InDesign: applying paragraph style to text boxes

Question

I'm a beginner-to-intermediate user of InDesign.

I am unable to apply my Paragraph Style to a number of my text boxes. I have tried holding Opt/Alt while choosing the PS with no luck. I have also checked for local overrides and character styles, and there appear to be none. The fly-out menu from the Paragraph Styles menu is almost all greyed-out, so it won't let me select the Clear Overrides option.

However, when I double-click the text box to go into the frame, I am able to select the text directly and then apply the paragraph style to it directly inside the frame. This seems weird; I'm hoping there's a way that I can just select the frames normally and apply a paragraph style as usual.

The text came from a Word document that was flowed into each chapter, if that gives any help.

Answer 1

I made this an answer just to be kosher.

If your copy is contained within a single box, you can apply a text style to that box.

If your text flows/links to additional boxes, you can't apply a style via selecting the boxes. You have to apply the style directly to the text. – I usually do a Select All on the copy within the box, then apply the style.

You will also notice that if your text box flows/links and you have it selected (the box), your character and paragraph pallets will be grayed-out.

Answer 2

Only one way to do this properly:

• forget about selecting text frames, that is not going to work
• double click the text to go into edit mode
• hit Ctrl+A to make sure everything is selected if you are working with threaded frames
• in the 'Paragraph Styles' panel, right click the name of the style you need to apply and choose the 'Apply + Clear Overrides' or the 'Apply + Clear All' option, which will clear out any leftover Word formatting