My text threads are backward

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

In the current book I'm formatting in ID, the text threads seem backward. They usually go in top left to out the bottom right. Note the screenshots of the two examples. One right, the other wrong, I think.

I'm hoping I won't have to start over with a fresh document and PLACE the text all over again. I've done this process hundreds of times, and this has never happened when using the autoflow. Anyone have an idea what happened and how to fix it?

[Barb Binder]

Oh boy. This would be expected when using a R to L language like Hebrew and Arabic. English is L to R (Left to Right).

So the why first: are you using an ME (Middle East) version of InDesign? Or did the file you are working on begin on someone's installation of an ME Version of InDesign? In either case, you should be able to change the story direction in Type > Story (see https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/arabic-hebrew.html) but will likely need to reflow it one more time. 

~Barb

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

No, I'm not using a middle eastern version---but that's a moot point. To be clear, the TEXT itself is not backward. If you look at the images, it shows that the THREADING is attaching on opposite places. Compare the two photos and you should see what I mean.

Also, i don't see any options in TYPE>STORY. I'm not using story for anything. THis is a PLACED document (Novel), using shift-click to autoflow. As I said, I've done this hundreds of times without this issue and I am stumped about why the threading attaches at different locations--like it's mirroring the correct attachment.

[Kelli Jae Baeli · Accepted solution]

Well, maybe this will help someone else. I did a workaround. I didn't want to lose the line edits I did, so I did a ctrl+A to select all the text in the book and did PASTE IN PLACE in a fresh template. Then I resized that first text frame to match those set margins, clicked the red x and loaded the cursor, added a second page, and then did the shift+click onto the next page, so it would autoflow. When I checked the threading, it looked right.

So I guess the problem is solved, but i still don't know what made it happen.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

So you created the book, pasted the text in place, did some line editing... and THEN noticed it was all backwards?

Just for future reference, InDesign layout and structure and its content are pretty highly separated. The content and structrure are not as integral as other apps. You can easily port the content to another frame or location while/when you fix layout issues, without losing any content or changes.

[Barb Binder]

Glad you were able to get this worked out, @Kelli Jae Baeli. 

To be clear, the Story panel controls the threading order (which was visible in your screen shot), which is separate from the language order. Not clear why InDesign decided to switch the story direction on you without ME influence, but since you have it worked out, we can move along. I'll mark your last answer as correct.

~Barb

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I'm confused. My Story panel has no such controls — are they only in the MEL version? But the functionality is (apparently) in the underlying code of even the Western edition, and can be toggled by some random glitch?

[Barb Binder]

Yes, the controls are in the ME version—you can see them on the page I linked to in my first reply. At that point, I was still trying to figure out the situation.

Now, I think this can happen in a file that originated in an ME version too. I don't see any way it could toggle on otherwise. Nor have I seen reports of it. 

~Barb