Skip to main content
michelelharry
Participant
July 6, 2017
Answered

Alternating Row Fills is not Working

  • July 6, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 11982 views

When I create a table and go to table options for alternating pattern, I will select every other (or any other pattern) and it defaults back to none.

It used to work just fine, but doesn't anymore.  Indesign CC 2017 - latest upate.

Does anyone else have this problem?

thanks!

    Correct answer JebusRidesUnicorns

    Here's the solution: In all 'Cell Styles' in which you want to have alternating fills, set the 'Fill' color to '(Ignore)'. '(Ignore)' appears at the bottom of the swatch list. Then go into 'Alternating Fills' and adjust as desired.

    2 replies

    JebusRidesUnicornsCorrect answer
    Participant
    August 13, 2018

    Here's the solution: In all 'Cell Styles' in which you want to have alternating fills, set the 'Fill' color to '(Ignore)'. '(Ignore)' appears at the bottom of the swatch list. Then go into 'Alternating Fills' and adjust as desired.

    Participating Frequently
    August 14, 2018

    JebusRidesUnicorns​, that's a very clever thing you've pointed out. I've never seen that in the list before. I think that does solve the problem. It allows me to set other cell properties without affecting the color. Thank you all for your input!

    Bill Silbert
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 6, 2017

    Have you tried deleting your preferences?

    To do so:

    For Macintosh Users: With InDesign closed launch a Finder Window in column view and click on your home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. Within the Library folder find the following two files and delete them: “Adobe InDesign” and “com.adobe.InDesign.plist”. When InDesign is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

    After you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, it is a really good idea to create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

    For Windows Users: Hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching InDesign and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset.

    Armadillo77
    Known Participant
    December 29, 2017

    https://forums.adobe.com/people/Bill+Silbert  wrote

    Have you tried deleting your preferences?

    I search my computer for "com.adobe.InDesign.plist" and there is no file with this name. I deleted any file that ends .plist and included "InDesign", but this was not a solution.@

    Searching for a file named "Adobe InDesign" only brings up folders and not a delete-able file.

    After 4 hours of looking online for solutions, removing or breaking all table and cell styles to, clearing overrides, clearing attributes not defined by style, down-saving to ID 17, creating a .IDML file and reopening and saving a the file... I've decided impossible to create a chart, in InDesign, with alternating row fills, automatically. You have to select each row and coloring it manually. Really bites the big one!

    Bill Silbert
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    December 29, 2017

    Sorry. That version of the deleting preferences (which I fixed months ago) had a typo which omitted the place where those files could be found on a Mac (The preferences folder). The corrected version is:

    With InDesign closed Launch a Finder Window in column view and click on your home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the following two files and delete them: “Adobe InDesign” and “com.adobe.InDesign.plist”. When InDesign is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

    I'm also including a screen shot to be extra clear: