Participant

Answered

Typing Symbol for "Inches"

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
April 17, 2009
8 replies
175073 views

Can anyone tell me how I can type the proper unit for inches in InDesign? Is there a proper way of doing this? All I get is qoutation marks when I use "shift" and the qoutation mark key.

Thanks,

DaveyDave

How to

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Correct answer FivePicaPica

Sorry to neglect the PC side.On the PC that would be ALT+Shift+"

Marvin's right, but it's worth pointing out that inches should be marked with double prime marks rather than dumb/straight quotes. Most character sets don't have them, but it's worth looking at the glyph menu.

If the font does have the prime marks (eg. Helvetica), I usually just do a GREP search:

Find what: (\d)”

Change to: $1\x{2033}

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

If space permits, may I suggest you use "ft." and "in." instead of primes? Less confusion for the viewer. (Spinal Tap anyone?)

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

M

miais

Participant

InDesign converts all straight quotes to curly quotes by default, but if you want a straight quote, it’s fairly easy to get them. Press Command + Shift + Option + ‘ This key combo turns off the quote converter preference. Now your quotes will be straight. If you want to go back to curly quotes, just press the key combo again. You have to set each document to enable this feature

FergyMac

Inspiring

FWIW I switch fonts to Universal News with Commercial Pi and type the number "9" for inch marks and "8" gives me the foot symbol.

P

Pete33

Participant

Try using> shift option g

macinbytes

Inspiring

That and the shortcuts I listed above are for the double acute and acute symbols, but they will get you by.

One is much more likely to find those in fonts, though real type crazies will tell you to use a double prime and not a double acute. Very few fonts have prime marks. None of the Adobe fonts that ship with CS5 have them that aren't Asian. Looking through a pile of fonts I'm seeing only Arno as a layoutworthy font with prime symbols.

I'm still antiprime. Straight quotes do the job, match the typeface and are less of a hassle to keep consistent. I've still never seen primes used in anything other than geographics.

macinbytes

Inspiring

I've had prime marks rejected in favor of straight quote marks. I think it is kind of like many clients insisting on using hyphens on prefixes. Even after explaining the proper use and even getting them to be in agreement that it is correct I have to change layouts for those two circumstances.

I know prime marks are correct, but who uses them for print? I've never seen literature in a Home Depot, Lowe's or Menard's that used a single or double prime mark. I am just wondering who is using them? Never once have I seen a prime symbol in POP or sales literature.

RodneyA

Participating Frequently

Most science journals and mathematicians use real "prime" marks. I wouldn't expect Home Depot ads to choose "correct" over "fast." Although there's graphics software out there that uses the circle accent that goes over the Danish å instead of true degree signs (which are larger). When preparing maps in the seismology journal I publish, I try to change all the primes and degrees to proper symbols when the software will let me in...

Note that once you've inserted a Glyph using the Symbol font the first time, it will show up in the top row of the Glyphs palette, and is easier to insert, since you don't have to explicitly change the font.

macinbytes

Inspiring

I'm accustomed to seeing primes for GIS software or reading maps, which makes sense. I've never seen primes used anywhere outside of mapping. Though the prime symbol may be correct on some level to indicate inches and feet, but no one is using it. I've never seen an engineered or manufactured drawing use them. Never see them in architectural drawing. I think outside of cartography " > ˝

I just think it is bad advice to tell people to use prime marks when most customers want straight quotes and don't care what is right per the dictionary. They will say snuck and don't care how many times you tell them it is sneaked.

shift + opt + e = ´

shift + opt + g = ˝

if you want the keystroke. This is true on the mac for all programs including Illustrator, InDesign and your standard system text input.

T

Thomas Phinney

Inspiring

If the font doesn't have a double prime mark, try using the vertical double quote ("dumb" double quote), but italicize it. That gets about as close to the double prime mark as you'll find, and will better match the weight/style of the typeface than just borrowing the double prime from the Symbol font. Leastways, that's been my experience as a typographer who is unduly fussy about such things. :)

Cheers,

T

http://www.thomasphinney.com

D

Dave_DaverAuthor

Participant

How do you type "prime marks" instead of the straight quotation marks? I am using helvetica neue. thanks!

Kenneth C. Benson

Inspiring

Helvetica Neue doesn't have a prime, but you can get a prime or double prime from Symbol font. Go to the Glyphs palette, change the font to Symbol, and choose prime or double prime. If you're on Windows, you can just type ALT 0162 (prime) or ALT 0179 (double prime) from the numeric keypad while Symbol is selected.

Ken Benson

D

Dave_DaverAuthor

Participant

Is that the same for MAC?

A

Anonymous

that's what I use. just turn off typographers quotes.

I'd look to see if the was a glyph first

Marvin Sable

Participating Frequently

If you seldom need typographer's quotes turing them off is a good option. If needing inch an foot marks is infrequent you can use the control key (Mac) to toggle the typographer's quotes to straight quotes. (Ctrl+Shift+") You get the single straight with ctrl + '

Unfortunately the toggle doesn't work the other way if typographer's quotes are turned off.

FivePicaPicaCorrect answer

Inspiring

Sorry to neglect the PC side.On the PC that would be ALT+Shift+"

Marvin's right, but it's worth pointing out that inches should be marked with double prime marks rather than dumb/straight quotes. Most character sets don't have them, but it's worth looking at the glyph menu.

If the font does have the prime marks (eg. Helvetica), I usually just do a GREP search:

Find what: (\d)”

Change to: $1\x{2033}

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