InDesign Preference Settings: Document or Application?
Here's a quirky InDesign issue. When you change preference settings, some settings apply only to the current document, while other settings apply to all documents.
The bottom line is that if you want your preference settings to apply to all new documents you create, close all documents before changing settings.
If you want to know which specific settings are document-specific and which ones are application-specific, keep reading...
General (Application)
Interface (Application)
Type (Mixed)
Use Typographer's Quotes (Document)
Type Tool Converts Frames to Text Frames (Application)
Automatically Use Correct Optical Size (Document)
Triple Click to Select a Line (Application)
Apply Leading to Entire Paragraphs (Document)
Adjust Spacing Automatically When Cutting and Pasting Words (Application)
Font Preview Size (Application)
Enable in Layout View (Application)
Enable in Story Editor (Application)
Smart Text Reflow options (Document)
Advanced Type (Mixed)
Character Settings (Document)
Use Inline Input for Non-Latin Text (Application)
Composition (Document)
Units & Increments (Document)
Grids (Document)
Guides & Pasteboard (Mixed)
Color - Margins, Columns, Bleed, Slug, Preview Background (Document)
Color - Smart Guides (Application)
Snap to Zone (Document)
Guides in Back (Document)
Smart Guide Options - Align to Object Center, Align to Object Edges, Smart Dimensions, Smart Spacing (Application)
Minimum Vertical Offset (Document)
Dictionary (Mixed)
Language (Application)
All other options (Document)
Spelling (Application)
Autocorrect (Application)
Notes (Application)
Story Editor Display (Application)
Display Performance (Application)
Appearance of Black (Application)
File Handling (Mixed)
Create Links When Placing Text and Spreadsheet Files (Document)
All other options (Application)
Clipboard Handling (Application)
Comments
The Display Performance setting in CS3 was not consistent with this statement. Has it been fixed in CS4?
Posted by: Michael | November 6, 2008 06:55 AM
Yes, it looks like some of the Display Performance settings in CS3 were document-based. Hmm. I never noticed that change.
Posted by: Bob Bringhurst | November 6, 2008 08:04 AM
Very useful, Bob, thank you!
It would be great if the UI could have some sort of indicator flagging the doc-specific items right in Prefs.
Posted by: Anne-Marie | November 9, 2008 09:18 AM
@ Michael & Bob:
As far as I can see the Display options of CS3 are consistant with this list. Which ones are not?
Posted by: Jochen Uebel | November 13, 2008 04:10 PM
Hi
I had someone work in a document in CS. I make postscript files out of CS3. The document mysteriously makes indents. The style was set with First line left indent at -0p3.44. Which is weird because it's align left text. Opened the doc in CS3 and the First line left indent is 0 but there is still an indent. There is no nested style. Open the document in CS2 and indent has disappeared and First line left indent is set at -0p3.44.
I'm lost and didn't know if anyone ever came across this problem.
Posted by: Kay Tucker | November 18, 2008 01:30 PM
Hi! On this page I have tried to make it graphically.
http://adobeindesign.ru/2008/11/19/preferences/#comment-1619
Posted by: Boris | February 2, 2009 12:04 PM
when I try to open InDesign I get a note:
Cannot load Adobe InDesign CS3 because it requires Shortcut Editor Dialog. Please install the shortcut editor dialog plug in and restar Adobe InDesign
[Go to the user forums for this type of question: www.adobe.com/support/forums]
Posted by: Terry | February 18, 2009 05:40 PM
How can I change the default preferences that are set at the factory? We have a college lab and are constantly having to trash the preferences. It takes a huge amount of time then to change the general preferences back to how the students need them (Inches on, Leading applied to all Paragraphs, No transformation values etc).
__________________________
-- You should edit the preferences the way you want, and then copy the SavedData and InDesign Defaults files to a safe place. After your preferences are trashed, copy these files back to their locations. Read more about this process and other preference information here:
http://www.jetsetcom.net/images/downloads/presets_8_mac_2009_02_04.pdf
By the way, you'll get a quicker response in the user forums, where lots of experts answer such questions:
http://forums.adobe.com
Posted by: Cece Cutsforth | April 15, 2009 03:14 PM