InDesign as a word processor - general suggestion to Adobe

[TiMaJo]

I write a lot. I hate MS Word. I love Hemingway.app - but that doesn't have a thesaurus. Also it doesn't have a function to write in a light text on a dark page. 

My eyes hurt when I write on a white screen. (They hurt now, ow!)

InDesign comes so close to being what I'd choose to use - but for that last thing. Any chance of a fix for that?

[John Mensinger]

If you use InDesign's Story Editor, you can change the background and text colors in Preferences > Story Editor Display.

If you are just typing on a normal page, you can set the paper color (edit the [Paper] swatch in the Swatches panel) to the desired dark color, and set a Character Color (either on  the fly using Color/Swatches, or via a Character or Paragraph Style) to the desired light color.

[jane-e]

Try using the Story Editor. Go to Preferences > Story Editor to customize the display.

~ Jane

[TiMaJo]

Has In Design been rebranded In Copy? Anyway…

Thanks for the replies. I already understood the Story Editor had this function. Problem is the Story Editor can't be resized, and the text is aligned top left and on a big screen that is just too odd.

It's just not right and is not designed for writing prose or copy for hours art a time.

I wonder why Adobe don't make a simple, comfortable writing tool, with all the unnecessary stuff shaved off, so we can all ditch MS Word for good. 

[BobLevine]

Because, while you may think otherwise, Word is the standard for this purpose.

InCopy is for the lack of better term a sister application to InDesign that allows for content creation and editing without touching the layout.

[TiMaJo]

Word is fine, but it's a business tool. It's just 35 years old and so bloated. 

I love Adobe software, I'm not complaining, merely suggesting that the world is looking for a simpler, more comfortable way to write.

Rivals to Word, such as ProWritingAid, Ginger, WhiteSmoke, Writer.Com, Hemingway Editor, Antidote, Slick Write, Paper Rater etc. all show there's room for innovation, and maybe the sweet spot is yet to be found. 

[jane-e]

Hi @TiMaJo 

Sme thoughts:

1. The Story Editor can be resized to any size you want.
   
   
2. Some features, such as the Paragraph Marks, are found in View > Story Editor
   
3. Other choices for Word Processors:
   Mac: Pages
   Win: Word Pad
   Google Docs
   
   
   
4. In Word: Design Tab > Page Color, then change Type Color.
   
   
5. System-wide
   Windows: choose High Contrast
   https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/turn-high-contrast-mode-on-or-off-in-windows-909e9d89-a0...
   
   Mac: System Prefs > Accessibility
   
   
6. If you want the unnecessay stuff shaved off in Word, then edit your Ribbon. Create new tabs, remove tabs you don't use, and edit the tabs you keep to have only the features you use.

~ Jane