pages,
    P = myPages.length,  p;    

    for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ )
	{  
        var myFrames = myPages[p].allPageItems,
        F = myFrames.length,  f;

        for ( f = 0; f < F; f++ ) {
            var myFrame = myFrames[f];
			
            if ( myFrame instanceof TextFrame && myFrame.contents.length > 0 )
			{
               var longest = Math.max.apply (null, myFrame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset); 
               var indent = (myFrame.geometricBounds[3]/2) - (longest/2);
                myFrame.lines.everyItem().leftIndent = indent;
            }   
        }
    }
}

 

If all your text in the document should be handled, leave it at that.

 

If you want to apply this only to text with a distinct paragraph style, you have also to add some of the original code.

The style's name you want to add the changes to is important. In Michel's original code this name is "Body". Change it to your style's name and do not move the style into a style group!

 

/*

    0190_PoetryLines_MichelAllio.jsx
    based on an orginal code written by Peter Kahrel | See: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2370094
    Written 2017/08/13

*/

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, [], UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Poetry Lines! …" );

function main()      
{
    var myDoc = app.activeDocument,
    myPages = myDoc.pages,
    P = myPages.length,  p;    

    for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ )
	{  
        var myFrames = myPages[p].allPageItems,
        F = myFrames.length,  f;

        for ( f = 0; f < F; f++ ) {
            var myFrame = myFrames[f];
			
            if ( myFrame instanceof TextFrame && myFrame.contents.length > 0 )
			{
               var longest = Math.max.apply (null, myFrame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset); 
               var indent = (myFrame.geometricBounds[3]/2) - (longest/2);
                myFrame.lines.everyItem().leftIndent = indent;
            }   
        }
    }

    var myParas = myDoc.stories.everyItem().paragraphs.everyItem().getElements();
    var P = myParas.length,  p;    
    for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ ) myParas[p].appliedParagraphStyle != myDoc.paragraphStyles.item("Body") && myParas[p].clearOverrides();
};

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 25, 2019 Nov 25, 2019

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It works - thank you!! 

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New Here ,
May 31, 2022 May 31, 2022

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Hi there! I'm trying to use this script for a memoir I'm typesetting (with mixed content—some normal paragraph styles, with poems intersperced throughout). 

 

I changed the paragraph style to my own, but when I try to run the script, I'm getting a JavaScript Error:

Screen Shot 2022-05-31 at 12.15.34 PM.png
It seems like something in line 9 is causing the issue and it's probably a simple fix... but this is the ceiling of my JavaScript knowledge. Please help—thank you SO much!

 

Thanks! Pasting full code below:

/*

0190_PoetryLines_MichelAllio.jsx
based on an orginal code written by Peter Kahrel | See: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2370094
Written 2017/08/13

*/

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, [], UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Poetry Lines! …" );

function main()
{
var myDoc = app.activeDocument,
myPages = myDoc.pages,
P = myPages.length, p;

for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ )
{
var myFrames = myPages[p].allPageItems,
F = myFrames.length, f;

for ( f = 0; f < F; f++ ) {
var myFrame = myFrames[f];

if ( myFrame instanceof TextFrame && myFrame.contents.length > 0 )
{
var longest = Math.max.apply (null, myFrame.lines.everyItem().endHorizontalOffset);
var indent = (myFrame.geometricBounds[3]/2) - (longest/2);
myFrame.lines.everyItem().leftIndent = indent;
}
}
}

var myParas = myDoc.stories.everyItem().paragraphs.everyItem().getElements();
var P = myParas.length, p;
for ( p = 0; p < P; p++ ) myParas[p].appliedParagraphStyle != myDoc.paragraphStyles.item("Poem Body–A (Ljust) START") && myParas[p].clearOverrides();
};

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