InDesign 20.3.1.073

Dear Adobe InDesign Development Team,
We appreciate your efforts in addressing the RTL text issues introduced with the HarfBuzz engine in InDesign 19 (2024) and the improvements made through version 20.3.1.073.
However, we must bring to your urgent attention that, contrary to your recent "Fixed" notification, several critical bugs remain unresolved, several critical bugs remain unresolved, impacting right-to-left (RTL) workflows (Hebrew & Arabic).

Critical Bug:

• #1: Disappearing Punctuation/Text in PDF Export with Drop Cap and Line Break When a drop cap is applied )in justified RTL text( followed by punctuation and a line break, the punctuation marks (and sometimes adjacent text) completely disappear in the exported PDF, leaving only white space. This issue is particularly dangerous because it appears ONLY in the exported PDF, not in InDesign's interface and can easily lead to published documents with missing content. o Report + screenshots: https://www.adobeprerelease.com/beta/C6DFA254-C40C-4EEB-8F6D-F4AEDA2E6171/feedback/item/ID-4262114

Additional Unresolved Bugs:

• 2: Reversed Cursor Navigation with Modifier Keys
  When navigating RTL text using arrow keys with Shift (to select text) or Command/Control (to skip words), the cursor moves in the opposite direction of the arrow pressed (e.g., right arrow selects text to the left). Regular arrow navigation (without modifiers) works correctly. This occurs in “Visual” cursor movement mode (Preferences > RTL > Cursor Movement) which is commonly used by RTL users.
  o Report + video: https://www.adobeprerelease.com/beta/C6DFA254-C40C-4EEB-8F6D-F4AEDA2E6171/feedback/item/ID-4260041

• 3: No Visual Indication for 'Nikkud' (Diacritics) Selection
  Unlike the previous text engine, the HarfBuzz engine lacks visual feedback when selecting nikkud (Hebrew diacritics), making it difficult to edit accurately.
  o Report + screenshots: https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/48967916--id-4246352-nikkud-accents-diacritics-selection

We urge the InDesign team to prioritize the critical PDF export bug (Issue #1) for immediate resolution, work toward a complete solution for all RTL bugs, and update the misleading “Fixed” notification for version 20.3.1.073.

Please let us know how we can assist further (e.g., providing test files or additional details).

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Adobe InDesign User Community
RTL Languages