Underline some text within a symbol text override (e.g. hyperlink)

[Meza]

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.

[jonne]

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.

[KarlCanBeCool (Karl)]

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

[sakisnbc (Sakis Zafeiropoulos)]

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

[Xhaust (Christian Meyer)]

You could vote for this feature request:

Text formatting in symbol instances

Sooo often I have the pain of not being able to make the simplest typographic settings within symbol instances. The following example. I have created a layout section as a symbol. Perhaps a hero with a key visual for a homepage. This hero contains an image and text, as well as one or two CTAs. Now, of course, I would like to create several variants of it by changing the symbol instance via override: Different image, different text … And now, for example, I have highlighted certain words or te…

[AACourt]

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?

Everything seems to be there ready:

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

[Xhaust (Christian Meyer)]

You could vote for the feature request above …

[AACourt]

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

[Xhaust (Christian Meyer)]

Click here: Text formatting in symbol instances

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

[AACourt]

ah nice thank you

[sakisnbc (Sakis Zafeiropoulos)]

@jonne Hi any update on this one?

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?) , and their absence in Sketch feels like a significant oversight.

When will the Sketch team address these fundamental needs?

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

[jonne]

Hey @sakisnbc }

(Yep, I noticed what you did there )

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.

[sakisnbc (Sakis Zafeiropoulos)]

Hey there @jonne thank you for your update!

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!