On my 2020 MacBook Pro, every version of InDesign that I have been using over the past year or so has suffered from the same sporadic problem to varying degrees. I'm currently using 2024 on Monterey. When re-scaling items on the page/pasteboard, the Shift key doesn't have any effect. So ANY keypress combination that utilises the Shift Key (such as cmd-opt-shift-drag to scale items from the centre) results in stretching the subject disproportionately. More often than not, I end up transferring the job to another Mac to finish it on. Quitting InDesign doesn't cure it, re-booting has mixed results and the happening is random - could be once a week, could be twice a day! Frustrating either way. Is this a common thing?
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InDesign - constrain keeps 'breaking'
- Thread starter dazzer21-2
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I have never had that issue and I use Indesign as my daily main app. Have you tried trashing the Indesign preferences? If you have not done this this could fix it. Close Indesign, then hold shift>control>option>command and click on Indesign in the dock. With all these keys held down click on Indesign and select "open". It will start up with a dialogue box asking if you are sure you want to delete all preferences. Say yes and let it load up. This resorts it back to factory defaults. It can be a pain depending on how much customization you have in your layout, but cleaning that up could get rid of what you are getting.
Some more thoughts beside resetting Adobe InDesign preferences, what @wonderings recommends:
- Could it be a hardware failure? Did you have a battery or keyboard exchange for that MacBook Pro? Test in TextEdit to use the Shift key, try to use the Shift key on the other side and try to use an external keyboard.
- Could it be a weird shortcut definition? Did you define any shortcuts in System Preferences, third-party shortcut tools or mouse button helpers?
- Which tool do you use? Selection (V, Escape), Free Transform (E) or Scale (S) tool? Is one functioning (better) than the other? Some tools can be defined by double clicking on them.
Thanks. It's not hardware, they keyboard is fine and it's a standard InDesign shortcut. it happens purely using any re-sizing option, including all of the options you mentioned. Shift works fine for typing and any other type of keystroke where shift is required.
Are you using mouse or graphics tablet? If graphics tablet, are you using official or unofficial drivers?
It's not a hardware problem, a driver conflict problem, or an OS problem. It doesn't matter what input devices you use. It's just that Adobe changed the way scaling works - and it's subtle.
Try using the key combo and using the bottom or top middle handles. It usually requires a very brief click & hold before starting to scale as well.
I noticed this issue a few versions back, then it got "fixed," only to return in a recent update.
And people think Apple's QA department has gone downhill... they apparently don't use Adobe apps.
Try using the key combo and using the bottom or top middle handles. It usually requires a very brief click & hold before starting to scale as well.
I noticed this issue a few versions back, then it got "fixed," only to return in a recent update.
And people think Apple's QA department has gone downhill... they apparently don't use Adobe apps.
Good point, I forgot about this change! Adobe reversed it: constrain is the default, using 'shift' un-constrains.