Default to Formatting affects Text??

[Bohdan Chreptak]

If I want to change the color of some copy, I select the text, then have to select the little (formatting affects text) icon, and then hit the color.   I feel when text is selected, this option should be the default.  Can it be made so?? 

Seems a small step, but when performed 100 times a day.....

[Mike Witherell]

Why not learn to build and use paragraph styles instead. Paragraph styles are the main point of InDesign.

[Bohdan Chreptak]

My experience is somewhat limited.  I have used styles for single large documents.  I find I am more often creating medium sized documents with a lot of variation occurring.  Especially since my documents are image heavy and often the copy runs over top and requires tweaking for visibility. 

Again I'm not exceedingly well versed.  I appreciate your thoughts.

[Scott Falkner]

In my experience when text is selected I don’t have to select this option. The only time this is an issue is when a text frame is selected or table called are selected, rather than highlighted text.

[Bohdan Chreptak]

Apologies, it is the frame I'm referring to.  I suppose I assume that more often people are adjusting the color of the fonts themselves rather than the frame. 

[Barb Binder]

Hi Bohdan:

I'm never going to discourage the use of styles and you can always set the fill and stroke from the control panel.

But if you prefer to use the swatches panel with the frame selected, you can set the default for the current document as follows:

• Edit > Deselect All to make sure nothing is selected
• Window > Swatches
• click the T (Formatting Affects Text)

In that file, when you draw a new text frame, Formatting Affects Text will be the default. When you draw a graphic or unassigned frame, Formatting Affects Container will be the default.

~Barb

[Bohdan Chreptak]

Thank you Barb! 

Between this and a great reminder that "j" can quickly get me there, my process has gained efficiency.   

[AnneMarie Concepcion · Accepted solution]

Bohdan, Iike Scott says, when you select text with the Type tool, the option in the Swatches panel defaults to Formatting affects Text. But when you select the text frame with the Selection tool, InDesign figures you want to apply a background color to the frame, so it defaults to Formatting Affects Container.

However, if select the frame with the Selection tool and then you tap the J key, that'll toggle between Affects Text/Affects Container. That should help a bit. (Of course if you've selected text with the Type tool and then tap the J key, that'll just replace the selection with the letter 'j'. So don't do that ...heh)

AM

[Bohdan Chreptak]

This will speed things up.  Thanks AnneMarie!