Break Type
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn about all available paragraph break characters in Adobe InDesign and their effects on text flow in layouts.
Control text breaks across frames, columns, or pages, or troubleshoot text flow issues using break characters. They override paragraph settings and can be inserted via Type > Insert Break Character.
Break character types
|
|
Keyboard Shortcut |
Function |
|
Column Break |
Enter (numeric keypad) |
Flows text to the next column, or to the next threaded frame if there is only one column. |
|
Frame Break |
Shift + Enter (numeric keypad) |
Flows text to the next threaded text frame. |
|
Page Break |
Ctrl + Enter (Windows) / Cmd + Return (macOS) |
Flows text to the next page with a threaded text frame. |
|
Odd Page Break |
— |
Flows text to the next odd-numbered page with a threaded text frame. |
|
Even Page Break |
— |
Flows text to the next even-numbered page with a threaded text frame. |
|
Paragraph Return |
Enter (Windows) / Return (macOS) |
Inserts a paragraph return in the current text frame. |
|
Forced Line Break |
Shift + Enter (Windows) / Shift + Return (macOS) |
Forces a line to break at the insertion point without starting a new paragraph. Also called a soft return. |
|
Discretionary Line Break |
— |
Indicates an optional line break without inserting a hyphen. |
Note
- Odd page breaks, even page breaks, and discretionary line breaks don't have keyboard shortcuts. Insert them using Type > Insert Break Character.
- Column, frame, and page breaks require threaded text frames. If no subsequent frame exists, text becomes overset at the break point.
Break insertion location
The position where a break takes effect depends on how you create it:
- Break characters: The break occurs immediately after the special character in the text flow.
- Paragraph settings: The break precedes the paragraph that contains the setting.
Related paragraph break controls
Additional break behavior is controlled through paragraph-level settings rather than inserted characters:
- Keep Options: Control how many lines of the following paragraph stay together. Access through the Paragraph panel menu .
- Paragraph Style Options: Include break behavior settings that apply when the style is used.
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