Reduces text cleanup time in InDesign

Text Cleaner can run a number of cleanup operations all at once on InDesign CS/CS2 files, QuarkXPress 6 or higher (I didn’t test version 7) files, and clipboard text. The various options for cleaning text include removing unwanted spaces, returns, tabs; changing line breaks to wrapped text; and correcting inch and foot measurements. It runs as a separate program, but can work with selected InDesign text. The program is extremely simple to use and all the options are available on one screen—although the multiple find-and-change section is an expandable option. We’ll focus on how it works with InDesign, but most of the comments apply to QuarkXPress as well.

I think the price is a bit high for occasional text cleaning, as most of Text Cleaner’s features can be duplicated with an application’s Find/Change command. But if you constantly have to clean up files, this program can pay for itself quickly in time saved.

Although the program’s Help file states that text can be “scrubbed” in InDesign to maintain InDesign’s formatting, I found some problems with it. Generally, I don’t consider this a deal breaker because text cleanup usually happens when the text is first imported. Also, it only works with selected text in InDesign, so it can’t clean an entire document at once. It wouldn’t be worth using for documents with multiple, unthreaded text blocks, such as a catalog.

I’d also like to suggest that a few features need to be added: the ability to add a single space before or after an em dash (Text Cleaner has a setting to remove spaces, but not to add them), and the ability to work on Microsoft Word documents. –David Singer

PRICE: $89 (Upgrade $49)
FROM: MacLab
PHONE: 301-270-8445
WEB: www.textcleaner.com
RATING: 3.5

LAYERS VERDICT
HOT Multiple find/change feature
NOT May alter InDesign formatting