Modifying Defaults for Documents, Text, and Objects

When you create a new document, start typing, or create a new object, it is based on default settings that you can change. For example, by default, a new document is always letter- sized , but if you design only CD covers, you can change the default.

You may need to work with InDesign for a while to determine which of these settings to change and what settings you prefer. When you identify a problem ‚ for example, you realize that you always end up changing the inset for text frames ‚ jot down a note about it or close all documents right then. When no documents are open , change the setting for all future documents.

Document defaults

You can modify the default size , margins, and columns in new documents; the default attributes of guides; and the way layouts are adjusted. To modify document defaults, choose the following with no documents open:

• File ‚ Document Setup (Option+ z +P or Ctrl+Alt+P). The Document Setup dialog box, shown in Figure 3-14, lets you modify the default settings in the New Document dialog box for the Number of Pages, Page Size, Facing Pages, and Master Text Frame, as well as for bleeds and slugs if you click the More Options button.

  
  Figure 3-14: When no documents are open, the Document Setup dialog box lets you customize default settings in the New Document dialog box.

• Layout ‚ Margins and Columns. The Margins and Columns dialog box, shown in Figure 3-15, lets you modify the default settings in the New Document dialog box for the Margins and Columns areas.

  
  Figure 3-15: Use the Margins and Columns dialog box ‚ when no documents are open ‚ to establish default margins and columns.

• Layout ‚ Ruler Guides. This adjusts the View Threshold and Color for all new guides. It opens the Ruler Guides dialog box, which is shown in Figure 3-16.

  
  Figure 3-16: When no documents are open, the Ruler Guides dialog box lets you customize default settings for ruler display.

• Layout ‚ Layout Adjustment. The Layout Adjustment dialog box, shown in Figure 3-17, lets you resize entire layouts and customize how they are resized.

  
  Figure 3-17: Use the Layout Adjustment dialog box ‚ when no documents are open ‚ to establish default layout-adjustment settings.

Text defaults

When you start typing in a new text frame, the text is formatted with default Character formats, Paragraph formats, and Story attributes. You can also choose to show invisible characters such as spaces and tabs by default; otherwise you'll need to activate it in each text-heavy document. To modify text defaults, choose

• Window ‚ Type & Tables ‚ Character ( z +T or Ctrl+T). Choose default options for character formats such as Font, Size, and Leading from the Character pane.

• Window ‚ Type & Tables ‚ Paragraph (Option+ z +T or Ctrl+Alt+T). Choose defaults for paragraph formats such as alignment, indents, spacing, and so on from the Paragraph pane.

• Type ‚ Story. This lets you activate Optical Margin Alignment by default. (Since Optical Margin Alignment works best for display type rather than body type, it's unlikely that you'll do this.)

• Type ‚ Show Hidden Characters ( z +Option+I or Ctrl+Alt+I). Check this if you edit in InDesign a great deal and always end up turning on Show Hidden Characters.

You can also edit the spelling and hyphenation dictionaries while no documents are open by choosing Edit ‚ Dictionary. However, because all the edits are saved in the same file, it doesn't matter whether documents are open.

Object defaults

When you create new objects, they're based on some default settings. For example, you can specify how text wraps around objects. To modify object defaults, use the following commands:

• Object ‚ Text Frame Options ( z +B or Ctrl+B). The Text Frame Options dialog box, shown in Figure 3-18, lets you specify the default Columns, Inset Spacing, First Baseline, and Ignore Text Wrap settings for new text frames.

  
  Figure 3-18: Use the Text Frame Options dialog box to specify default attributes of new text frames.

• Object ‚ Text Wrap ( z +Option+W or Ctrl+Alt+W). The Text Wrap pane lets you specify how text will wrap around all new objects.

• Object ‚ Corner Effects ( z +Option+R or Ctrl+Alt+R). The Corner Effects dialog box lets you choose a style for the corners of all new frames except those created with the Type tool.

• Object ‚ Clipping Path . The Clipping Path dialog box lets you specify the default attributes of clipping paths imported into graphics frames.

• Window ‚ Stroke (F10), Window ‚ Color, Window ‚ Gradient (F6), or Window ‚ Attributes. These let you specify other default properties of objects. For example, if all objects you create are stroked (framed), specify a weight in the Stroke pane.

• Double-click the Polygon tool to open the Polygon Settings dialog box (there is no menu command or keyboard shortcut) , which lets you specify the default number of sides and the inset for the first new polygon in a new document.