Is there a faster way to clean up styles when importing Word docs?

[wonder_9515]

Hi everyone, I often import Word documents into InDesign, but I end up spending a lot of time cleaning up messy styles and formatting. Is there a faster or more efficient way to handle this? Maybe a workflow, script, or best practice that helps streamline the process? Any advice would be appreciated!

[Eugene Tyson]

Typically I bring in the Word doc 

Then delete all the paragraph styles it brings in (the little icon shows for them)

Same with character styles

Convert all Bullets and Numbering to text

Then I run the PREP TEXT script https://github.com/firedevelop/id0000013-Adobe-InDesign-Scripts-Examples/blob/master/id0000088-Find-...

After this I apply the Body Text style and clear all overrides

Once this is done, I do find and replace for headings 

something like Grep find
^.+?$

Find style 
Bold

Apply style
Heading 

Then the same for other styles

Then it's just eyeballing vs the Word doc.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Hi @wonder_9515:

My workflow is similar to Eugene's but I'll add a few points:

• I rely on paragraph style mapping on import whenever possible (mapping native Word styles to my InDesign styles which puts the style assignments on writer's plate and off mine)
• I use a series of saved Find/Change queries to convert inline formatting (i.e., bold, italics, small caps within a paragraph) to character styles*
• I use a series of saved Find/Change queries to address common typist errors like double spaces, double returns, etc*
• I keep the the Style Override Highlighter enabled [a+] and once I think my file is clean, I select all and use the Clear Overrides in Selection button ¶*.
  

_______________

* I rely very heavily on Find/Change queries. So it's definitely worth noting that we can 1.) Save and reuse our queries; 2.) run multiple consecutive find/change queries by either using the Find/Change By List Script that comes with InDesign or the Multi-Find Change extension: https://www.automatication.com/product/mfc/ 

~Barb

[wonder_9515]

Thanks mate, issue has been resolved.

[Kasyan Servetsky · Accepted solution]

Here are my couple of cents: my Protect local styling script