Today
Copilot said
To apply subscript in Adobe InDesign, follow these steps:
Select the Type Tool (press
Ton your keyboard).Highlight the text you want to format as subscript.
Open the Character panel:
You can find it under
Window>Type & Tables>Character.
In the Character panel, click the Subscript button (it looks like a small “x₂”).
Alternatively, if you're using the Properties panel, the subscript option is also available there under the Character section once text is selected.
If you want more control, like adjusting the size or baseline shift manually, you can tweak those settings directly in the Character panel too.
For a quick visual walkthrough, shows the process in under two minutes. Want help customizing the subscript style further? I can walk you through that too.
You said
What is the standardized way to send an InDesign document to PDF?
Copilot said
The most standardized and reliable way to export an InDesign document to PDF—especially for print or professional sharing—is through the Export function with a preset suited to your needs. Here's how to do it:
Open your InDesign file.
Go to File > Export.
In the dialog box:
Choose a location and name for your file.
Set the format to Adobe PDF (Print) or Adobe PDF (Interactive) depending on your purpose.
Click Save.
In the Export Adobe PDF dialog:
Choose a preset like High Quality Print, Press Quality, or PDF/X-1a for print workflows.
Under Marks and Bleeds, check Crop Marks and Use Document Bleed Settings if you're preparing for print.
Adjust compression, output, and security settings as needed.
Click Export.
This method ensures your layout, fonts, and images are preserved exactly as intended. Adobe also provides a if you want to dive deeper into the export options.
Need help choosing between PDF/X-1a and Press Quality? I can break that down too.
You said
Could you explain comma location and what is correct in grammar? The reason being when I gave Grammarly and You (copilot) edits, trained professionals suggest that there are too many unnecessary commas. Could we use this example to demo:
Born in Willemstad, Curaçao, on October 26, 1940, Sheila was intensely proud of her Guyanese heritage.
People are suggesting that the comma after "Curaçao," is unnecessary.
Copilot said
Great example, Phil. Let’s break it down together and pinpoint what’s going on with those commas.
> "Born in Willemstad, Curaçao, on October 26, 1940, Sheila was intensely proud of her Guyanese heritage."
This sentence is what we call a complex introductory phrase, and commas are used here to guide the reader through multiple layers of information before getting to the subject (“Sheila”).
Here’s how it breaks down:
"Born in Willemstad, Curaçao" – This is giving the city and country, so the comma between "Willemstad" and "Curaçao" is correct (standard for geographical names).
"on October 26, 1940" – Standard date formatting in U.S. English requires commas both after the day and the year if the sentence continues. So this part also checks out.
All of this together becomes a long introductory phrase, which you then set off with a comma before the main clause: “Sheila was intensely proud…”
So in total, there are three commas before “Sheila”, each serving a clear grammatical purpose. The confusion may stem from how visually cluttered that can feel—but technically, the commas are correct.
That said, professional editors may recommend trimming if clarity is compromised. You could simplify for flow:
“Sheila, born in Willemstad, Curaçao, on October 26, 1940, was intensely proud of her Guyanese heritage.”
This flips the sentence structure and spreads the commas across the middle instead of the beginning, making it feel less front-loaded.
Would you like to test a few other variations of this sentence to see how tone or emphasis shifts? Or explore how these rules differ in UK English? I'm game for a comma crusade. 😄
