[Devoloping] Underline some text within a symbol text override

I’m using symbols for text layouts. I need to indicate to content management authors where there are hyperlinks within the body text.

I can’t seem to apply underlines to part of a text override.

It’s possible to apply an underline while editing the text…

But when you click-off to save the text edits, the underline is removed.

How can I achieve the desired effect? Do I have to instruct my designers to detach-from-symbol for anything that requires an underline?
Thanks, feel like I’m hitting a wall here.

1 Like

Hey @Meza, unfortunately, there’s no elegant solution if the text needs to be a symbol. Besides detaching, Artboard Templates in combination with Smart Layout in groups could be an option; it’s a flexible solution if you like the freedom to reuse work and adjust the content.

I think the community would love WYSWYG editing for text layers within a symbol

If I am not mistaken this is already possible in Figma :pensive:. It would be awesome to see this happen in Sketch as well.

1 Like

You could vote for this feature request:

1 Like

Any news on if this is likely to become a feature? I am at the point where I cant create a symbol for the team because they will have to break it and do the text manually anyway, so there is no time saving or way for me to manage consistency of the component

I am not sure why the features of a text component cannot continue to be used once inside a symbol:

Unless there is something I dont know?

Screenshot 2024-02-14 at 10.10.17

Everything seems to be there ready:

Screenshot 2024-02-14 at 10.12.14

But even selecting a portion of the text and re-styling it will cause all the text to take on that style

1 Like

You could vote for the feature request above …

How does voting work, i cant see any vote option other than the “heart” icon/feature

Click here: Text formatting in symbol instances

and there you’ll find a vote button on the top

1 Like

ah nice thank you

@jonne Hi any update on this one? :thinking:

While the new features in Sketch 100, such as the Minimap and advanced prototyping tools sound exciting, I’m still puzzled by the omission of basic text formatting options in symbol instances.

Features like underlining text, highlighting words or passages in bold, and simple formatting commands (CMD+B, CMD+I, CMD+U) are essential for efficient design and readability.

These text formatting options are already available in Figma (see what i did there?) :nerd_face:, and their absence in Sketch feels like a significant oversight.

When will the Sketch team address these fundamental needs?


Here is a Figma component doing what my favourite design tool can’t (yet I hope) :crossed_fingers:

1 Like

Hey @sakisnbc }

(Yep, I noticed what you did there :stuck_out_tongue: )

Thanks for the reminder and I share your need for this change. However, there’s no news at the moment. I’ll keep you and this post posted when there are changes on this front.

1 Like

Hey there @jonne thank you for your update! :blush:

I appreciate your empathy with our need for better text formatting capabilities. However, it’s a bit disheartening to realize that such a fundamental feature, already standard elsewhere, is still not on Sketch’s radar.

Here’s hoping the winds of change bring this essential update our way soon—preferably before it becomes a vintage request!

2 Likes

Hey folks — happy to say this one is an active development. I want to say it’ll be in our next release, but I’m not 100% sure — so don’t hold me to that. But it’s coming!

3 Likes