InDesign says text overset but it isn't

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
February 11, 2025
4 replies
687 views

Hi when I export my InDesign magazine, it says when I'm trying to save it that text is overset on two pages. But when I look at the design, it isn't. I even deleted the text frames and typed up the content again. Any reason why this is happening that you can think of?

How to

Correct answer Willi Adelberger

Do you use the preflight panel?

Open it, click on the error messages. That will bring you to the problematic text frame directly.

If you do not see the problem directly, select the text frame and change to text mode (cmd/ctrl+y).

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

Sometimes folks type too many empty hard returns in a text story. The layout looks fine to the reader's eye, but there are extra hidden non-printing text characters at the end of a story thread.

To see non-printing whitespace characters, turn on...

Type > Show Hidden Characters

Could that be the case with your magazine?

Also, try Edit > Edit in Story Editor mode to see just the text characters.

PostScript:

Oh, and one more thing. This happens to me whenever I flow the overset text out onto a textframe on the pasteboard:

Even if no hard returns are pushing out onto the textframe on the pasteboard, if I don't delete the empty threaded textframe off the pasteboard, InDesign thinks I have overset text.

Mike Witherell

R

Randy Hagan

Community Expert

I concur.

I used to help lay out newspapers for a client who, whenever he couldn't immediately come up with what he would type next, would hit the space bar a few times while he worked it out in his head. I told him I was torn between busting the space bar on his system or the thumb he used to keep hitting it with.

Alas, that threat didn't stop him either. I had my hopes ...

Randy

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

That brings new meaning to the expression "opposable thumbs".

Mike Witherell

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

@ali_4619

Hidden layers or Cells in Tables?

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

On a layer that's hidden? Hard to know without seeing it.

J

jedr84547724

Participant

I'm having a similar issue that has me stumped. I recently converted a file created in a previous version of indesign to 20.2 and this issue is driving me crazy. My text just disappears and I have idea why. In the editor, I'm told I have an offset text situation but it makes no sense. Happy to send an example.