Once you’ve completed your document, you can proof it in a similar way to how you would proof a Word Document, but there are additional tools to help ensure you have a perfected technical finish to your document too.
You can conduct a word-count, character-count, paragraph-count and line-count using the Info Panel (Window > Info). Highlight the text to generate the counts.
To conduct a spell-check go to Edit > spelling > Check spelling to view highlighted errors. The Check spelling window will give you possible corrections for each error, and invite you to Change or skip them. When you’re finished, click Done.
Before you export your document to print you should perform a Preflight to highlight any potential technical errors in your document. InDesign will alert you of any Preflight errors when you go to Export to PDF, but the best thing to do is open the Preflight Panel before exporting and go over the errors in detail.
Common errors are missing fonts, text overflowing frames and missing links. These will be flagged up in red in the Preflight Panel. You can click the arrow next to the listed error to view more details. Ensure these problems are resolved before you go to export your document.
TOP SKILLS TIP: Before you even finish your document InDesign can help you avoid spelling errors as you work. You can enable Dynamic spelling, which underlines potential spelling mistakes as you work, by setting your spelling Preferences. Go to Edit > Preferences > spelling (Windows) or inDesign > Preferences > spelling (Mac OS) and check Enable Dynamic spelling.