Looking for Style Guide building advice...

[turner111]

Hi everyone, happy Monday.

For those of you who create style guides for projects or clients...

I have done it a bit, but it's typically not as "flowing" as I would like, since I work in the document that's eventually the style guide. I like to paste lots of reference stuff in place. Illustrator has been ok-ish.

I revisited XD today, thinking it might have gained some usefulness for me... it hasn't.

A few of the things I'd like to be able to do are:

• Create type style samples without having to do everything manually
• Create named color swatches
• Paste reference images
• Drag/drop native bitmap and vector files

Anyone using a tool that allows this stuff, and in a way that doesn't require constant babysitting?

thanks!

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

ID is probably the right tool for this, much more so than either Illustrator or XD. (I have yet to find any use for the latter, myself.)

Other than making a template from which to build each iteration, there's not a lot of automation to be had for this, other than maybe a script or two to create type samples. But all of the components are fairly easy to do within ID, and in a nice bit of circularity, InDesign styles would make managing each project easier.

[Steve Werner]

I'd agree with @James Gifford—NitroPress. InDesign is the way to go. I'd also suggest that things like swatch samples, type samples, and others can easily be stored in CC libraries and can be dragged into your Style Guide as needed.

[turner111 · Accepted solution]

Thanks guys. I kind of figured.
Interestingly, I didn't find any default templates for type - James, as you mention, I guess scripting is the way to do it. Someone posted some scripts before, so I guess I'll revisit that.

Anyone happen to know if any of the Adobe apps have a free typography / full style template?

Steve - I generally like libraries, but Adobe needs to sort out naming; we've found a few anomalies that prevent the libraries from keeping names of certain file types that are dragged in, but I guess if I'm only using something locally that's ok.

[James Gifford—NitroPress · Accepted solution]

Anyone happen to know if any of the Adobe apps have a free typography / full style template?

This seems very much like something you would want to create for yourself, to suit your needs and those of your clients. Most templates are... nothing I'd recommend. Many are not as well constructed as they should be, or use convoluted design methods that are not just difficult to adjust but "blow up" in odd ways when tinkered with.

Create one perfect style page according to your tastes and needs, paying attention to very clean style definitions and layout. Then strip it down to "basic blank" and file it for reuse.