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In Bullets and Numbering, how to bold the prefix before the ^#, while keeping the ^# itself unbold?

New Here ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

 

I have a series of images on a page, with text above them numbered "Frame: 1, Frame: 2, etc" which are generated automatically by styling a space within the text box, using a Paragraph style, via Bullets and Numbering. 

So that, I can remove images along with it's corresponding text, grouped, to automatically update the numbering as edits occur, etc. Which works as expecged, for the most part (at times you have to play with the layering, and cutting and pasting, in order the get the numbering to reorder properly). 

I'm only stuck on how to have "Frame:" bold, while keeping the number to the right of it itself, " 1", unbold? 

Nesting styles and GREP style don't help, as for as I've been able to determine. 

Below a screenshots of the Bullets and Numbering and Nested Styles, I played with so far. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Screenshot 2025-08-26 at 11.02.17 AM.pngScreenshot 2025-08-26 at 11.01.49 AM.png

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Feature request , How to , Type
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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

It seems to me that you have a lot of unnecessary steps… What would I do in this case:

  1. Set up a paragraph style for the numbered frames as this (all regular)
    Capture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.44.51.pngCapture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.45.34.png
    Capture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.46.10.png
  2. when you convert the paragraph style to text, the nested style will apply and you'll get what you want.Capture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.47.19.png

So, it is a 2 steps process.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

You can't do it that way since InDesign “sees” the text Frame: ^# as a single character but there is a workaround: once you are sure that you won't need to edit the order of the frames, convert the style as text, then use either a nested style or a GREP style to unbold the digits.

Capture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 18.29.02.png

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New Here ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

Thanks for the insight.

I Converted "Style Name" to Text, per your suggestion, then I had to remove any character styling (outside of the paragraph style), then I had to adjust the paragraph style's nested styling. To finally achieve the workaround. 

To quickly change the character style I realized that I can do a search, using GREP, to target the numbers.

Still better than absolute nothing.

Too bad, there's no way to style the actual prefix while keeping the automation of the numbering.

All screenshots below.


Screenshot 2025-08-26 at 1.04.31 PM.pngScreenshot 2025-08-26 at 1.19.14 PM.pngScreenshot 2025-08-26 at 1.19.49 PM.pngScreenshot 2025-08-26 at 1.19.59 PM.png

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Community Expert ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

It seems to me that you have a lot of unnecessary steps… What would I do in this case:

  1. Set up a paragraph style for the numbered frames as this (all regular)
    Capture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.44.51.pngCapture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.45.34.png
    Capture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.46.10.png
  2. when you convert the paragraph style to text, the nested style will apply and you'll get what you want.Capture d’écran 2025-08-26 à 20.47.19.png

So, it is a 2 steps process.

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New Here ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

Yeah, for the next go around I'll keep that in mind.

Previously, it was me working through everything for the first time. 

But this is good to know. Thank you. 


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New Here ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

So giving everything presented in this thread, the below is as sucinct a process as I've discovered for being able to style the prefix separate from the number, in a quto generated sequential numbering.

How To style the prefix separately from the number in a Numbered List

• Make bold and Unbold separate character styles
• Make a Paragraph Style > Paragraph Style Options > Bullets and Numbering > List Type > Numbers > List > New List or Existing pre-made list >> Number: Prefix_string ^# >> Character Style: [None]
- Then create the text box that will hold the sequence, and place a space, with the sequence Paragraph Style applied.
- Resulting in something like: Frame: 1, Frame: 2, Frame 3, etc

• Order the sequential items at will (if the order falls out of place, playing with reordering of layers in the Layers panel, and cutting and pasting in place, will force it to order correctly again).

• Once the proper sequence is finalized, Within that same Paragraph Style, go to Drop Caps and Nested Styles > Nested Styles
- Using the aforementioned character styles for Bold and Unbold, make two Nested Styles, using "through" with number of "digits," and separately, with "characters" needed.


• Then the key is, in the Paragraph Styles fly-out menu, Convert "Paragraph Style Name" Numbering to Text

• Once the numbering is converted to text, in the Find/Change dialogue menu, Under GREP (to the right of TEXT), under Find what: Enter stings needed to find your sequential numbering
- Leave the Change to: Blank
- Under Change Format: select Character Style: [None]. Only after this step will the Nested Style activate and be seen.


Once done, if there is another round of reordering the sequence, use Find/Change to change the strings back into a space, then turn on the Bullets and Numbering option in the Paragraph Style once again, which will restart the process. However, this time, from the last 2-3 steps or so.


Rinse, Wash, Repeat as needed.

Demo screenrecording part 1





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New Here ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025

Demo screenrecording part 2


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Community Expert ,
Aug 26, 2025 Aug 26, 2025
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Not really a solution, but a work-around. Converting the numbers to text is no different than just typing "Frame" and the number. At that point, nested styles would work just as well. 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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