Using Nested Styles In Adobe InDesign
InDesign’s use of styles is extremely sophisticated. Text styles can be applied to at the character or paragraph level and, in addition, InDesign supports the use of styles for formatting table cells, tables and graphic objects. One of the coolest features available when working with paragraph styles is the ability to nest one or more character styles within the paragraph styles. This means that whenever the paragraph style is applied to a paragraph, any nested character styles are simultaneously applied to the designated characters within the paragraph.
Before you can create nested styles, you will naturally have to begin by created the character style or styles which will become nested in the paragraph style. Simply choose Character Styles from the Type sub-menu of the Windows menu then choose New Character Style from the Character Styles panel menu. Enter a name for the style then choose the attributes you would like associated with the style. Repeat this procedure for each character style you would like to nest.
After the definition of your character styles, you are ready to create the paragraph style and nest the character styles inside it. Choose Paragraph Styles from the Type sub-menu of the Windows menu then choose New Paragraph Style from the Paragraph Styles panel menu. Select the attributes you would like associated with the new styles by clicking on the various categories on the left of the dialog box.
To define a new nested style, click on the Drop Caps and Nested Styles category. Ignoring the choices which apply to drop caps, click on the New Nested Style button. This creates a new nested style item within the Nested Styles area of the dialog. Each nested style item that you create contains three sections. Firstly, there is a drop-down menu which allows you to choose one of the character styles that you created earlier. Secondly; there is another drop down in which you can specify Up To or Through (i.e. exclusive or inclusive); and, thirdly, you can choose the element you are targeting (sentences, words, characters, etc.).
With the release of InDesign CS4 came a second type of nested style called a line style. When you click on the New Line Style button, a new item is added to the Nested Line Styles area of the dialog. Each item contains just two sections. Firstly, we have the drop-down menu from which we specify the character style to be nested and, secondly, there is a field in which you enter the number of lines.
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