InDesign CS4 Middle East version

[RonLF06]

No particular question at the moment.
Just wonder if I'm the only Tek-Tips subscriber using InDesign ME? I had to buy it to do a bilingual book in English and Arabic (which I can't read).
Masses of problems (swapping keyboard, right-to-left paras, no letterspacing etc etc), but if no one else is using it, guess I'll have to go elsewhere...

 

[RonLF06]

For now, my main problem is keeping the Arabic paras running right-to-left. I tried placing from Word document; also copying from Word and pasting into InDesign. The letters/words still came out in reverse order. I used the ME Type Tool. remade the Paragraph Styles, setting language to Arabic, even drew text boxes from right to left! Still everything came out in reverse order.

Now I've created a complete new InDesign file, which just might be working. I did this because I was using a previous book design (all English) and thought the master pages might have retained their left-to-right format.

And the other problem: placing or pasting Arabic text has usually opened up the letters/words so they wouldn't be readable even if they were the right way round.

Is it likely that both problems are the result of using a previous, English-only, book design, and just replacing the contents?

 

[sorours]

Hi Ron,

the problem that you place arabic text inside english text box (problem verified with CS4, but not with CS3).
to solve it, you need to create a new document with arabic paragraph and character styles and load them in the english book.

Sorours

 

[RonLF06]

Hi Sorours – thanks, you're right: whatever I changed in character and para styles, the text boxes held on to their left-to-right formatting. Completely new file has resolved it.

BUT I've now got the automatic page numbering running right-to-left! Page 7 is on the left, page 8 on the right. Can't work out how to change this. Can you help?

 

[sorours]

the file is in arabic or arabic/english too, and binding from left to right or from right to left?

to change binding, from file>Document setup and then you can change it.

 

[RonLF06]

Yes, discovered this just before your reply.
We're getting there!
Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[jenniferben]

I am also formatting a bilingual book (English/Arabic) using InDesign ME. Thanks, I changed the binding to the right side.

Can anyone tell me how to change the numbers in InDesign ME from Arabic to English? All of the numbers in the book are in Arabic and I need them to be in English. Thanks.

 

[sorours]

Hi jennifer,
English numbers? the are Arabic numbers and Indian numbers
the change the INDIAN numbers to arabic numbers set it from paragraphe style, choose digits (Arabic, Farsi or Hindi).

1,2,3,4 .... = arabic numbers