Toggle between Text Tool and Selection Tool
I am guessing most users' experience is like mine: I am constantly going back and forth between the Text tool (working within a text block) and the Selection tool (to select/move a text block handle, or reach for something else). It's something I do dozens of times an hour during a work session. Pagemaker used to have a toggle between these two tools, which was easily accessible to the non-mousing hand: Command-Spacebar. I would urge the development of this toggle in future InDesign releases.
I know you can activate the Selection tool with the Escape key, but that's a long reach which requires lifting your palm off the deck, typically. And you can select the Type tool with the "T". But now you're having to go back and forth (often quickly) between two different keys, rather than the efficiency of a true toggle.
Cmd-Spacebar is an extremely ergonomic combination. Thanks for considering.
P.S. I have tried changing my keyboard shortcut to at least REPLACE the Escape key with Cmd-Spacebar, to select the Selection Tool...but for whatever reason, that key combination is not currently functional within InDesign.
NotHerbert
shared this idea
When you have the Text Tool selected & working inside a Text Frame (cursor blinking inside the text frame), you can hold down the Cmd key. When you do that, you will immediately see the 9-points of the text frame getting highlighted, letting you Move the Text Frame by holding down on the edges with the mouse. You can resize using of the 9-points as well.
Hope this helps. See the attached demo.
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Elizabeth French commented
Every time Adobe upgrades InDesign they seem to change something and I find this exhausting. I would like very clear instructions how to change the function of the ESC key to toggle the type tool and the selection tool - as it used to work very well for me. All the users comments have stressed how important this is to productivity and Admin is offering a very poor substitute action. A temporary solution at best. I can't get ESC key to work at all in InDesign 2024.
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John Crumpton commented
I have a Stream Deck (a hardware keyboard) and I've set up a custom button called "Exit text" with an icon of a mouse cursor. It's a Multi Action key: first action is hotkey "Esc" then the hotkey "v".
Pressing this button is the same as pressing ESC then V. If I'm in a text box this single button gives me the selection tool.
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NotHerbert
commented
I do know that holding down the Cmd key when within a text block highlights the 9 handles of that text block, but that is not the same productivity enhancer that a true toggle back to the Direct Selection tool would be. I am often (true of most layout designers?) going from one element on a page (the text block you're working in) to "the next thing" — grabbing another text block nearby to position it, reaching for a graphic on the page, etc. So I am constantly going back and forth between the text tool and selection tool. A simple left-hand keyboard toggle would greatly increase fluidity of the process instead of all the up and down with reaching for those two tools. I had suggested Cmd-Space (which I found VERY useful in my Pagemaker days).
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NotHerbert
commented
I do know about this function, and do use it, but it's not quite the same efficiency as a true toggle. If I'm working with a text block and now want to nudge the photo next to it, I've got to mouse up to the upper left quadrant of the screen (or reach up for the Esc key) and come back. So, it's a useful "double," but a home run would be great. Thanks for your post!