TypeTalk: Get Typographically Correct Text from Word

TypeTalk is a regular blog on typography. Post your questions and comments by clicking on the Comments icon above. If Ilene answers your question in the blog, you’ll receive one Official Creativepro.com T-Shirt!
Q. I often receive copy with dumb quotes, double spaces between sentences, and double hyphens instead of dashes, all of which have to be changed if the printed text is to be typographically correct. Is there a better way to fix these errors than to run several Find/Replace operations in Microsoft Word?
A. If you regularly receive copy from the same person or people, you may be able to train them out of their bad habits. Create a guideline for submitting copy that includes all required typographic conventions. Distribute the guideline to all the writers, editors, copy editors, proofreaders, and designers you deal with so that everyone is on the same page.
Since most of these issues can be addressed within Microsoft Word, include the following fixes in the guidelines:
Dumb to Smart Quotes
Go to Preferences > AutoCorrect. Select AutoFormat as You Type. Under Replace as you type, select “Straight quotations marks” with “smart quotations marks”.
Two Hyphens to an Em Dash
• Go to Preferences > AutoCorrect
• Select AutoFormat as You Type
• Under Replace as you type select Symbol characters (–) with symbols (—)
You can control dumb quotes and double hyphens via the AutoCorrect Palette.

Double to Single Word Spaces
Microsoft Word can’t automatically substitute single spaces for double word spaces as you type, but it can mark them as incorrect grammar, and then correct them for you.
First, go to Preferences > Spelling and Grammar, and under Grammar, make sure Check grammar as you type is selected. Below it, click the Settings… button. A new window labeled Grammar Settings will pop up. In that window, look for the phrase Spaces required between sentences. Select 1 from its dropdown menu and hit OK.
Double spaces between words will now be underlined. To fix them, go to Tools > Spelling and Grammar, and allow Word to Change all instances it finds.
To have Word flag those nasty double spaces between sentences, select “1” in the dropdown menu circled in red.

Word can then search and replace them when you run a Spelling and Grammar check.

Note that Word on Windows can’t correct double spaces in this way, so you’ll have to resort to Find/Replace if you’re on a PC.
If the people you work with argue that their way is the right way, you may want to explain that the conventions they use come from the bad old days of the typewriter. Thanks to computer keyboards, we can achieve more sophisticated typography with just a little thought and effort.
Love type? Want to know more? Ilene Strizver conducts her acclaimed Gourmet Typography workshops internationally. For more information on attending one or bringing it to your company, organization, or school, go to her site, call The Type Studio at 203-227-5929, or email Ilene at [email protected]. Sign up for her e-newsletter at www.thetypestudio.com. You can also follow Ilene on Facebook and Twitter.

Ilene Strizver is a noted typographic educator, author, designer and founder of The Type Studio in Westport, Connecticut. Her book, Type Rules! The designer’s guide to professional typography, is now in its 4th edition.
  • Anonymous says:

    Thank you for this valuable tip. In Word 2004 Mac I had to select Tools>AutoCorrect to get the dialog window.

  • Terri Stone says:

    Much appreciated.

    Terri Stone
    Editor in Chief, CreativePro.com

  • dbltapp says:

    It would be helpful to indicate which version of Word the screen caps are from.

  • Strizver says:

    The screen captures are from Word 2008 / Mac. We welcome any comments regarding different paths or solutions for other versions of Word.

    Ilene

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    T H E T Y P E S T U D I O
    Westport, CT
    203.227.5929
    http://www.thetypestudio.com/

  • Anonymous says:

    I often have similar problems, especially the double word space between sentences. I discovered that the Find/Change dialog in InDesign can fix these and other issues very easily. After you flow the copy in, open the Find/Change dialog under the Edit menu. Use the Query drop-down to select the correction and set the Search drop-down appropriately. Press Change All and your done. There are pre-defined queries to fix quotes, dashes, spaces and remove trailing space. Also, by selecting the GREP tab you can use regular expressions for some really fancy searches or replacements.

  • Anonymous says:

    Other sites have an option for a print out version of the article.
    Why do you not offer this same feature?

    Good content, I need a better way to file it.

  • Terri Stone says:

    Look for the button at the bottom of each article that says “print” and has an icon of a printer. Click the button and you’re golden.

    Terri Stone
    Editor in Chief, CreativePro.com

  • Anonymous says:

    Thank you for the good information on changing dumb quotes to smart ones as well as em dash info. However, those reading this excellent information might want to be aware that there are still those who insist on double spaces between sentences. They are the editors of tradtional publishing houses where manuscripts are still typeset. They also prefer underlining words to be italicized.

  • Anonymous says:

    In the Office 2007 version of Word you can correct double spaces in the way mentioned in the article. You will find the settings by clicking on the Office Icon in the upper left corner. Then choose Word Options. Click on the Proofing Menu and click on the settings button under the header Spelling & Grammer.

  • Anonymous says:

    One can set Word to correct double spaces automatically using a macro. Learn how to create macros here. After starting to record the macro, use the Find/Replace dialog box to set two spaces in the Find what field and one space in the Replace with field. Then stop recording the macro.

  • Anonymous says:

    Great article! These issues always bugged me. I am an in-house designer whose in-house clients usually submit their copy to me in Word. I see some interesting things but these issues are probably the most redundant and of course my biggest pet peeves. I don’t think that I can get all of my clients to do this (any kind of change / technology is scary to most in my office) but there are at a few who may be willing. At least once I get the copy I can work the magic in Word myself now. Thank you so much for the tips!

  • Anonymous says:

    I often have similar problems, especially the double word space between sentences. I discovered that the Find/Change dialog in InDesign can fix these and other issues very easily. After you flow the copy in, open the Find/Change dialog under the Edit menu. Use the Query drop-down to select the correction and set the Search drop-down appropriately. Press Change All and your done. There are pre-defined queries to fix quotes, dashes, spaces and remove trailing space. Also, by selecting the GREP tab you can use regular expressions for some really fancy searches or replacements.
    sesli sohbet sesli chat

  • >