Different space(s) after paragraph in one paragraph style

[markd81221339]

For our company I'm creating and updating a base document in InDesign so colleagues work faster and the designs will be more consistent. The document is getting better and better with each iteration.

But know I have stumbled upon a challenge for which I cannot find a satisfying answer.

For each heading in the document (H1 to H6) I have created Paragraph styles.

After the H1 and H2 I have added some space in the paragraph style.

H3 to H6 are smaller and the body text (paragraph style) will follow these headings without any extra space between them.

But in some cases a Heading 3 will be directly followed by a Heading 4 (for example). And now I want some extra space between these headings. I could add some space after H3 but then there will also be a unwanted gap between H3 and the body text. So this is not what I'm looking for.

Is there a way to dynamically add spacing between H3 and H4 without making more paragraph styles?

Something like IF, THEN, ELSE?

IF H3 is followed up by H4, THEN add (? pts) line height or ELSE use standard line height.

Kind regards,

Mark

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Unfortunately it's not possible - automatically in the InDesign. 

But it could be scripted - and to not have local overrides - you would have to create extra versions of ParaStyles for script to use, like "H3+H4" or "H3+H5", etc.

[markd81221339]

Hi Robert,

Thank you for your quick response!

I am not familiar with scripting. Is this embedded in the document or do all workers need this same script on their machine? Where should I look for such an example? Couldn't find any with Google...

ID tasker is not an option for us because we all work on Mac.

Thanks again!

Kind regards,

Mark

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

If you need just a simple functionality then JavaScript is your solution. 

I'm not JS guy so can't provide you with the code - but it would be pretty simple - a simple loop that would check every Paragraph of the Story for ParaStyle applied then check next Paragraph and re-assign ParaStyle accordingly

If you can connect a PC to your network - you could still use ID-Tasker in WatchedFolders mode - it's so extremely advanced tool. You won't get instant interactivity but still be able to save a lot of time - especially, if you let it work overnight or over the weekend...

[Barb Binder]

Hi @markd81221339:

While I am a huge proponent of not using overrides, this is one place where I do. I work with the Style Highlighter enabled and manually remove the space above the lower level heading when it directly follows the one above. The style highlighter indicates that I did it, and my editor knows to proof for this situation. 

~Barb

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Barb Binder

Why not apply a different ParaStyle? 

[Randy Hagan · Accepted solution]

How many of these exceptions do you see in your documentation?

I know you're averse to using additional paragraph styles, but that would be the perfect solution to your problem. It lets you quickly and consistently apply your unique rules to refine and streamline your documentation, plus if needed, make global changes easily and apply them backward as easily as importing the style into legacy documentation.

Jus' sayin' ...

Randy

[Joel Cherney]

If you're dead set against making new paragraph styles...

I have a client whose InDesign work is absolutely beautiful in print or PDF, but if you look at the guts of the file, it's always the absolute worst tangle of nonsense inside. He once ran into a paragraph-spacing circumstance like yours that would have been comparatively easy to handle in CSS, but couldn't be done in InDesign without making additional paragraph styles or style overrides. 

So: he made a character style with lots of extra leading, and applied it only to the second or third letter in any given heading that required additional space before. "Look Joel, no overrides!" he said proudly. 

(I very much endorse Barb's response to this; unless there's a good workflow-related reason to prevent any style overrides, I'd just turn on override highlighting and let it go.)

[markd81221339]

Thank you all!

I hoped for a simple and dynamic solution.

But after reading what you all wrote, I see that this is a quest that leads to much hassel.

Not only for me but also for my colleagues who will have to work with it.

For now I will add a few extra Paragraph Styles for the Headings H3 to H6.

Thank you for your thoughts!

Kind regards,

Mark

[Willi Adelberger]

When you add space before H4 it would not help?