Customize Mojikumi spacing sets

Last updated on Jun 2, 2026

Learn how to apply detailed character spacing rules in Adobe InDesign by creating and editing Mojikumi sets for CJK text composition.

Customizing Mojikumi sets provides precise control over character spacing in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) text. These settings define spacing for punctuation, parentheses, numbers, and interactions between CJK and Roman characters, according to JIS X 4051.

Use custom Mojikumi sets when predefined options don't meet your CJK typography requirements. Custom sets are useful for publications with specific house-style rules or mixed CJK and Roman text that requires precise spacing.

Base new sets on existing presets and adjust spacing values to compress or expand spacing around punctuation, parentheses, and other special characters. These values affect line justification and Kinsoku processing in your document

Create a custom Mojikumi set

Select Type > Mojikumi Settings > Basic or Detailed.

Choose New in the Mojikumi Settings dialog box.

Enter a name for your custom set and choose an existing set to base it on from the Based on Set drop-down menu.

Select OK.

Edit spacing values in Mojikumi sets

Select Type > Mojikumi Settings > Basic or Detailed.

Choose New in the Mojikumi Settings dialog box.

Select your spacing measurement unit from the Units drop-down menu.

Select the character type you want to adjust (such as Open Paren or Close Paren) in the Yakumono section.

For your selected character type, enter Begin line, Middle line, and End line values to control spacing.

Select the triangle next to a character type to view options for that character.

Review spacing in the Contiguous Yakumono, Paragraph Mojikumi Indent, and Between J & Roman sections, adjusting values as needed.

Select Save to save your changes or OK to save and close the dialog box.

Common parentheses settings:

50% Fixed: Maintains half-width spacing without compression
50%(0%-50%): Allows spacing from none to half-width
50%(25%-50%): Allows spacing from quarter-width to half-width 0% Fixed: Always compresses
0%(0-50%): Compresses but may allow up to half-width spacing

Access detailed Mojikumi options

Select Type > Mojikumi Settings > Detailed.

Select your custom set from the Mojikumi drop-down menu in the Mojikumi Settings dialog box.

Select the specific character class to edit from the Class contents field.

Choose Previous Class or Next Class from the before/after pop-up menu to specify whether the spacing applies before or after the selected character.

Set Minimum, Desired, and Maximum values for each spacing option to control compression and expansion ranges.

Use the Indicate Differences drop-down menu to compare your settings with another Mojikumi table and highlight differences.

Select Save.

Apply custom Mojikumi sets

Select the paragraph you want to format.

Select Type > Paragraph.

In the Paragraph panel, select your custom set from the Mojikumi menu.

To make custom sets available in all new documents, create them with no document open. This adds them to your InDesign defaults.

Tip

When composing Japanese text with frequent Roman parentheses or half-width spaces, use full-width parentheses instead to avoid composition problems. Reserve Roman parentheses for longer English passages within Japanese text.

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