For Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, and QuarkXPress, and other page layout applications, adjust the settings while no documents are open and those settings become the default for all subsequent documents. Changes made while a document is open affect only that document. In addition to application and document settings, changing the properties of a tool when no corresponding object is selected (such as text tool properties with no text block selected) can change the defaults for that tool. The actual settings or preferences that can be changed in this way may vary from program to program but these are just a few typical settings you may want to adjust globally:
Page Size and Margins
The default is typically a letter-size page in portrait mode. If you usually work with a different page size change the default.
Guides
Placement in front or back of objects and the color of guides is sometimes customizable.
Measurements
If you always use millimeters, picas, or some other units, change the default vertical and horizontal units of measurements for rulers and guides.
Graphics Display
Adjust the display of graphics for high-quality display (slower) or low-quality display (faster). This doesn't affect how the image prints, only how it looks on-screen.
Text Display
To speed up screen redraws, specify a larger type size at which the program will "greek" the text display at certain magnifications. Zoom out to get an overall view of the document that draws quickly because it doesn't have to render as much text.
Typographical Settings
Specify the automatic use of proper typographer's quote marks.
Fonts
Even though you will change the fonts for each document, you can still change the default preferences for paragraph and display text if you wish.
