Change font colour style depending on background

[ianhgsy]

I do several layouts with a photo as the full page background with the type in front.  There are occasions when the text disappears into the background and I manually change the font colour to a contrasting colour to make it readable.  The problem is if some text is then added or removed, the amended text shifts away from the original background and I have to reset that and change the new text.

My question is, is there a way to run a script or create a style that effectively says "if the background is lighter than X colour make the font colour Y but if the background is darker than X colour, make the font colour Z.

Is this possible or what do other people do - other than changing it manually?

[rob day]

You can do it in a limited way with Transpaency Effects:

The text frame with the white background and DkBlue text as no Transparency Effect applied. The frame with the DkBlue background has the Text set to Screen and Knockout Group checked:

The text reflowed

[ianhgsy]

Thanks Rob,

That is a good workround but it does mean that I have to create text boxes in the dodgy area.  That said, that is probably a lot easier than changing individual characters.

Thanks again.

Ian 

[Luke Jennings3]

Other options include adding a drop shadow, stroke or glow to the type to make it more legible.

This is off-topic, but you can place an instance of type into InDesign vector elements, copy, paste into the shape, change the color of the placed instance, and send the original type to the back.

[ianhgsy]

Cheers Luke,

A good option but one I feel might be more trouble than it is worth, but I will be looking at it.

Thanks again.

Ian

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

A part from the transparency options and blend effects already mentioned. 

InDesign does not have a way of determining the colour background to base text on.

You can submite a Feature Request here

https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

There might be a script you can run - but I'm not 100% sure on this or how it would work. 

Best option I have found over the years is to have a Paragraph or Character Style for the text and apply it manually on each page.

[ianhgsy]

Hi Eugene, 

I have submitted a festure request and you do exactly what I do.  I just seem to have the ability to miss the occasional character which then gets picked up at the last hurdle - annoying.

Cheers.

Ian