Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Font Challenge

This is topic Font Challenge in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

I have struggled for two days trying to get my computer to not change two hyphens into em dashes. On the screen it shows two dashes, but when I print, it comes out as one long em dash.

I got the idea to type the same sentence in different fonts. Voila! Times New Roman and Courier New allowed the two hyphens to print, but Franklin Gothic Book would not. It seems to be a font problem, not an autocorrect problem.

This doesn't make sense to me, but I thought I'd mention it, FWIW.

Posted by TL 601 (Member # 2730) on :

bleep-boop- woop

*low whistle*

That was my R2D2 impersonation. What did you guys think?

[This message has been edited by TL 601 (edited October 12, 2005).]

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

I think some fonts are designed to have two hyphens make up a dash (dashes are not on the keyboard, so you have to get them from the numpad or the "special character" menu--at least that's how my keyboard works, but it's AZERTY not QWERTY). Practical for people who need a lot of dashes, not so for us writers.

Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :

There are definitely fonts that do this.

Posted by Warbric (Member # 2178) on :

I was able to affect the change you're talking about on the "AutoFormat As You Type tab" by unchecking the checkbox labeled "Symbols characters (--) with symbols (–)". I'm using MS Office 2K.

So, you're right: not an AutoCorrect solution but an AutoFormat solution.

I'm going to set my template up that way when I get home because mine does that for ALL fonts and it aggravates the heck out of me.

Thanks for leading me to the solution.

[This message has been edited by Warbric (edited October 12, 2005).]

Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :

[rant] Microsoft Word, as a whole, aggrevates the heck out of me. I get sick and tired of a program that imposes its will on mine. I want a word processor that functions as nothing more than a dumb typewriter. Let ME decide when and where I want the "fancy" functions to be inserted. And let me turn them the heck off!!!!! grrrrr... [/rant]

Posted by Warbric (Member # 2178) on :

Not only that, but make it more simple to find the switch to turn things off. Part of my job is to support desktop users, and they invariably want to change something but have no clue on how - just that they know someone who has it that way at home and they want it changed. If I've done it often enough, it's simple for me. Otherwise, it can take literally dozens of false starts before I locate the right place to make it so. And the Help files are a whole 'nuther rant.

Posted by TL 601 (Member # 2730) on :

If you guys are looking for a good word-processor check out Atlantis Ocean Mind.

It's cheap, small, and it can do everything you guys are talking about with great ease.

I use it exclusively.

Posted by TL 601 (Member # 2730) on :

I've got it customized to the max, and it's very easy to customize the auto-correct and suchstuff. Great program.

(That's the first time I've said "to the max" since 1989.)

Posted by HSO (Member # 2056) on :

quote:
[rant] Microsoft Word, as a whole, aggrevates the heck out of me. I get sick and tired of a program that imposes its will on mine. I want a word processor that functions as nothing more than a dumb typewriter. Let ME decide when and where I want the "fancy" functions to be inserted. And let me turn them the heck off!!!!! grrrrr... [/rant]

I know what you're saying, and I sympathize, but all of those things that bug you go away when you learn how to make them go away. And the thing is, it's incredibly easy once you know where to go. Yet that's the real problem. Microsoft doesn't make it easy to figure out. Things are hidden in strange places. A lot of things aren't covered in the help files. There are extensive documents on Microsoft's web site that completely covers every minute detail. I'd espcially recommend downloading and reading the huge file geared for law firms, if you like knowing that ins and outs of MS Word, that is.

Nevertheless, if you want Word to function as a glorified typewriter, then go into the AutoCorrect thing and turn everything off. Everything. Especially un-tick every box in the "AutoFormat as you type" tab. That's the one the does the most damage. But I'd go ahead and un-tick the boxes under all the tabs. See if that helps.

But as word processing programs go, MS Word is exceptionally powerful, but you have to be willing to spend a little time and effort to make it work for you. Unfortunately, Microsoft understood that most people aren't willing to make much effort, so they tried to make it user-friendly for people who know nothing about word processing software, or in other words, do most things for you. Inevitably, Word will do things you don't want it to do. So beat it with a large stick, or learn it, or use something you like better (if that choice is available to you).

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

You're welcome, Warbric, but I'm afraid you've confused me. I said it was a font problem. I didn't have any solutions.

I checked and unchecked every AutoCorrect and AutoFormat box and entered the problem symbols in the symbol substitution list, but Franklin Gothic Book just wouldn't cooperate.

Are you saying you can get it to stop converting two hyphens into an em dash?

Posted by Warbric (Member # 2178) on :

Yeah, sorry. I read what you posted with a mind to one of my own aggravations with trying to properly format a manuscript in Word, but it did lead me to a solution to my problem.

Yes, now that I have modified and saved my Normal.dot and Manuscript.dot templates in the way I mentioned, it's no longer turning "..." into the elipsis symbol, and I can type double dashes without their turning into an em dash.

Gah, I tried Franklin Gothic Med font, since I seem not to have the Franklin one you use, and it appears as an em dash, so it is a characteristic of how that font displays on the screen, at least. Placing the mouse cursor in the middle of it and clicking shows it to be two closely spaced dashes instead of a single symbol. (The cursor blinks, smack dab in the center, so it cannot be a single symbol.)

(Yeah, I'm a geek.)

[This message has been edited by Warbric (edited October 12, 2005).]

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

Well, I'm glad you solved your problem.

Hmmm...Normal.dot...a help tech once helped me out of a recurring Word problem by suggesting that I "find" Normal.dot and delete it each time Word started acting up. It works. He said Normal can act as a virus in a sense.

Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :

A great word processor (at least, I think so) that is FREE is Open Office.

Get it at www.openoffice.org

I use it and have never had any problems.

And its FREE!

Ronnie

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

RoughDraft.

That is all.

http://www.rsalsbury.co.uk/rd.htm

And the guy who wrote the software answers e-mail, even.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

I second Rough Draft. I think it was Beth who introduced it to me. I often use it instead of Word.

Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :

Open Office rocks! Especially the newest Beta version which is lovely. I am currently running free of MS for everything except Windows.