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M
maingor-gXQynN
Participating Frequently
September 28, 2010
Question

How do I force straight quotation marks to turn to smart quotes?

  • September 28, 2010
  • 3 replies
  • 53665 views

Our ID prefs are set to use smart quotes but there are times when we get text documents that refuse to toe the line. We fix that by doing Find/Change and forcing all straight quotes to change to smart quotes. Is there a way to tell InDesign to change all those by itself whenever any straight quotes is placed on a page? Note that we are mostly editors who have to do layout by ourselves. We also have guys who only do layout but they don't really understand InDesign, so we want to make things a lot easier for them. We are all using InDesign CS5.

Thank you.

      3 replies

      fredl65064644
      fredl65064644
      Known Participant
      December 20, 2023

      Apparently Adobe hasn't figured out how to apply typographer's quotes if the text is used as a section marker--then only straight quotes appear. Meaning instead of a section marker you need to use a text variable for a running head.
      Any thoughts to the contrary?

      jane-e
      Community Expert
      jane-eCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      January 2, 2020

      Just because it hasn't been mentioned yet, new text should be placed, not copied and pasted. When you place text and show import options, then “Use Typographer’s Quotes” is turned on by default. Confirm that it is on for you.

       

      And for trivia (for those who care) if you want typographer's quotes in these forums, here are the shortcuts:

      “  Option + [

      ”  Option + Shift + [

      ‘  Option + ]

      ’  Option + Shift + ]

       

      ~ Jane

        FivePicaPica
        FivePicaPica
        Inspiring
        September 29, 2010

        Is "Use Typographer's Quotes" checked?

        I'd also pick up a copy of  the InDesign Visual Quickstart Guide by Sandee Cohen. It's about $25.00, but worth every penny to have on hand.

          M
          maingor-gXQynNAuthor
          Participating Frequently
          September 29, 2010

          Yes, it's checked in all our machines (all iMacs, btw). Any other solution? Any suggestion about how to make a shortcut so that when I press just one key combination, all the straight (stupid) quotes would become smart quotes?

          I did read Sandy's Quick Start Guide when we were still using ID2. I also bought the book by David Blattner and Steve Werner for ID3. But I stopped using ID regularly after a career change. Now I'm again helping the guys I left earlier.

            Jongware
            Community Expert
            JongwareCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            September 29, 2010

            Find: ^"

            Change to: "

            (For single quotes it's the same.) (Well, almost.)

            (Note.) Adobe calls them "Typographers' Quotes", not "smart" quotes, because once they are in your document in either 'opening' or 'closing' form, they won't smartly change to the "correct" form when editing text.

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