Working with Smart Styles libraries

Smart Styles uses the Library feature of InDesign to make creating and navigating a Smart Styles library effortless. You can either create a new Smart Styles library or use an existing InDesign Object Library as a Smart Styles library. An older version of a Smart Styles library can also be easily converted to work with Smart Styles.

Menu options

Smart Styles adds four additional commands to the library menu:

• Smart Styles Properties. Use to turn on/off individual properties before applying a Smart Styles element and for assigning a keyboard shortcut to the Smart Styles element.

• Apply Smart Style. Use to apply a selected Smart Styles element.

• Re-Apply Smart Style. Use to update an entire document quickly after modifying a Smart Styles element.

• Smart Styles Library. Use to toggle between an InDesign Object Library and a Smart Styles Library.

Creating a Smart Styles library

Step 1. Choose File > New > Library and save the file somewhere on your system.

Step 2. In the panel menu, choose Smart Styles Library.

Changing the library behavior

The Library panel can be made to behave as either a regular InDesign Object Library or as a Smart Styles Library.

This way, even objects that were originally created as an InDesign Library object can be made to behave as a Smart Styles Library object and vice versa.

To do this, open the panel menu and choose one of the following options:

• Object Library. The panel will behave as a regular InDesign object library.
• Smart Styles Library. The panel will behave as a Smart Styles library.

Changing the way items are displayed

The Item Information dialog can be displayed for viewing and/or editing item information such as the item name or object type. This affects the way the items are displayed and sorted in the Library panel.

Tip: Use the Description field to leave a short description when sharing the library with other users.

To quickly display the Item Information dialog, do one of the following:

• Double-click an element in the Library panel.

• Hold down the Option key (MacOS) or Alt key (Windows) when adding an item to the Library panel.

Note: When multiple items are added at once, Item Information dialog boxes will appear for each item individually.

• Right-click a library item and choose Item Information from the context menu.