Why column breaks instead of paragraph breaks?

[Cinewaze]

Hi,

I'm relatively new to Indesign. I just noticed that most of my paragraph breaks were converted to column breaks when I imported a Word doc. Why and does it matter for epub or pdf exports?

Windows 11. Desktop PC. Mechanical keyboard (daskeyboard). I don't use the numerical pad to enter/break. Formatting marks are correct in Word.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Can you post a new screenshot - or mark problematic place(s)? 

Also, when you import DOC(X) - strange things can happen - try saving as RTF in WORD first - then import RTF instead. 

[Cinewaze]

Hi Robert. Here's a zoomed in shot. I might have received inaccurate information about the pilcrows. I'm used to seeing the paragraph marks with the double-line pilcrow (backwards P). But in my document, as you can see, there are two types of paragraph marks. Someone told me the single line pilcrow was a column break. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I think it's just a display problem? 

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/indesign/using/editing-text.html 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Import from Word always has its Alice-in-Wonderland aspects, but I don't think I've ever seen it convert one kind of break to another. The test would be to do a quick search for paragraph ends and see if if finds all of these examples, regardless of display variations.

[Cinewaze]

Searched for paragraph breaks and it found both marks. The PDF export looks fine. The breaks are normal in the epub HTML. So I  guess I won't worry about it but it would still be nice to know why the marks were different. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

The ways of Word are manifold and mysterious. 😛

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Cinewaze

Your zoom level is 100% - can you do 200% or more? 

[Cinewaze]

Here's a better shot. thanks

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Cinewaze

You've just sent cropped version of your original screenshot - can you click Ctrl+"+" on your numeric keypad - Zoom In - or select higher zoom level from the list on the bottom-left:

 

[Cinewaze · Accepted solution]

Attached. Mystery solved. You were right. It's a display issue. Thank you. Gives me peace of mind.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Attached. Mystery solved. You were right. It's a display issue. Thank you. Gives me peace of mind.

By @Cinewaze

You are welcome.

Are you working on a low-res laptop?

Your full screen screenshot is only 1394 x 846?

[Cinewaze]

The Windows screenshot is low resolution. My display is 1920x1080.

[jmlevy]

Someone told me the single line pilcrow was a column break.

No, that's a wrong information. As @Robert at ID-Tasker wrote, what you show is a display problem.

You can find a list of hidden characters here:

https://creativepro.com/list-of-hidden-characters-what-is-that-weird-character-in-my-text/