How do I add text to my Adobe® InDesign® pages?

Add text to file

• Click on the Type tool . 
• Use the mouse to draw a box from the upper left corner down to the lower right corner of the area in which the text will go, just like drawing a photo block.
• Use the rulers at the top and left sides or column guides to be sure the copy is going into the correct position.
• Let go of the mouse button, and a flashing cursor appears on the screen. This is the text insertion point.
• If styles were set up, click on a style in the Style palette.
• Start typing. The text will fill the space that was specified when the text block was drawn.
• To enlarge the text block, click on the bottom center handle with the Selection tool and drag down.
• Entering text in InDesign is much like using a word processor.
  • The arrow keys can be used to move around the text to make corrections.
  • After the text is typed, the point size, typeface, typestyle and many other attributes can be changed.

Highlight the text

• Text must be highlighted before any changes can be made.
• Highlight text by placing the mouse at the beginning of the text
• Click the mouse, hold it down and drag to the end. The text is highlighted as you go.
• To change an entire block of copy, click inside the text block, then choose Select All from the Edit menu or in Windows: Ctrl+A, on a Mac: Command+A.
• Shortcuts:
  • Double-click - highlight one word.
  • Triple-click - highlight one line.
  • Four clicks - highlight entire paragraph.
  • Five clicks - highlight entire text block.

Changing text appearance

• With the text highlighted, select Character from the Type menu, or in
  • Windows: Ctrl+T
  • Mac: Command+T.
• The Character palette dialog box will appear.
• Change the font, size, leading, or other attributes.
• Or, use the Control palette (top of the screen, under the menus) to make the same changes.
• Click on the A to change text attributes.

Control Palette text view - left side

Control Palette text view - right side

Changing text alignment

• Select Paragraph from the Type menu, or
  • Windows - InDesign CS5, CS4 and CS3: Ctrl+Alt+T
  • Windows - InDesign CS2 and CS: Ctrl+M 
  • Macintosh - InDesign CS5, CS4,CS3, CS2 and CS: Command+Option+T
• Change the Alignment by clicking on an icon in the top row: left, center, right, justify with last line aligned left, justify with last line aligned center, justify with last line aligned right or force justify.
  • InDesign CS5, CS4 and CS3 also have an option to Align towards spine or Align away from spine.
• Change the first line indent, space before and after a paragraph and add a dropcap in this palette.

• Or, use the Control Palette (top of the screen, under the menus) to make the same changes.
  • Click on  to change paragraph attributes.

Control Palette paragraph view - left side

Control Palette paragraph view - right side