Alternate to Type on a Path for write on line?

[Bhaskar Arumugam]

Hi All,

I am seeking for a solution to layout the book with write on lines. The book has to have a different length of the line based on the answers text (please refer the picture below). For example, if the answer is just a character then the line length should be 6 mm and if it is a word then the length of the line should be 23 mm. If the answers are beyond these lengths then it can be extended to fit the text. When using type on a path, I will have to draw it and put the text on it and then insert it into the paragraph where it is required which is taking very much time and does not seem a good work to do.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Laubender]

Hi bha$kar ,

I think you could achieve this better with anchored text frames. From my German InDesign:

Text frame options:

First baseline set to fixed value. You could then do the height of the frame with a very small value.

The text will not go to overset.

Paragraph formatting:

Rule below:

No need for text on path.

Here with hidden characters showing:

Regards,
Uwe

[Bhaskar Arumugam]

Hi Uwe,

Thanks for your response on this. I have tried it but still I will have to do more work to achieve this like putting the text on the text-frame and move it to the paragraph where it should go (like you did) – seems like the same work to be done when using Type on a Path. Let me try to ask differently: the manuscript that I have received has the paragraph with indications of the answers along with the rule length (everything has been mentioned within square brackets - please see the picture below). Now, is there a way in InDesign to simply transfer this to the desired layout.

Thanks again for any help you or anybody can provide on this.

[Laubender]

Hi bha$kar ,

maybe it's personal taste, but I still think anchored text frames are much more easier to handle than text on path.

That aside: You could prepare the frames or the paths away from your main text flow on the pasteboard and simply copy/paste them to the desired insertion point in your text. Once setup it is a thing of seconds to do a new instance.

Regards,
Uwe

[DBLjan]

Why not with a simple character-style? I for show choose "Protected Blank", so the string does not break, and gave it a simple underline-style.

You can prepare your text with some placeholder words like <long>, <char> or <small> and search&replace it afterwards.

Edit: Eugene Tyson​ and me had an similar idea simultaniously.

[Eugene Tyson]

Can you not put the text in the same paragraph (not using text on a path).

Then put an en space either side.

Use a character style to apply the underline of dots.

[Frans v.d. Geest]

I’m thinking: combine Conditional Text (so you can hide/show) and a Character style with baseline shift.

[DBLjan]

What I didnt get by now: Do you want to show the results on the middle of the line, or should they be hidden anyway?

Thats also a character-style thing. First you layout with text shown, then you turn off the font-color but keep the line color, to hide it before output.

[DBLjan]

Also you can alter the kerning to house the line-length into some 3-4 character-styles, because the underlining is handled separatly and isnt affected by the kerning.