Font Settings & Ruler settings 1

[mr19th]

With InDesignCS2, is there a way to set a main font? We use the same font for everything that we make, but everytime I start a new file or new text frame, it always starts with Times New Roman. How can this be changed to always start with a different font?

Second, is there a way to change the ruler settings, as well, to where everytime I start a new file it will open with inches showing and not Picas? I know how to change everything once opened, but it's just a pain to have to do it everytime I open a new file.

Thanx,
mr19th

 

[Crassinnola]

When you change your preferences while a document is open, you will only change the preferences for that particular document.

To change your default preferences, make sure no documents are open. Then make the changes.

So, in your case, close all documents, then go to Preferences > Units and Increments > Ruler Units and select inches instead of picas.

Still with no documents open, open your character panel and choose your preferred font. Then open your Paragraph Styles panel and edit the [Basic Paragraph] style to include your preferred font.

 

[eugenetyson]

Please don't edit your Basic Paragraph style, never ever ever ever.

Reason is, if you change the Basic Paragraph style to 24pt Edwardian Script, for example, a bad example. And if you save that style with no documents open.

Create a new document and open it on another machine that you haven't altered the Basic Paragraph Style.

What you get is that the other computer will use it's own Basic Paragraph Style, so it will use 10 pt Times Roman, for example, and nobody will be the wiser as how would they know what font you wanted?

What you need to do is, forget about the character style. You don't need it for this.

With no documents open, create a new paragraph style. Then put in all your settings, size, font, spacings, colour, tabs etc. Call it something unique, like with your intitals and a brief description of it's use.

Now create a document and open it up on another machine. Now it will recognise the style you have used.

Never ever change the basic paragraph style. You'll regret it.

Put it like this, if you have to re-install InDesign for some reason and you open up all your documents that you created in the future years. Each one of them will open with the default InDesign font, because it is using Basic Paragraph Style.

 

[eugenetyson]

Edit : "With no documents open, create a new paragraph style. Then put in all your settings, size, font, spacings, colour, tabs etc. Call it something unique, like with your intitals and a brief description of it's use >>>>and select it<<<<"

 

[Crassinnola]

Point taken, Eugene.

I work in a small work group (only two of us) and our default font is Optima. Both of us have our Basic Paragraph styles set to Optima. We never have problems because we only share files between our two machines.

I can see where editing your BP style could create problems if you share files with other people or if you're not "locked in" to one style, as my department is. (Our forms are medical records and we've been using Optima as a standard for years and will continue to do so. So, in my case, when I replace my machine, the first thing I'll do is change my BP style to Optima.)

Anyway, thank you for the clarification.

 

[eugenetyson]

It's just that some print houses might insist on getting the .indd file rather than the PDF and when they open it things will be different. It's just a "be aware" thing.

 

[Crassinnola]

If I ever had a print house tell me they needed my .indd file rather than a .pdf, I'd find a new print house. I don't want anyone outside of my company / department working on my files. But that's just me.

 

[eugenetyson]

That's the answer I expected, because I would do the same.