Paragraph Border Merging Issue in InDesign

[Jacotjie]

I have a document that has quite a few paragaph borders but the different paragraphs in the border aren't merging properly. I have to change one of the paragraph's styles and then undo for it to work properly. It happens on quite a few pages and I will fix it but when I scroll to another page and return the problem will be back. All I am doing is fixing the same problem over and over. Does anyone know what I can do to avoid this problem. 

Please see screenshot.

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[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Jacotjie,

Thanks for reaching out and sharing the screenshot! I understand how frustrating it must be to fix the same issue repeatedly. The problem you’re experiencing with paragraph borders not merging properly can sometimes happen due to a glitch with paragraph styles.

Could you please share which version of InDesign you're using and the details of your operating system? If you’re not on the latest version, I recommend updating, as newer updates often resolve these kinds of issues.

As for a potential fix, try resetting the paragraph styles by following these steps:
1. Clear overrides: Select the paragraph and click on the "Clear Overrides" button in the Paragraph Styles panel.
2. Redefine style: After adjusting the style, you can also choose “Redefine Style” to make sure your changes are applied universally.

Let me know if this helps or if you're still facing the issue, and we’ll continue troubleshooting from there!

Thanks,
Abhishek Rao

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Jacotjie

Could you please be more specific? 

Or upload two screenshots - before and after. 

[Laubender]

Hi @Jacotjie ,

best would be to attach a sample InDesign document to your reply. Attach it with the forum's tools, not when answering by mail; that would not work.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Jacotjie]

I am using InDesign 19.5 and macOS 14.6.1 – all the latest versions. When this happens and there are overrides on the style I would clear the overrides to get the style to work again. If I redefine the style it will break it in other places. You can see the before and after screenshots attached. Is there a way to delete attachements from the posts? I don't want to upload files if I can't delete it afterwards as I've signed a NDA for the work.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

You can send files on priv - just click someone's nickname.

Or you can use some sharing service and post link - that you can delete at any point. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I am using InDesign 19.5 and macOS 14.6.1 – all the latest versions. When this happens and there are overrides on the style I would clear the overrides to get the style to work again. If I redefine the style it will break it in other places. You can see the before and after screenshots attached. 

By @Jacotjie

There are two Anchored Objects - I assume one is the green Activity and 2nd dotted frame around the text?

[Jacotjie]

No, the Green activity is pasted in the text and the frame is a paragraph border (that is giving the problems). The anchored objects are icons to the left.

You can view the sample file here.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

OK, downloaded - but where is the problem? On both pages it looks OK?

OK, I've cleared overrides - give me a second.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

OK, it looks like a bug to me - there is a Table inbetween, on the right page - and it "breaks" the Paragraph Border option?

Everything is fine on the left page.

Left page after inserrting a Table:

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[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Left page after inserrting a Table:

By @Robert at ID-Tasker

But if you "move" Table into a TextFrame that you place as InLine object:

Althoug - there is another problem - as you can see above - there is no dotted line at the bottom - that's becuase I've resized InLined TextFrame with the Table.

But if I'll use CTRL+ALT+C - Fit Frame to Content:

the bottom line is back?!?!

And it doesn't matter if I'll make this InLined TF wider or narrow - change of its width will result in the disappearance of the dotted line at the bottom?!?!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Same thing happen if I'll make it higher or lower:

the bottom line disappears?!?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Left - Table | right - Table in an InLined TF:

I've changed your green dots to red dashes - for a better visibility.

[Jacotjie]

Thank you very much for playing around with it. These borders are very tempremental. They completely ignore tables. That is why I place them in a TextFrame that I place as InLine objects. I actually just saw that the second chapter of the book doesn't have this problem, I am just experiencing it in the first chapter. If need be I will duplicate chapter two and copy all the text into it.

I upgraded from InDesign 2020 three weeks ago and it is just sad that after so many versions many of the bug are still there.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Jacotjie

You are welcome. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

The merging border feature is extremely fussy and if you're going to have multiple styles within any one set, you have to keep them in perfect sync and avoid making any override changes.

If I have a BORDERED, BORDERED-TOP and BORDERED-BOTTOM style set, for example, I make the first a master or parent style and set the border parameter only in it. TOP and BOTTOM are child styles and whatever other changes I make (usually space above and below, etc.), I don't touch the descendant border parameters in them.. Once you start tweaking the borders in multiple styles, the odds of them getting out of step and not merging goes up exponentially.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@James Gifford—NitroPress 

It's exactly the same in this case - but as per my screenshots - it looks like there is a bug and when there is a Table - block is split.

And if you InLine TextFrame - doesn't matter if it's empy or there is a text or a Table - you NEED to use CTRL+ALT+C on it - otherwise, the bottom line of the parent block is missing.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

OK, maybe it's just a bug with preview?

If you resize InLined TextFrame - then hit CTRL+Z / Undo - then CTRL+SHIFT+Z / Redo - everything displays properly??

Resize:

CSTRL+Z / Undo:

CTRL+SHIFT+Z / Redo:

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

So this is a fixable display glitch, not an print/export one? I see nits like that all the time if I use any of the sort of second-level layout features, typically on a prior verso page if I much around on the facing page. An up/down usually clears it.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I am not sure borders are meant to wrap around a table even though it's nominally an anchored element, and the anchor paragraph uses the border settings. This is a case to just put all the content in a text frame and border that.

[Jacotjie]

This is actually a great idea to have BORDERED, BORDERED-TOP and BORDERED-BOTTOM style set. I think I am going to change my styles to work this way and see if this perhaps solves the problem.