Set a default language

[Kikonimo]

Hi,

Does someone know how to set a default language in any of the Affinity Apps. I am Dutch so I would like to set the spelling language to Dutch. 

[Alfred]

First of all, if you haven't already done so you will need to install Dutch dictionaries as described here:

Once you have Dutch available as a spelling option, select a text frame in your document and choose 'Dutch' from the Spelling dropdown list in the Character panel. Sync defaults via the toolbar button (see attached screenshot) so that new text frames are set to use Dutch.

Artistic text objects are not affected by the settings for frame text, so you would need to repeat the procedure to sync defaults for artistic text.

[Kikonimo]

Hi I forgot to tell you that i am working on a Mac

[dehskins]

There doesn't seem to be a solution for any platform. Affinity Publisher is useless when it comes to allowing language defaults. Affinity will default to a language it doesn't automatically install the language packs for. This has been a constant issue ever since I installed this program 2 1/2 years ago. Is Serif content with how much frustration they pass on to their customers?

[MikeTO]

5 hours ago, dehskins said:

There doesn't seem to be a solution for any platform. Affinity Publisher is useless when it comes to allowing language defaults. Affinity will default to a language it doesn't automatically install the language packs for. This has been a constant issue ever since I installed this program 2 1/2 years ago. Is Serif content with how much frustration they pass on to their customers?

Hi, what language do you want to set as the default?

You can set Affinity's default language by first selecting it from the Character panel's Language > Spelling list and then choosing Edit > Defaults > Save.

I've included a lot of information about spelling dictionaries in the free Publisher manual I've shared in this forum - the link is in my signature.

Cheers

[dehskins]

I did save a new default and it didn't change what Affinity does with new documents. They go right back to my location defaults rather than my preferred American English.

[MikeTO]

25 minutes ago, dehskins said:

I did save a new default and it didn't change what Affinity does with new documents. They go right back to my location defaults rather than my preferred American English.

I left out a step. 

You can set Affinity's default language by first creating a document, drawing a text frame, selecting the language from the Character panel's Language > Spelling list, and then choosing Edit > Defaults > Save.

[dehskins]

Saving a new default works. Unfortunately, that has to be done with every new document. Not ideal.

[walt.farrell]

10 minutes ago, dehskins said:

Saving a new default works. Unfortunately, that has to be done with every new document. Not ideal.

If you use Text Styles, you can set the Language in your Base Text Style, then via the Text Styles Panel you can save the styles as default for future new files.

Or, you can export a document as a Template, and use that Template to create new files.

[MikeTO]

3 hours ago, dehskins said:

Saving a new default works. Unfortunately, that has to be done with every new document. Not ideal.

That's not how it's supposed to work. The default is saved and used even if I quit the application. I just tried it and it worked fine for me. You can save the default for any character or paragraph attribute by following the steps I provided above.

[walt.farrell]

58 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

That's not how it's supposed to work. The default is saved and used even if I quit the application. I just tried it and it worked fine for me. You can save the default for any character or paragraph attribute by following the steps I provided above.

Don't you need to type some text with those characteristics, select it, then Edit > Defaults> Synchronize from Selection?

That's how I always do it.

[MikeTO]

15 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Don't you need to type some text with those characteristics, select it, then Edit > Defaults> Synchronize from Selection?

That's how I always do it.

You don't need to type text or even draw a frame. And you don't need to use sync from selection - that command is only to set a document's default formatting to match some existing formatting.

But it's very confusing because there are two sets of default text attributes and saving defaults saves both sets of defaults at the same time. Publisher has one set of text defaults for text frames (text frames, shape text frames, and tables) and another set of text defaults for text objects (art text objects and path text). I did not explain this well in my manual so I will update it for the next version.

This example might clear things up:

1. Create a new document
2. Choose Edit > Defaults > Factory Reset
3. Choose Edit > Defaults > Save
4. Close the document and create a new one - you will now have Arial 12 as your default for text frames and text objects
5. With the Move tool still selected, change font from Arial to Times and size from 12 to 24
6. Choose the Frame Text tool and change font from Times to Garamond and size from 24 to 36
7. Choose Edit > Defaults > Save - most users would now expect to have Garamond 36 as their only default but that's not how it works - you saved both of those changes at the same time
8. Close the document and create a new one
9. With the Move tool still selected or if you choose the Art Text tool, you will have Times 24 because that's the object default
10. Choose the Frame Text tool and you will have Garamond 36 because that's the frame default

I imagine it was designed this way on purpose but IMO there should be only one set of text defaults.

[MikeTO]

Here's what I've written for the next manual update. This illustrates why it's confusing—changing the Language for text frames and text objects at the same time requires selecting the language, changing tools, and selecting the language a second time even though it's already selected.

To change specific attribute(s) for the current default formatting:

1. Create a temporary new document; its settings are unimportant because it will be deleted when you’re done.
2. To change the defaults for text frames, choose the Frame Text or Table tool. Change any attributes you wish to change.
3. To change the defaults for text objects, choose any other tool such as the Artistic Text or Move tool. Change any attributes you wish to change.
4. To change the default value for an attribute for both text frames and text objects, you must choose the attribute separately for both of them. For example, choose the Frame Text tool and change the attribute and then choose the Artistic Text tool and reselect the same attribute, even though it will already show that value.
   • For a list control such as Font Family, select the option from the list a second time by clicking it twice.
   • For a text field control such as Font Size, click in the text field and press Return.
   • For a checkbox control such as No Break, click it twice to select/deselect it again.
   • For a toggle control such as Underline, select another option and then select it again.
5. Choose Edit > Defaults > Save to save the changes you have made.

[dehskins]

19 hours ago, MikeTO said:

That's not how it's supposed to work. The default is saved and used even if I quit the application. I just tried it and it worked fine for me. You can save the default for any character or paragraph attribute by following the steps I provided above.

Thanks. My defaults were accepted and now when I open a new document it is set for my preferred working language.