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brankica
Known Participant
January 25, 2024
Answered

Set left indent for the whole document

  • January 25, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 296 views

Hello everyone, is there any way that I set value for left indent for the whole document? Every time I hit enter in new line how to apply that value of left indent automatic?

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Correct answer Barb Binder

Hi @brankica:

 

The correct way to do this is to define a paragraph style for your body paragraphs. You can add the left indent to the style definition and then assign the paragraph style to the entire document with Edit > Select All and then clicking on the new style.

 

You could also define a left indent before you add any text to set the default in the file, or if the text is already there, you can choose Edit > Select all and define the left indent directly.  

 

Using a style is a much better way to go because if someone comes along and says, hey, we don't want a left indent, or we want more or less of a left indent, you can just redefine the style and the entire document updates. Plus you may have headings and other kinds of paragraphs that don't need the left indent, and they can have their own styles to control them.

 

See: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/paragraph-character-styles.html

 

~Barb

2 replies

rob day
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 25, 2024

Hi @brankica , For an existing document—with no text or textframe selected, select the Type tool, enter the desired Left Indent value in the Control or Paragraph panel. The new value will become the default for any new text frames you create. If you want to set the default for all new documents as well, do the same with no documents open.

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
January 25, 2024

Hi @brankica:

 

The correct way to do this is to define a paragraph style for your body paragraphs. You can add the left indent to the style definition and then assign the paragraph style to the entire document with Edit > Select All and then clicking on the new style.

 

You could also define a left indent before you add any text to set the default in the file, or if the text is already there, you can choose Edit > Select all and define the left indent directly.  

 

Using a style is a much better way to go because if someone comes along and says, hey, we don't want a left indent, or we want more or less of a left indent, you can just redefine the style and the entire document updates. Plus you may have headings and other kinds of paragraphs that don't need the left indent, and they can have their own styles to control them.

 

See: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/paragraph-character-styles.html

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training