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Automatically creating em dashes

Smart dashes let you set up TextEdit to automatically convert double hyphens (--) into an em dash (—) as you type.

To apply smart dashes as you type:

  • Choose Edit > Substitutions, and then choose Smart Dashes from the submenu.

  • To automatically use smart dashes in all new documents, choose TextEdit > Preferences, click New Document, and select “Smart dashes” below Options.

To apply smart dashes to text you've already typed:

  • To use smart dashes for only part of a document, select that part, choose Edit > Substitutions > Show Substitutions, select Smart Dashes, and then click "Replace in Selection."

  • To apply smart dashes throughout the document, choose Edit > Substitutions > Show Substitutions, select Smart Dashes, and then click Replace All.

Smart dashes are automatically applied to any additional double hyphens you type in the document.

To stop using smart dashes:

Choose Edit > Substitutions, and then choose Smart Dashes from the submenu to deselect it.

Related Topics

formatting text