How to highlight text in InDesign

Highlighting text in Adobe InDesign can add emphasis and draw attention to specific parts of your design.

In this article, we’ll show you how to create a highlighted text effect in InDesign using a few simple techniques.

You’ll learn how to add a background color to your text or create a custom highlight shape.

Create a paragraph style with a background color

One of the easiest ways to highlight text in InDesign is by applying a background color to a paragraph style. Here’s how:

1. Select the “Type Tool” (T) from the “Tools” panel and click on your text frame to start typing or select existing text.
2. Go to the “Window” menu > “Styles” > “Paragraph Styles” to open the “Paragraph Styles” panel.
3. Click the “Create New Style” icon at the bottom of the panel to create a new paragraph style.
4. Double-click the new style to open the “Paragraph Style Options” dialog box.
5. Click on “Paragraph Shading” in the left column of the dialog box.
6. Check the “Shading On” checkbox to enable paragraph shading.
7. Choose a color for the shade from the “Swatches” panel or create a new color by clicking on the color box.
8. Adjust the “Tint” slider to control the transparency of the shadow.
9. Click “OK” to apply the shading to the selected text or the new text you type with the new paragraph style applied.

Create a custom highlight shape

Another way to highlight text in InDesign is by creating a custom shape behind the text. Follow these steps:

1. Select the “Rectangle Tool” (M) in the “Tools”...