This InDesign tip may be a bit basic, but it did elicit a small “wow” of appreciation from at least one seasoned QuarkXPress user who hadn’t discovered the keyboard shortcuts to quickly tweak kerning, tracking, and leading in InDesign CS2.

Hold down the Option key (Alt key in Windows) and use your keyboard’s arrow keys. When your text cursor sits between two letters, the left or right arrow keys adjust kerning. Select a range of type and the same keys adjust the overall tracking. Select several lines and the up or down arrow keys adjust leading.

Source: This first tip comes compliments of a free InDesign coaching session with Seattle graphic designer Andrea Herrick. For another Herrick-inspired tip, check out QuickTips #80: “Indent to Here” in InDesign or Quark.