by Bob Bringhurst

 Comments (1)

Created

October 24, 2007

Someone mentioned in a user forum that he thinks en dashes surrounded by spaces ( – ) look better than em dashes (—) in sentences. That’s a matter of personal taste, but if you do go with the en dash, be aware that the en dash may wrap incorrectly when text reflows.

HardSpaceExample.jpg

To avoid this problem, insert a hard space (Type > Insert White Space > Nonbreaking Space) before the en dash. A nonbreaking space essentially joins the dash with the preceding word.

COMMENTS

  • By Geert - 1:38 AM on August 20, 2009   Reply

    Right. Additional tip to avoid having to go through the way too long menu with the mouse: learn the shortcuts for nonbreaking spaces and en-dashes. You might also use quick apply.

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