<img src=’http://www.lifeclever.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/indesigndynamicspell_checking.jpg’ alt=’InDesign’s Dynamic Spell Checking’ class=”large”/>I’ve been making alot of dumb speling misteaks lately. It happens to the best of us. A deadline approaches. You rush. You finish. Finally, you send it out–not realizing it’s tainted with typos.

This week, I was madly working on wireframes for a new health care web-application. In haste, I sent it out daggered with stupid spelling errors. “Ashtma” instead of “Asthma” and “Preffered” instead of “Preferred”. It was careless, unprofessional, and totally embarrassing.

Since I like to create wireframes in InDesign, I should’ve remembered two little-used InDesign features: Dynamic Spell Checking and Autocorrect.

Turn them on

Just like Microsoft Word, these features let InDesign underline misspelled words and automatically correct common ones. To turn them on:

1. In the menubar, go to Edit and select Spelling.
2. Then select Dynamic Spelling to enable it.
3. Repeat Step 1, and select Autocorrect.

Add your own bad words

<img src=’http://www.lifeclever.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/indesign_autocorrect.jpg’ alt=’InDesign’s AutoCorrect Feature’ class=”large” />

To make Autocorrect even better, add your own list of commonly mispelled words and their replacements:

1. In the menubar, go to InDesign, select Preferences, and then Autocorrect.
2. Below the list of words, click the Add button
3. In the pop-up window, type in a misspelled word then its corresponding correction. Press OK

The moral of the story? When designing, don’t be a loser idiot like me.

Save yourself from shame and extra work by turning on InDesign’s built-in spelling features.

Posted in: Design, InDesign, Spelling