Book Design in InDesign: Leveraging the Power of the Info Panel

When working with text-heavy documents such as books or magazines, accurate word counts are essential for meeting publication requirements and ensuring a smooth editing process. InDesign's Info panel is a valuable tool that can help you achieve this goal quickly and easily.

By placing your Type cursor in one of the text frames in your document and opening the Info panel, you can instantly obtain the total word count of your document (assuming all text frames are successfully threaded together). This feature is particularly useful when working with long documents, such as books, where staying within a specified word count is crucial.

For example, imagine that an article has 837 words. By placing your cursor anywhere in the text frame or one connected to it, you can obtain a full text count for all linked frames, including text flowing over onto other pages. The Info panel will also provide information on character counts, line counts, and paragraph counts.

If you need to find out the word count of a specific section of text, you can highlight it using your Type cursor and view the word count in the Info panel. This feature is especially useful when working with large pieces of text or subheadings.

The Info panel's capabilities extend beyond simple word counting. You can also use it to track character counts, paragraph counts, line counts, and more. To access the Info panel, navigate to the Window option on your menu bar and select Info from the drop-down menu, or press F8 on your keyboard.

By leveraging the power of InDesign's Info panel, you can streamline your workflow, ensure accuracy in your word counting, and produce high-quality publications that meet your clients' needs. Whether you're designing a book, magazine, or other text-heavy document, this valuable tool is an essential part of your design arsenal.

Book design in indesign