Indesign 2019 not globally updating Character Styles

[carolynrm]

I changed a font size in my character style, but it does not update all the text boxes in my file automatically when I apply the changes.

Instead I have to go through and individually select each text box and reapply the same character style for the changes to show up.

Is this a 2019 bug, or was there a change I can revert that I somehow missed?

It also seems that my paragraph styles are overriding my character style font formats, though these aren't globally updating either when I change them.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[hammer0909]

Short answer is no nothing has changed. No bug, they work the same as they always have.

Character styles always override Paragraph styles. Period.

When you say you have to select each text box and reapply the same character style, that concerns me a bit. You should be doing all of your global formatting with a Paragraph style and then refining the text with a character style usually to only portions of the text within the paragraph.

If you can provide some additional information, maybe we can help you further. Even better, provide a dropbox link to the file so we can take a look.

[Willi Adelberger]

If you work completely with styles (what I strongly recommend) you can select the whole text of the stories and go to the Paragraph Style Panel’s menu and select remove overrides.

Or you can create a profile in the preflight panel which indicates overrides as errors and jump from there to reapply (by holding the alt key) the character or paragraph style.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Hi Carolyn:

I changed a font size in my character style, but it does not update all the text boxes in my file automatically when I apply the changes.

Instead I have to go through and individually select each text box and reapply the same character style for the changes to show up.

In any version of InDesign, you should be able to update a style definition (paragraph, character, object, table or cell style definition) and see the update ripple through the document immediately on all objects using that style. The only reason it would not is if a.) you aren't actually updating the definition or b.) you have overrides.

Screen shots documenting your process will help us help you.

~Barb

[SJRiegel]

If overrides are causing the issue, you can use Find/Change, leaving the text portion blank, and only filling in Attributes.  

Find Character Style A  >  Change to Character Style A

[jane-e]

I have to test that right now, SJRiegel​ — it will clear all the overrides across the entire document for that style? So cool!

[SJRiegel]

I use it often for Object styles across a catalog, because resizing box and content together changes the corner radius. In effect, it is reapplying the style.

[carolynrm]

Thank you BarbBinder​ - I had several overrides across the document that were interfering.

[Barb Binder]

Great news, Carolyn. Glad we could help.

~Barb