An InDesign default paragraph-character styles set
Setting up an InDesign default paragraph-character styles set as you begin using InDesign
THIS IS A PRACTICAL STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE FOR WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN ALL MY INDESIGN PRODUCTION BOOKS SINCE 1996. IT’S CURRENTLY CHAPTER 22 IN:
Book Publishing With InDesign CC
We are going to set up the styles shown in the book. This will give you actual experience in setting up styles. Plus you will begin developing your own personal set of styles—which will become the core of your design style over the years. You will find it to be a constantly evolving foundation for your design production work.
An InDesign default paragraph-character styles set
We have to start out by setting up the Body Copy Styles
2 Body; 2 No first; 2 Run-In; 3 Number; 3 Bullet; 4 Body heads; 5 Quote; & 9 Callout
Start by opening the Paragraph Styles panel. Here you need to set up your Styles palette.
START BY SELECTING ALL THE EXISTING STYLES AND DELETING THEM
We start with the body styles
Start by making a new style: 2 Body
CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
Then on the GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 2-Body
- Based on: [No Paragraph Style]
- Next Style: [Same Style]
- Shortcut: Command+Num2 (PC: Ctrl+Num2)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Font Family & Style: Serif your choice
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left Justify
- First Line Indent: 0.4 in
Make new style: 2 No First
SELECT: 2 BODY & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 2 No first
- Based on: [2 Body]
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Option+Shift+Num2
- (PC: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Num2)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Font Family & Style: Serif your choice (same as 2-body)
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left Justify
- First Line Indent: 0 in
- Space Before: p3
Make new style: 3 Number
SELECT: 2 BODY & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 3 Number
- Based on: [2 Body]
- Next Style: [Same Style]
- Shortcut: Command+Num3 (PC: Ctrl+Num3)
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Check: Balance Ragged Lines
- Left Indent: 0.4 in
- First Line Indent: -0.25 inin
- Space Before: p2
- Space After: 0
BULLETS AND NUMBERING:
- Pick Numbered & set it up like you want
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- It is often a good idea to turn this off for this style
Make new style: 3 Bullet
SELECT: 3 Number & THEN right-click and duplicate the style
Open the new Style: 3 NumberCopy
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 3 Bullet
- Based on: [2 Body]
- Next Style: [Same Style]
- Shortcut: Command+Option+Num3 (PC: Ctrl+Alt+Num3)
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Check: Balance Ragged Lines
- Left Indent: 0.4 in
- First Line Indent: -0.25 inin
- Space Before: p2
- Space After: 0
BULLETS AND NUMBERING:
- Pick Bulleted set it up like you want
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- It is often a good idea to turn this off for this style
Make new style: 4 Body Heads
SELECT: 2 BODY & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 4 Body heads
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Num4 (PC: Ctrl+Num4)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Font Style: Bold or whatever the options are for the font family you chose
- Add small caps or whatever you think will make your small heads work
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Check: Balance Ragged Lines
- Left Indent: 0.4 in
- Space Before: p5
- Space After: p2
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- Turn off
JUSTIFICATION PAGE:
- Auto Leading: 100% or less for caps or small caps
Make new style: 5 Quote
SELECT: 2 BODY & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 5 Quote
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Num5 (PC: Ctrl+Num5)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- This is the same as 2 Body, unless you want to use italic
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left Justify
- Left Indent: 0.4 in
- First Line Indent: 0
- Right Indent: 0.4 in
- Space Before: p5
- Space After: p5
Make new style: 9 Callout
SELECT: 2 BODY & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… in the panel menu
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 9 Callout
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Num9 (PC: Ctrl+Num9)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Type Style: Italic
- Size: 18 point
- Leading: 19 point
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Check: Balance Ragged Lines
- Left Indent: 0.4 in
- First Line Indent: 0
- Right Indent: 0.4 in
- Space Before: p5
- Space After: p5
PARAGRAPH RULES PAGE:
- Turn on Rule Above &/or Below by checking Rule On
- The size, color, type, offset, and so on are your choice, BUT they do really help set off the callout.
- (You’ll probably need to set up more space before and after paragraph to make room for the rules.)
