Navigating InDesign Documents with Keyboard Shortcuts

Q. I have to work with a template that has multiple text frames on the page. Is there any way I can jump from text frame to text frame without having to use the mouse? A. This was a great puzzle, yet the answer is actually quite simple. It helps if the text frames are on their own layer, but that’s not necessary. Start by assigning keyboard shortcuts to the Object > Select > Previous Object and the Object > Select > Next Object commands (Command+Option+Shift+N and Command+Option+Shift+M for Next Object and Previous Object, respectively, on a Mac, and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+M for Windows). With nothing selected on the page, press the keystroke for Next Object. The first text frame on the layer is highlighted, but as an object. You’re not inside the frame to type text. Press Command/Ctrl+Y, which is the default shortcut for Edit > Edit in Story Editor. The Story Editor window opens. You’ll see a blinking insertion point ready for you to type anything you want. When you’re finished typing in that frame, press Command/Ctrl+W to close the Story Editor window. The text appears in the frame. At this point, you’re still in the content of the text frame. Click the Escape key on the keyboard. This takes you out of the content with the container selected. Press the keystroke for Next Object, and the next frame is selected. Repeat by opening the Story Editor. You can use the Next Object and Previous Object commands to jump from frame to frame. If there are only text frames on the layer, you’ll circle around through all the frames without jumping to another layer. What’s nice about this method is if you’ve created styles, you can work without ever touching a panel or field. It is also

a technique for those with limited mobility to be able to use InDesign.