- Creating and applying paragraph styles
- Creating and applying character styles
From the book
From the book
From the book
Creating and applying character styles
In the previous exercise, paragraph styles allowed you to apply character and paragraph formatting to text with a single click or a keystroke. Similarly, character styles are a way to apply multiple attributes—such as font, size, and color—to text using a single action. Unlike paragraph styles, which format the entire paragraph, character styles apply formatting to selected characters such as a word or phrase.
Creating a character style
Now you will create and apply a character style to selected text in the document. This demonstrates how character styles can make your work more efficient and consistent.
- On page 1, scroll to view the first paragraph in the first column.
- If it’s not already visible, open the Character Styles panel by choosing Type > Character Styles.
- Using the Type tool (
),
select the words “Expedition
Tea Company” in the first
column of page 1. - In the Control panel, click
Character Formatting Controls
(
).
From the Font Style menu,
choose Semibold and then
click Small Caps (
). - Choose New Character Style from the Character Styles panel menu. The New Character Style dialog box opens, displaying the formatting you applied to the text in the Style Settings section.
- In the Style Name box at the top of the dialog box, type Company Name to define the purpose of the style.
- Click in the Shortcut box, hold down Shift (Windows) or Command (Mac OS), and press 8 on the numeric keypad of your keyboard. In Windows, be sure that the Num Lock key on the keypad is down.
- Select Apply Style To Selection to apply this new style to the text you just formatted.
- Click Basic Character Formats in the list at left to see what the character style includes.
- Click OK to close the New Character Style dialog box. The new Company Name style appears in the Character Styles panel.
- Choose Edit > Deselect All, then choose File > Save.
The only style listed in this panel is the default, [None].
)
As you did with the paragraph style in the previous section, you’ll build a character style based on existing text formatting. This approach lets you see the formatting before you create the style. In this case, you’ll format the Expedition Tea Company name and build it into a character style, so that it can be reused efficiently throughout the document.
)
Now that the text is formatted, you’ll create a new character style.
As you did for the paragraph style you created, now you’ll create a keyboard shortcut for easy application of this style.
If you don’t select Apply Style To Selection, the style appears in your Character Styles panel, but it is not automatically applied to the text you formatted and the text is not updated if you need to globally update the Company Name style.
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Applying a character style
You’re ready to apply your character style to selected text already placed in the document. As with paragraph styles, using character styles prevents you from having to manually apply multiple type attributes to each instance of text.
- Scroll to the right to view the right-facing page of the first spread.
- Using the Type tool (),
select the words “Expedition
Tea Company” in the first
paragraph of body text.
- In the Character Styles panel, click once on the Company Name style to apply it to this text. You should see the text change to reflect the character style you created.
- Using either the Character Styles panel or the keyboard shortcut, apply the Company Name style to the words “Expedition Tea Company” in the second body paragraph as well.
- Choose Edit > Deselect All, then choose File > Save.
To maintain a consistent look for the company name, you’ll apply the Company Name character style.
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