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- Turn off
JUSTIFICATION PAGE:
- Auto Leading: 115%
Now we set up the Headers
Start by making a new style: 6 Head
CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 6 Head
- Based on: [No Paragraph Style]
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Num6 (PC: Ctrl+Num6)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Font Family & Style: Sans or Decorative your choice
- Size: 30 point
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Left Indent: 0 in
- First Line Indent: 0 in
- Space Before: p7
- Space After: p2
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- Turn off
JUSTIFICATION PAGE:
- Auto Leading: 100%
Make new style: 7 Subhead 1
SELECT: 6 HEAD & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 7 Subhead 2
- Based on: [6 Head]
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Num7 (PC: Ctrl+Num7)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Size: 21 point
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Left Indent: 0 in
- First Line Indent: 0 in
- Space Before: p7
- Space After: p2
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- Turn off
JUSTIFICATION PAGE:
- Auto Leading: 100% or less for caps or small caps
Make new style: 8 Subhead 2
SELECT: 6 HEAD & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 8 Subhead 2
- Based on: [6 Head]
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Num8 (PC: Ctrl+Num8)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Size: 13 point
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- Turn off
JUSTIFICATION PAGE:
- Auto Leading: 100% or less for caps or small caps
PARAGRAPH RULES PAGE: Turn on Rule Above by checking Rule On
- Size: 14 point
- Color: Your choice but I suggest a gradient (if it were me) and that means you have to make the gradient BEFORE you can use it here.
- Width: Text
- Offset: -0.0525 in
- Left Indent: -0.4 in (yes this is a negative indent to bring the rule back out to the left column margin)
- Right Indent: -0.1 in (negative also)
Make new style: 0 Kicker
SELECT: 6 HEAD & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… IN THE PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 0 Kicker
- Based on: [6 Head]
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Num0 (PC: Ctrl+Num0)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Style: Bold or Black
- Size: 10 point
- Case: Small Caps
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Left Indent: 0 in
- First Line Indent: 0 in
- Space Before: p5
- Space After: 0
HYPHENATION PAGE:
- Turn off
JUSTIFICATION PAGE:
- Auto Leading: 100% or less for caps or small caps
PARAGRAPH RULES PAGE:
- Turn on Rule Below by checking Rule On The options are up to your sense of style, but the underline seems to be essential
Finally 2 special styles I use a lot
We need to make a Character Style first
Start by making a new character style: 1-Body Bold
CHOOSE NEW CHARACTER STYLE… IN THE CHARACTER STYLES PANEL MENU
GENERAL PAGE:
Style Name: 1 Body Bold
- Based on: [No Character Style]
- Shortcut: Option+Shift+Num1 (PC: Ctrl+Alt+Num1)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Font Family: Sans or Decorative your choice
- Font Style: Bold
CHARACTER COLOR:
- It seems to help if you make it a strong color
Make new style: 2 Run-In
SELECT: 2 BODY & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… in the panel menu
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 2 Run-In
- Based on: [2 Body]
- Next Style: [Same Style]
- Shortcut: Command+Option+Num2 (PC: Ctrl+Num2)
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Check: Balance Ragged Lines
- Left Indent: 0 in
- First Line Indent: 0 in
- Space Before: p2
- Space After: 0
DROP CAPS AND NESTED STYLES:
- Add a nested style; choosing 1-Body Bold through 1 : (colon)
Make new style: 1 Inline Graphic
We use this to put in things like tips. We place a graphic into the first character of the line and drop it three lines with the drop cap feature. You can put a text wrap on the inline graphic, and so on.
SELECT: 2 BODY & THEN CHOOSE NEW PARAGRAPH STYLE… in the panel menu
GENERAL PAGE:
- Style Name: 1 Inline Graphic
- Based on: [2 Body]
- Next Style: [2 Body]
- Shortcut: Command+Option+Num1 (PC: Ctrl+Num1)
BASIC CHARACTER FORMATS PAGE:
- Font Family: the light version of the header font family
- Font Style: Light
- Size: 10 point
INDENTS AND SPACING:
- Alignment: Left
- Check: Balance Ragged Lines
- Left Indent: 0 in
- First Line Indent: 0 in
- Space Before: p2
- Space After: 0
DROP CAPS AND NESTED STYLES:
- Add drop cap of one character and three lines
- Add a nested style; choosing 1-Body Bold through 1 : (colon)
Obviously, the variations are endless. Have fun!
Related articles
- First-line indents and a second interior alignment (bergsland.org)
