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Grundoon Groundhog
Inspiring
May 2, 2020
Answered

Wrong font/style constantly replaces desired font/style

  • May 2, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 8313 views

I am trying to import a Word document into ID. My document, a magazine, has long established styles. The "first paragraph of article" style includes a special initial cap. Even if I go to the paragraph menu BEFORE I start the import the "first paragraph of article" character is applied to the entire import. Even if I go to the character menu BEFORE I start the import and select the correct font the "first paragraph of article" is applied to the entire import. Even if I create a new text box BEFORE I try either of those solutions the "first paragraph of article" is applied to the entire import. Is there a weird preference I never set that is doing this? How can I make it stop? 

Also, if I manually correct the font, the initial cap of each paragraph is still the wrong size — the size of the initial cap in the "first paragraph of article" style. If I then try to apply the correct style, it reverts to the wrong font. 

And I lose all italic and bold in the original ms.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Willi Adelberger

    When you import the text is the character style selected?

     

    No charcter style must be selected, if so all text is with this style applied.

    3 replies

    G
    Grundoon GroundhogAuthor
    Inspiring
    April 17, 2023

    It's always a bittersweet relief to find such an answer. I much prefer blaming the program to blaming myself. 

    1
    1Mollybird
    Known Participant
    April 17, 2023

    Isn't that the truth! lol

    G
    Grundoon GroundhogAuthor
    Inspiring
    June 4, 2020

    I think that was the problem: somehow the character style became selected (though I had not selected it). However, I still have a problem with the character style. It is designated to, and should apply to, the initial letter of the the initial word only. Instead, the second letter is also in the decorative font selected for the initial cap.

    M
    MBio
    Participant
    June 12, 2020

    I am not sure about this second problem you have run into. In regards to the original issue, I discovered InDesign has a non-obvious (and quite sneaky) way of defining which styles (paragraph, character, object and tables) are set as the defaults. When nothing is selected in the entire document (Edit > Deselect All), if you then click on a paragraph or character (etc) stylesheet, that becomes the default stylesheet. Of course, this then causes issues when importing text. This drove me nuts until I found out why. The answer is: Deselect All, then choose Character Style = [None] (or Paragraph Style = [Basic Paragraph], Object Style = [None] etc), to set those as the defaults. This is especially important in a template document! Well, it fixed the issue I was having, anyway.

    G
    Grundoon GroundhogAuthor
    Inspiring
    June 12, 2020

    Many thanks. I'll make a point of deselecting all the styles in the template document. I thought I had, but it mysteriously chose the "First Paragraph of Article" style as the default.

    Steve Werner
    Community Expert
    Steve WernerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 3, 2020

    HOW are you importing text from Word. Copy and paste? or File > Place? If File > Place, are you choosing Show Options. If you're choosing Show Options, which options are you choosing?

    G
    Grundoon GroundhogAuthor
    Inspiring
    May 3, 2020

    I've tried Command + D and File > Place. Originally I was choosing the first option,  to remove styles etc. Now it's started working better, after I quit the program and opened another document. However, the character style for the first character of the paragraph is now applied to the entire paragraph. I guess I'll try deleting and recreating it. But any advice on why this happened would be appreciated.

    I also had a problem with extra space after paragraphs. I opened the paragraph tab, but could not delete the space, even after I'd done so in the original Word document. That seems to have stopped but I am not sanguine (a favorite word).

     

    I'd also removed and reloaded the offending style. 

    Willi Adelberger
    Community Expert
    Willi AdelbergerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    May 3, 2020

    When you import the text is the character style selected?

     

    No charcter style must be selected, if so all text is with this style applied.

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