Non-breaking en dash

[YvonneB837]

Hi all,

I am working on an Indesign file in which I want to use non-breaking en dashes. I have tried to use the 'No break' option under 'Basic character formats', but this is not working for me with en dashes. For other punctuation marks, such as periods and slashes, it works perfectly fine. Is there another way to approach this issue?

[Barb Binder]

Hi @YvonneB837:

I'm curious how you are using the en dash. An en dash should be used between ranges of numbers to represent the words to or through. For example, tonight's homework is to read pages 23–28. See https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/em-dash-en-dash-how-to-use.

How are you using it? I'm asking because I'm having a hard time setting up an example. InDesign keeps the numbered range together and I can't get it to break. If it use it between words, it will. In the example, below, as I edit the numbers, they move together to the next line. If you are using them between words, you can create a GREP style and assign no break to an en dash and it will take care of it as you see on the words quais–quell.

~Barb

[YvonneB837]

Hi @Barb Binder,

I am using the en dash for number ranges, just like in your example. I have been struggling with getting the en dash to work, but I am glad to say that I have finally solved it. For periods and slashes, it worked to only apply the 'No break' setting to the period or slash, but this was not working for the en dash. However, in the end I figured out that it does work when applying it to the entire number range.

Your example got me thinking (and frustrated), but it helped me finally solve the problem, so thank you!

[Barb Binder]

Excellent, Yvonne. I started down that path, but then I couldn't get the numbers to split, as you saw in my video, so changed direction.

I'm glad you have taken care of it.

~Barb

[Matthew5C62]

I use find change.

Find ^9^=^9

Change no break

And that works fine.