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Answered

How do I change text direction adobe indesign?

Forum|Forum|11 years ago
May 6, 2014
4 replies
55868 views

Hello! I am trying to format Arabic in InDesign CC. I have read several forums but I do not have the option to change the text direction in either the character panel or the paragraph panel.

Please help!

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Correct answer Willi Adelberger

YOu can keep it installed, they will be installed on the very same place. Inside the app package are additionally plugins installed. Although the program will launch in the language of the OS, but these plugins will be active in any localization when they have been installed.

It will beginn with a different new document, binding (Bindung here in German) is added:

The story can go in different directions:

Paragraphs have more options, like direction:

And even a character string can change its direction:

And as you see, even if I have a German Loc installed, some additional menus are still in English.

But there are a lot more menus, additional options in all styles, tables have also some linguistig and directional menus, and you will find a lot more.

L

Laubender

Community Expert

Willi Adelberger said: "You don't need to uninstall. Change language and install above the other lnaguage as missing plugins will be added to your primary version. …"

Hi Willi,

I wonder if this could go wrong with e.g. InDesign 2022 version 17.4 on a German system, because of a bug where the localization folder in InDesign's cache is not named de_DE, but en_US. This went wrong when updating from 17.3 to 17.4 on Windows. Perhaps also on Macs.

@Lydia25117064r8sn ,

what is the locale of your initial InDesign 2022 version?
English, US English, something else?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

L

Lydia25117064r8sn

Participating Frequently

English, on Mac. Uninstalling and reinstalling after changing to English يدعم العربية worked, it was not a huge issue in the end. I was able to save my workspace preferences so nothing important was lost in uninstalling.

S

Schoneveld

Participating Frequently

Yep! Got that one to. But as I mentioned; no result as I wished for. Indesign keeps ignoring the textdirection and those fancy textdirection buttons still don't show:

I rebooted Indesign and all. No result. It's frustrating because I know it is probably a tiny little setting I am missing... But... Aaaargggh!

Salah Fadlabi

Inspiring

On adobe cc desktop after you select language that support arabic, return to cc desktop Apps tab and select indesign to install.

U

ulib2010

Participating Frequently

Hi Willi,

I'm hoping you'll be able to help me as you seem to be the expert on this. I need RTL support for ME languages. I've read your original post from May 2014 as well as your additional post(s) from May 2016 and I'm still lost. You mentioned in your original post "language specific plug-ins" do these automatically load when you choose a ME language version (such as English with Arabic Support or English with Hebrew Support)? If they do not automatically load with that language version, which plug-in do you choose to get this to work as I need RTL language support?

I've started with the English with Hebrew Support version, I've chosen that and opened it, but I'm not seeing the icons to change the direction of the text from Western Left to Right to Mid. Eastern Right to Left.

Thanks and Kudos to Willi. Works like a charm.

For those still doubting and not being able to work it out, I use ID CC 2018 (USA Localised) and I followed Willi's steps as follows as I need Arabic Language support.

1. Open the Creative Cloud App from your Status Bar or your Application folder.

2. Go to "Preferences", click on the Creative Cloud Tab and change App Language to your desired version. In my case English with Arabic support.

3. Exit Preferences, but stay within the Creative Cloud App.

4. Go to Apps. Here you see that although you have installed InDesign the panel asks you to install again. You do NOT have to uninstall you current InDesign version.

5. Click the install button next to InDesign. The installer will ONLY install the additional plugins and Language Support. Thats it.

6. Restart InDesign, and you will see the above mentioned change in Panels.

Warning though. Back up your customised settings, Workspace etc. The Intsaller will overwrite some of them and unless you ahve backed up, you might be required to reset certain settings (I had to).

Hope this helps anybody still struggling with this.

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

Hi,

In the creative cloud application you can choose the language of your applications. There are also English with Arabic and English with Hebrew support available. If you install those versions (you can additional install several language versions if you change the language and install it again). That will add some language specific plugins which will cause additional panels, menu entries, more options in dialog boxes and so on.

E.g. if you install Arabic, Hebrew, German, Asian and run later the German loc you will see those additional fuctionality in English in the German version.

C

crystallynnoakesAuthor

Participant

Willi,

Can I keep the different versions installed? Or will I have to uninstall and re-install every time I need to change languages?

Thank you,

Crystal

Willi Adelberger

Correct answer

Community Expert

YOu can keep it installed, they will be installed on the very same place. Inside the app package are additionally plugins installed. Although the program will launch in the language of the OS, but these plugins will be active in any localization when they have been installed.

It will beginn with a different new document, binding (Bindung here in German) is added:

The story can go in different directions:

Paragraphs have more options, like direction:

And even a character string can change its direction:

And as you see, even if I have a German Loc installed, some additional menus are still in English.

But there are a lot more menus, additional options in all styles, tables have also some linguistig and directional menus, and you will find a lot more.