How to apply a template to an existing project?

Question

Is there a way to apply a new template to an existing InDesign project? I laid out my book in InDesign (with each chapter being a separate project), and now I am attempting to apply the InDesign template with the appropriate margins, fonts, linespacing, etc. from the publisher, but I'm not sure how. I tried moving the parent page from the template to my project, but that didn't seem to work. Thanks!

James Gifford—NitroPress · Answer

You can apply styles from one doc to another, but InDesign is not like some other platforms where a complete template or detached style can be connected to an existing doc. You are best off moving your content from the old doc to a new one using the template.

There might be other ways, but the only coherent method I can think of (or would use) would be to rename all your existing text styles to EXACTLY match those in the template document, then cut and paste the content into the new document. That should mostly style to match the new template, and things like page layout, margins, etc. won't be affected by the import.

You can also just do a cut and paste, then clean up the document in the new format: Replace all OldHeading1 styles with NewHeading1, etc. You might find that easier, if a bit more tedious. If you don't have a plethora of Paragraph and Character Styles, though, renaming them first might be a little tidier.

(Now, why do I hear @Barb Binder stepping up with details of a better process I've overlooked? 🙂 )

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