Curly quotes in Rise

Feb 26, 2020

Is there a reason why double and single quotes always appear straight when typed directly into Rise (' and " vs ‘ and “)? I can only get curly quotes if the content is pasted in from another application.

19 Replies
Tonya Ratliff-Garrison

Curly quote marks, or "smart quotes," are true typography quote marks while straight quote marks, or "dumb quotes" are a vestigial constraint from typewriters when using one key for two different marks helped save space on a keyboard. 

It would be ideal if Articulate would have Rise default to smart quotes or have something added to the Format bar that we could click on to convert the dumb quotes to smart.

Dave Demyan

I add my vote to wanting the benefits of using typographically correct ones. I had two reviewers of my most recent Rise course point out the "error" of using straight quotes. Makes me look like I don't know basic composition.

Check out, for example, some online news publications. The crude, less respected ones pay little attention to correct typographical selections. Respected outlets like NY Times get it right because it matters.

Carol Dungan

I second Laura, Tonya, and Dave. Please change the Rise default to the correct typographer's (curly) quotes. The "straight" quotes are actually mathematical inch and foot symbols. It's a mark of professional layout in web spaces to have typographer's quotes. When Rise doesn't do this, it degrades otherwise lovely layouts.

Benjamin Klinkner

Hi y'all! I searched my way to this thread today in service of some New Year's housekeeping. Like other folks above, the publishing team where I work would like to automate the use of directional quotation marks within all our tools. It seems like a new post here might help push this functionality forward; that's ultimately why I'm writing.

As part of the conversation, here's the most pertinent entry from the Chicago Manual of Style (6.115):

Published works should use directional (or “smart”) quotation marks, sometimes called typographer’s or “curly” quotation marks. These marks, which are available in any modern word processor, generally match the surrounding typeface. For a variety of reasons, including the limitations of typewriter-based keyboards and of certain software programs, these marks are often rendered incorrectly. Care must be taken that the proper mark—left or right, as the case may be—has been used in each instance. All software includes a “default” quotation mark ("); in published prose this unidirectional mark, though far more portable than typographer’s marks, signals a lack of typographical sophistication.

In sum? I wouldn't go so far as to call straight quotes an error. But smart quotes sure would be nice : )

Sheryl Payton

Yes, "curly" quotes are the correct way to use quotes--also "curly" apostrophes. "Straight" quotes are really inch marks and "straight" apostrophes are foot marks. It is tedious and time consuming to have to go through our Rise courses and copy and paste real quote marks and apostrophes into our courses. Please make "curly" quotes the standard.

Mason McFarland

Hello! I am a professional typography guy. As Tonya and others have helpfully explained, smart quotes are preferred (and expected) pretty much everywhere.

Copying and pasting from an application that handles text properly is not an especially reasonable thing to have to do in 2023, but since this thread is three years old and there’s no fix in sight, I thought it might be helpful to share some other workarounds in the browsers I use. 

  • For Safari users, highlight the text, then right-click and go to Substitutions > Smart Quotes and make sure it’s checked. Now it’ll switch to smart quotes automatically whenever you type.
  • For Chrome users, there’s an extension called Instant Smart Quotes that will correct dumb quotes along with other forms of typographical malpractice. Not familiar with the developer, but the extension is working as expected for me.

Replacement is especially important when using fonts like Be Vietnam, which displays the so-called 66 on both sides of the quoted text if you don’t fix it. 

Hope this helps!

Phil Foss

Devin, that's probably the best way to force a regular quote instead of a smart quote. But it sounds like you might be inserting a code sample- I was working on something similar and wasn't able to use a monospace font but found a workaround, is that what you're doing? I'd like to see your example if you can share.