Save Time with XPress Design: Style Sheets with QuarkXPress

Select Text, Create New Style

Select Text, Create New Style

Illustration by E. Bruno

1. Once you have opened your QuarkXPress document, make sure that your Style Sheets palette is open. If it isn't go to Window > Show Style Sheet for QuarkXPress 6 (or press F11) or View > Show Style Sheet for QuarkXPress 5 (same shortcut as ver. 6).

   QuarkXPress Styles Sheet palette is divided in two. The upper part handles paragraph styles while the lower part handles character styles. The difference between the two is that while with the upper part you can handle entire paragraphs, including their alignment, the leading, etc., with the character styles you handle the way your type looks, i.e., which fonts to use, whether they are bold, italic, underlined, etc. I will start with explaining the Character Styles first as they are easier to understand. Once you understand how those work, then you will be able to use the Paragraph Styles as well.

2. In QuarkXPress you cannot modify your Style Sheets unless you first select your text or the box containing the text.

   Note that your "Content tool" in your Tools Palette (the one with the icon representing a hand) also needs to be selected. (see illustration, below, or larger version)

   So select your text and then move your mouse on top of the Style Sheets palette and right click. A contextual menu will appear. Select New. A new window called Edit Character Style will appear (see inset on illustration or larger version).

• Use Style Sheets for Consistency and to Save Time
• Select Text, Create New Style
• Edit the Character Style
• Change the Character Style Options for Quick Changes Throughout