Creating "set-solid" leading

[Michael_D_Abrosca@adobeforums.com]

I know I can create set-solid leading by changing the leading percentage to 100% in the Paragraph>Justification flyout menu (gosh, Adobe, that's a strange place for this adjustment!) but I like to leave it at 120% for general leading amounts. But often, when I'm building an advertisement, I need set-solid leading for a headline or whatever. In QXP, I could type in "+0" (plus-zero) in the leading field to get set-solid type. Is this possible with IDCS2?

Thanks!

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

If you type any kind of percentage points, by definition, this is not solid leading. To get solid leading type it in points, i.e. 26pt.

[Dominic_Hurley@adobeforums.com]

As Fred says, you have to type in the point size, but you can do this in the character dialogue, which I would think would be as quick as typing in +0. Or you can use paragraph styles.

> If you type any kind of percentage points, by definition, this is not solid leading.

I disagree. 100 percent means that the total line spacing should be exactly equal to the point size, which is set solid. In definition and in practice, I can't see any difference between between 100 per cent auto leading and set solid.

[Michael_D_Abrosca@adobeforums.com]

One more point that I forgot to add:

The reason I *really* like the "+0" leading in QXP is that if I change the font size, the leading stays "set solid" because the +0 stays in the leading field. This is VERY convenient for making quick changes when setting type in advertisements, etc.

Thanks, again!

[Gerald_Singelmann@adobeforums.com]

Micheal,

did you explain yet why you do not want to use 100% autoleading?
It does exactly what you need.

The only thing you cannot do is "use the point size plus some (absolute) positive amount". Like: always add 2 points to the point size and use that as leading.
Auto.Leading is always relative, which typographically usually is the way to go.

Gerald

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

I disagree. 100 percent means that the total line spacing should be exactly
equal to the point size, which is set solid. In definition and in practice,
I can't see any difference between between 100 per cent auto leading and
set solid.




100 percent means 100% of the largest letter on that line. Sure, most of the time it will be equal to solid leading, but it is not solid leading (BTW, in Word it's called "exactly").

[Gerald_Singelmann@adobeforums.com]

the largest letter on that line




This would have be the case with any kind of relativity, be it defined by percent or by "+0pt".

So your meaning of "solid leading" would be to enter a specific value disregarding the point size.

Gerald

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

So your meaning of "solid leading" would be to enter a specific value
disregarding the point size.




Right, and like you said, if someone wants relative they should use percentage, not "+0pt".

[Richard_Sohanchyk@adobeforums.com]

Been lurking here. Score one for Q on this one. I like my headlines nice and solid and typing +0pt in Q was great. I could play with the point size and still have a nice solid block.

[Dave_Saunders@adobeforums.com]

While percentage is OK, it doesn't work for something like "+2pt" which is something I'd like to see. Particularly valuable when ditzing around with a headline. A fixed leading either gives you too much space as you adjust or it overlaps the characters while a percentage tends to be OK only for a narrow range of sizes.

It's a bit like tracking on the other access. As a headline gets larger, I want, relatively speaking, less space between the lines.

Oops -- I'm using "tracking" in the PageMaker sense.

Dave

[Gerald_Singelmann@adobeforums.com]

I like my headlines nice and solid and typing +0pt in Q was great.




Since I never was a XPress user I am still baffled by this one. In what way is "+0pt" any different than using 100% for auto-leading? I don't get it.

"+2pt", yes, you can't do that in InDesign, but "+0pt" ?

Thank you
Gerald

[Dave_Saunders@adobeforums.com]

Gerald,

I agree that 100% and +0pt and pretty much identical, but:

+0pt would entered as a leading at the character level, while

100% is set at the auto-leading at the paragraph level.

So, while in practice, they'd likely just about always mean the same thing, it is possible for them to have different application. I took the request for "+0%" to be a request for "+n%" where n is any value.

Dave

[Richard_Sohanchyk@adobeforums.com]

When I typed in 100% in the leading window I got a leading of 0 which doesn't work for me. Why would I want to open up a flyout menu or any other palette when all I need to do (in QX at least) is type in a fixed value and it sticks regardless of point size?

You may want to check out the function on a friends computer with QX to appreciate the function.

[Gerald_Singelmann@adobeforums.com]

Dave, thank you,
of course, the scope is different. I hadn't thought of that.

Richard,
thank you, no need. Auto-leading for approximation with manual fine-tuning has so far been good enough for me.
And I don't find it irritating to call the "Justify"-dialog (I know the shortcut anyway as anyone should who discusses at this level ;) ) to fix the auto-leading amount. Instead of finding a field in a possibly not visible palette and entering +0pt.

Each his own, I guess.

Thank you
Gerald

[Scott_Falkner@adobeforums.com]

+0pt would entered as a leading at the character level, while 100% is
set at the auto-leading at the paragraph level Except that leading is
a paragraph attribute in QuarkXPress (at least as high a v.5).

[Dave_Saunders@adobeforums.com]

Scott,

Right, but we're talking about adding a feature to InDesign.

Dave

[Dominic_Hurley@adobeforums.com]

> 100 percent means 100% of the largest letter on that line. Sure, most of the time it will be equal to solid leading, but it is not solid leading (BTW, in Word it's called "exactly").

If your paragraph is not all the same point size, then I guess it's up for discussion whether the concept of set solid should refer to the point size of the majority of the type or the point size of the or smallest or largest letter. Presumably, you would regard a line of 8-pt type with a single 12-pt letter in it as being set solid only if the line spacing of the whole line is 8pt and the 12-pt letter is thus cropped. For me, I wouldn't call the whole line set solid in that case, so I disagree with your intrepretation.

Given that (short of a metal file) this situation couldn't arise in the days when "set solid" and "leading" had real physical meaning, I guess it's up to personal preference. I still regard 100 per cent auto leading as being set solid, but the concept of set solid somewhat loses its meaning when you're mixing point sizes in the one line.