PagePlus

Using text styles

PagePlus lets you use named text styles (pre- or user-defined), which can be applied to frame text, table text, artistic text, index text or table of contents text. A text style is a set of character and/or paragraph attributes saved as a group. When you apply a style to text, you apply the whole group of attributes in just one step. For example, you could use named paragraph styles for particular layout elements, such as “Heading 1″ or “Body”, and character styles to convey meaning, such as “Emphasis”, “Strong”, or “Subtle Reference”.

Styles can be applied to characters or paragraphs using either the Text context toolbar or the Text Styles tab. Both paragraph and character styles can be managed from the Text Style Palette.

To jump to a particular subtopic, click its title below:

• Paragraph styles and character styles

• Working with named styles

• Removing local formatting

• Changing common styles

• Importing styles

Paragraph and character styles

A paragraph style is a complete specification for the appearance of a paragraph, including all font and paragraph format attributes. Every paragraph in PagePlus has a paragraph style associated with it.

• PagePlus includes a built-in default paragraph style called “Normal” which is left-aligned, 12pt Times New Roman. When you create frame text from scratch you’ll be using the Body text style based on Normal; artistic text uses Artistic Body text style, based on the Body style. This hierarchical approach makes for powerful text style control.

• Applying a paragraph style to text updates all the text in the paragraph except sections that have been locally formatted. For example, a single word marked as bold would remain bold when the paragraph style was updated or changed.

A character style includes only font attributes (name, point size, bold, italic, etc.), and you apply it at the character level—that is, to a range of selected characters—rather than to the whole paragraph.

• Typically, a character style applies emphasis (such as italics, bolding or color) to whatever underlying font the text already uses; the assumption is that you want to keep that underlying font the same. The base character style is shown in the Text Styles tab (or palette) as “Default Paragraph Font,” which has no specified attributes but basically means “whatever font the paragraph style already uses.” Suppose a paragraph uses a style called “Body,” and the “Body” style uses regular 10pt Arial. Then the Default Paragraph Font for that particular paragraph would also be regular 10pt Arial.

• Applying the Default Paragraph Font option from the Text Styles tab (or the Text context toolbar’s Styles box) will strip any selected local character formatting you’ve added and will restores original text attributes (paragraph styles are not affected). (See the subtopic Removing Local Formatting.)

• As with paragraph styles, you can define any number of new character styles using different names and attributes (or adopt a pre-defined character style).

Text style hierarchies

All paragraph or character text styles available in PagePlus are ultimately based on the respective Normal and Default Paragraph Font text styles.

Paragraph styles	Character styles

The Text Style Palette dialog’s tree menu shows the hierarchical relationship existing between styles in your publication. The “parent” styles, i.e. those used as the basis for subordinate “child” styles, are displayed initially, but can be expanded to show their associated “child” styles by clicking the  box. All styles are listed alphabetically.

So why have this hierarchy of text styles? The key reason for this is the ability to change a text style at any “level” in the hierarchy in order to affect all “child” styles which belong to it. This leads to powerful style management, perhaps making dramatic changes by modifying the “top-level” Normal paragraph style, or more focused changes by modifying text styles under the Indented text style.

You can create custom paragraph or character text styles at any level in the above hierarchy. Every new style is derived from a previously defined base style, and so consists of all the base style’s unchanged attributes as well as any attributes you’ve redefined. Your custom text style could then be the basis for further custom text styles if needed.

Working with named styles

 The named style of the currently selected text is displayed in either the Text Styles tab or the Styles drop-down list on the Text context toolbar. A character style (if one is applied locally) may be shown; otherwise it indicates the paragraph style.

To apply a named style:

1. Using the Pointer Tool, click in a paragraph (if applying a paragraph style) or select a range of text (if applying a character style). If you apply a paragraph style, it will be applied to the whole paragraph regardless of the amount of text selected. If you’ve selected text in more than one paragraph, the change takes place in all selected paragraphs.

2. Display the Text Styles tab and select a style from the style list.
   – or -
   On the Text context toolbar, click the arrow to expand the Styles drop-down list and select a style name.
   – or -
   Choose Text Style Palette… from the Format menu, select a style name, and click Apply. The paragraph or selected text takes on the properties of the named style.

The Text Style tab highlights the paragraph or character style applied to any selected text.

As both paragraph and character formatting can be applied to the same text, all of the current text’s formatting is displayed in the Current format box on the tab. In the example below, currently selected text has a Strong character style applied over a Normal paragraph style.

To update a named style using the properties of existing text:

1. Make your desired formatting changes to any text that uses a named style.

2. On the Text Styles tab, right-click the style and choose Update <style> to Match Selection.
   – or -
   Right-click on the changed text and choose Text Format>Update Text Style (or choose Update Text Style from the Format menu).

All text using the named style, throughout the publication, takes on the new properties.

To create a new paragraph or character style:

1. Either:

1. On the Text Styles tab, select the paragraph or character style on which you want your new style to be based.

2. Click the  Create Paragraph Style or  Create Character Style, or right-click and choose Base New Style on <selected style name>.

- or -

• Choose Text Style Palette… in the Format menu, and with a “base” style selected in the dialog, click the Create… button.

2. In the Text Style dialog, define the style Name, the style to be Based on, Style for the following paragraph, and the style to be changed to if Increase Level is applied. Check Always list in Studio to ensure the style will always appear in the Text Styles tab.

