Object styles are one of the most powerful tools in InDesign. The ability to define dozens of specifications and apply them to an object with one click can have a tremendous impact on your workflow. And now it’s gotten even better! The addition of size and position settings adds an additional layer to the benefits of using object styles. Here’s how this works.

When creating a new object style, the left side of the New Object Style dialog lists the attributes that can be defined. The checked items indicate that they are in use for the selected style, and unchecking an item in this list will remove that attribute from the object style. Check the Size and Position Options category. Select the options as detailed below.

TIP: Create an object with all of the specifications applied, and in the correct position, select it, and then create the new object style. This will automatically fill in the majority of the settings.

Height/Width/Position in Object Styles

The Size and Position Options category provides a way to add height, width, and position settings to an object style.

The three options available for Size:

  • Width Only
  • Height Only
  • Height & Width

Values for height and width can be modified based on the selection made from these options. Note: The icon to constrain proportions is available when the Height & Width option is selected.

The three options available for Position:

  • X Only
  • Y Only
  • X & Y

Values for X and Y can be modified based on the selection made from these options.

Additionally, there is an option to choose proxy for object Position. Choose the Reference Point and the Offsets, as well as the origins, from either Page Edge or Page Margin.

The idea that you can now not only define what an object will look like with a single click, but also define its size and location on a page is very exciting! Try it!

Check out our handbook, Using Adobe InDesign CC 2018, to learn more!

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Note: Information contained in this post is current at the time of posting. Visit the Technology for Publishing News & Events blog for the latest info on Adobe software releases and functionality.

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Posted by: Monica Murphy

Monica Murphy
Monica Murphy has worked in the publishing industry for over 30 years supporting publishing operations of various sizes. In her role as Technical Product Manager for Technology for Publishing, she shares her publishing application expertise supporting a broad range of publishing clients in InDesign best practices, cross-platform content workflows, and InDesign Template strategies. Her weekly tip and blog posts have a committed following in the InDesign community, and as a long-time participant in the InDesign pre-release community, she regularly analyzes and provides feedback for upcoming features. Monica manages the authoring and publication of Technology for Publishing’s handbooks on InDesign, InCopy, and other associated titles.
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