Japanese text - I am not able to copy-paste?

[annas41984531]

Dear all, my first time here - thanks for having me 🙂

I am struggling with a catalogue, where I have an English text - and just below a box where I have my Japanese translations. I need to copy-paste these translations into a new InDesign doc - our new catalogue 🙂 - but I am not able to copy - or even get access to - the Japanese text box. It just seem to appear as a 'picture' like box. Is it because I am supposed to install a Japanese font, (I do have several at my disposal) - or what am I doing wrong here? 

I doublechecked whether it could be in another locked layer, but no - it is in layer 1 and arranged completely in the front. But it is still not possible for me to even go into the box and highlight a couple of letters.... Do you have any clues at all - really appreciate it. Thanks in advance to you all :)) Sincerely, Anna 

[Geоrge]

Donwload sample package of "bugged" pages to some dropbox/yadisk and then may be some of our Japanese forummans can check it your indd and say what to do.

[annas41984531]

Thank you George-S for your kind reply. I have copied a little bit of our catalogue into a dropbox folder - Here is the link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/plbmxycx9vy81fu/AAD11bZKRo_3pXrsGx0ZPLANa?dl=0

I will also apply all with the link below. Thank you again for your kind words 🙂

[assause]

How was it confirmed as Japanese text?
Also, is that place really a text frame?
If the image is embedded, you cannot select the range as a character string.

[annas41984531]

Dear Assause, Thank you for your kind reply. I am not sure, if it is a text frame - I think, but I cannot go into the frame when ex. doubleclicking. It is locked of some sort, I'm afraid. I have copied a little bit of the catalogue with the translation and put the indesign file in a dropbox folder, please see the link here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/plbmxycx9vy81fu/AAD11bZKRo_3pXrsGx0ZPLANa?dl=0

I am not sure how to check if the box/text/image is embedded?

Thank you again 🙂

[Luke Jennings3]

The translations may be locked (Object> Unlock all on spread) or they may reside on a master page (Pages panel> Fly out menu> Override All Masterpage Items). If the translations have been placed as an object, they will appear in the links panel.

If the link is another InDesign file, you could open that file, where you should be able to copy and paste the text into the new catalog.

[annas41984531]

Dear Luke, 

Thank you for your time and kind reply. I have tried to follow you advise in regard so 'unlock all on spread' and it does not appear as anything is locked. I have also tried to look at, if it could be hidden in the master pages, but again no luck, I'm afraid. Then last I tried to see if there was a link in the links panel, but no - only the pictures that I have made in the first place, so no luck here either, I'm afraid. 

I have tried to take a bit of the catalogue and copy it into a file in my dropbox folder - and created a shared link - see here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/plbmxycx9vy81fu/AAD11bZKRo_3pXrsGx0ZPLANa?dl=0 To show you the problem. Thank you again for your kind words so far 🙂

[Test Screen Name]

Why do you assume it is text when everything seems to say it is not? I suspect this was created with each translation as a graphic, to avoid having to deal with any Japanese typesetting issues. That means maybe you can reuse these graphics (if the actual graphics exist - check the Links palette).

[annas41984531]

Thank you Test-Screen_Name - but the Links palette does not show anything. 

I have made copy of a bit of the catalogue including the translation here in my dropbox folder, and tried to share: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/plbmxycx9vy81fu/AAD11bZKRo_3pXrsGx0ZPLANa?dl=0

Thank you again for your kind reply

[annas41984531]

Dear all, 

Thank you for your kind replies. I have now spoken to Adobe help center, and they have very kindly helped me - it seems like my text has been turned into 'outlines' - so it is simply not possible to turn back to text again. So I it is the hard way, back and type it all again. Thank you all for your kind support nevertheless 🙂 Sincerely, Anna

[Test Screen Name]

Ah yes, outlines, designed to solve font issues in the moment, while making huge issues for someone else in the future... ! I am not sure why you need to type it again. Can't you copy/paste it?

[Test Screen Name]

(Copy/paste as graphics, of course)

[annas41984531]

Hi, yes thank you, I thought so too in the beginning 🙂 - this just leaves me with the issue that the columns width in the new catalogue are a bit different, and since I can only paste in the 'fixed' columns of the old catalogue, it does not look right. But thank you anyway for your comment 🙂

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

I seem to remember reading that you can just flow Japanese character by breaking lines anywhere, and all the characters are the same width (or exactly half). But don't quote me on that!

[annas41984531]

Hi, - thanks that makes sense - could be it is not all bad luck 🙂 I will go back to my translator and ask. Thanks again 

[Luke Jennings3 · Accepted solution]

Acrobat can recognize raster type, for example from a scanned page. You could try exporting to a high-res jpeg, then opening the jpeg in Acrobat to extract the text, I have no idea if this would work with Japanese text, or if it would be any easier than setting from scratch.