3. In the left tree menu change any character or paragraph attributes, tabs, bullets, and drop caps you want to include in the new style definition.

4. Click OK to create the style, or Cancel to abandon changes.

To create a new style using the properties of existing text:

1. Format the text as desired.

2. To define a character style, select a range of reformatted text. To define a paragraph style, deselect text but leave a blinking cursor (insertion point) within the newly formatted section.

3. Type a new style name into the Text context toolbar’s Styles drop-down list and press Enter.

The new style is defined with the properties of the selected text.

To modify an existing style:

1. From the Text Styles tab:

2. Right-click on the character or paragraph style you want to modify and then choose Modify <style>…
   – or -

3. With a style selected, pick the  Manage Styles button from the Text Styles tab, then choose the Modify… button.

2. From the Text Style dialog, define (or change) the style name, base style, and any character or paragraph attributes, tabs, bullets, and drop caps you want to include in the style definition.

3. Click OK to accept style properties, or Cancel to abandon changes.

4. Click Apply to update text, or click Close to maintain the style in the publication for future use.

Alternatively, choose Text Style Palette… from the Format menu to modify styles and to change text defaults.

To delete one or more text styles:

• Right-click a text style and select Delete <style>….

• From the dialog, click Remove. For deletion of multiple styles, check multiple style names first. For removal of all or unused styles, use appropriate buttons.

• Take care when deleting styles. Styles based on a checked “parent” style will be checked for deletion.

You can
preview any style and then apply it to a word, paragraph, or story.

To preview a style:

1. From the tab’s  Tab Menu button (top-right of tab), select Preview Style.

2. Select a section of text (a letter, word, or paragraph) in your document.

3. On the Text Styles tab, hover over any style in the list (check the Show All option to see all styles). The selected text will update to show how the style will appear in situ.

4. Check Preview Styles at the bottom of the tab to see the style within the tab as it would appear on the page.

5. Check Show All to reveal all available styles in the tab.

Removing local formatting

To return characters and/or paragraphs back to their original formatting, click on the Clear Formatting option in the Text Styles tab. This is great for reverting some formatting which hasn’t quite worked out! You can clear the formatting of selected characters, paragraphs, or both depending on what text is currently selected. The following table indicates the effects of different types of text selection on clear formatting.

Selection	Clicking Clear Formatting affects..
Word	Character
Range of text	Character
Single paragraph	Character and Paragraph
Multiple paragraphs	Paragraph
Story text	Character and Paragraph
Text frame	Character and Paragraph

You also have the flexibility to be more explicit about how clear formatting is applied by clicking on the Clear Formatting option’s drop-down arrow, i.e.

To remove local formatting:

1. Select locally formatted characters or paragraph(s) as described in the above table.

2. Either:

• Select Clear Formatting from the Styles drop-down list on the Text context toolbar.
  – or -

• On the Text Styles tab, click the Clear Formatting option.
  – or -
  From the same tab, select Apply to Both from the drop-down menu or Clear Text Formatting from the Format menu).
  – or -
  Select Apply to Character to remove all local character formatting (leaving paragraph formatting untouched).
  – or -
  Select Apply to Paragraph to remove all local paragraph formatting (leaving character formatting untouched).

Like Clear Formatting, you can use Reapply Styles on the Text Styles tab (or Text context toolbar) to clear all local overrides leaving the default text. However, where Clear Formatting reverts the text to Normal style, Reapply styles reverts the text back to its current name style. Use Apply to Character (retaining paragraph styles overrides), Apply to Paragraph (retaining character style overrides), and Apply to Both to remove both character or paragraph style overrides simultaneously.

If you prefer, you can remove a style’s formatting, enabling you to start building up your text style again. Choose Manage Styles button on the Text Styles tab, click the Modify button, then click the Clear All button from the General section.

Changing common styles

Changing one character or paragraph style for another is very simple for a single portion of text. However, in PagePlus, it’s just as easy to swap one style for another by selecting multiple instances of the style and choosing an alternative style. This swaps styles across paragraphs and throughout entire stories all at the same time.

To select (and change) a style throughout your document:

1. Right-click a style displayed on the Text Styles tab.

2. If the style is used in your document, you’ll see a “Select All n instance(s)” message (n is the number of times the style is used).

   If there are no occurrences of the style, you’ll see a “Not currently used” message.

3. Click the message label—text formatted with the chosen style is highlighted.

4. Hover over style names in your styles list, then click on a chosen style to apply the style to the selected text.

Importing styles

To import one or more styles from another PagePlus file:

1. Choose Text Style Palette… from the Format menu.

2. Click the Import… button and use the dialog to locate the file from which styles should be imported, and check the specific style(s) to be imported. You’ll be asked if you want to overwrite existing styles of the same name.

3. Use Tools>Save Defaults to save the set of styles (along with other defaults) as a global setting so it will remain in effect for future publications. For information, see Updating and saving defaults.

To retain styles while importing a text file:

1. Choose Text File… from the Insert menu.

2. Check Retain Format in the Import Text dialog if you want PagePlus to import and retain the source file’s named styles. Any text not tagged with a style will be marked with the “Normal” style as used in your publication. Uncheck to discard styles; PagePlus will always mark all text with the “Normal” style.

• If duplicate style names exist but the underlying styles are different, the duplicate imported style will be renamed (for example, from Normal to Normal 1). New styles will be added to those already in the Styles list. Use the Text Styles Palette (see above) to review the properties of imported text styles.

Using text styles