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Minx_Creative
Minx_Creative
Participant
November 25, 2019
Question

InDesign Glyph — Make an alternative letter permanent

  • November 25, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 1180 views

Hello,

 

I'm using a typeface which has an alternative letter style within the glyphs, is there a way I can assign the alternative letter to default instead of manually changing it?

 

Many thanks!

 

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Jeff Witchel, ACI
Community Expert
Jeff Witchel, ACICommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 25, 2019

If you're using OpenType, you could set up a GREP Style. 

Select the alternate characer in your text, and set up a Character Style. Then incorporate that Character Style as a GREP Style within the GREP Styles section of your Paragraph Syle.

Here's a video about Styles that should help. I get into GREP Styles about 9 minutes into the video.

http://www.jeffwitchel.net/2013/08/indesigns-super-styles/

 

    Jongware
    Community Expert
    JongwareCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 25, 2019

    Is that alternative available in an OpenType style -- one of "Discretionary Ligatures", "Titling Alternates", "Contextual Alternates", or one of the numbered Stylistic Sets?

    Or is the Glyphs panel the only way to call it up?

    Minx_Creative
    Minx_CreativeAuthor
    Participant
    November 26, 2019

    Thank you for getting back to me.

     

    You can either choose from the glyphs panel or highlight the letter and the other options will appear (I've attached a screenshot). 

     

     

     

    Jongware
    Community Expert
    JongwareCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 26, 2019

    If you hover the mouse above the alternate, a pop-up will tell you of what it is an alternate of, but also what kind.

    The character ª in Calibri, for example, has an alternate with a feature 'case':

     

     

    Now, as I can see it in the Glyphs panel, I can select it manually and choose the capitalized character. But that means you'd have to manually hunt down and change every occurrence. As we can see here that this particular variant is recalled through 'case', I know that I can apply "All Caps" to the original character and automatically get this variant. And "All Caps" can be applied with a character style so this can be done automatically.

     

    So that's what I need to know for your character -- can it be called up through a feature? And if so, which one?

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