Incoming e-mail from an InDesignSecrets reader:
I have style sheets set up to apply in a series. When I go to the menu where it should say “Apply __ and then next style,” that option is not there. Any ideas why this option will not appear?
That command is a wily one, but oh-so-useful in certain production challenges; specifically when you have a series of unformatted paragraphs to which you need to quickly apply a series of custom Paragraph Styles.
You need to select at least two consecutive paragraphs before InDesign will show you the command in the Paragraph Styles palette. Even then, you won’t find “Apply “[this style]” then Next Style” in the palette menu. You can only see the command when you right-click (or Control-click with a one-button mouse) on the name of the Paragraph Style that should be applied to the first paragraph in the selection.
InDesign will apply the style you right-clicked on to the first paragraph in the selection, then apply the Next Styles that you specified in the style definitions to the remaining paragraphs in the selection.
You could alternatively select the entire text frame with the Selection tool; right-clicking on the Paragraph Style name that you want applied to the frame’s first paragraph will reveal the “Apply “this style” then Next Style” command.
The command can be included in an Object Style for a text frame, too. Look in the Paragraph Styles panel of the Object Style options for the “Apply Next Style” checkbox.
This article was last modified on December 18, 2021
This article was first published on March 15, 2007
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