Text frame text style changes across a new linked text frame

[lukek]

MacOS Monterey Version 12.6
Affinity Publisher V2.0.3 and V1.10.5

Problem Description:
When linking a new text frame the text style (in the new text frame) unexpectedly has extra attributes. This seems to happen when using custom text styles. This issue has been in both major versions of Affinity Publisher V1 and V2.

How to reproduce the problem:

1. Open Affinity Publisher Workbook project file Rootbox_brochure_04.afpub
2. Zoom so that you can clearly see the linked text frames "Organic fruit and veg/1" and "Organic fruit and veg/2".
3. Select FRAME TEXT TOOL and click cursor inside text frame object "Organic fruit and veg/1".
4. Select TEXT STYLES pane and observe the text style is "Body".
5. Select FRAME TEXT TOOL and click cursor inside text frame object "Organic fruit and veg/2".
6. Select TEXT STYLES pane and observe the text style is "Body".
7. Select MOVE TOOL. Select text frame object "Organic fruit and veg/2", and DELETE it.
8. Select text frame object "Organic fruit and veg/1". It should have a red triangle to indicate the text frame cannot fit all of the text.
9. Select the red triangle, which highlights "Organic fruit and veg/1".
10. Drag a new text frame object. It will be named the same - "Organic fruit and veg/2".
11. Click cursor inside text frame object "Organic fruit and veg/2".
12. Select TEXT STYLES pane and observe the text style is "Body + Font size: 16.3pt; Scale X: 100%; Leading override: 19pt; Leading override; Space after: 12pt Default tab stops: 0.5 in."

Opinion:
My expectation is that after adding the new text frame, the text style in the new text frame "Organic fruit and veg/2", should be the same as "Organic fruit and veg/1" - which is "Body". This seems to be a problem that affects text frames when using custom text styles. I couldn't reproduce the bug when using default text styles. Also this issue has been observed in both major versions of Affinity Publisher (V1 & V2).

[Catshill]

There are a number of threads about this issue. I’ve come across it myself when using linked text frames. Invariably, I delete the offending frame and create a new one to solve the issue. Lazy but I don’t have he time or inclination finding where the problem lies or even if it is fixable by tweaking the frame parameters.

[walt.farrell]

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums, @lukek.

There are some bugs in this area, which can relate to importing IDML data, or to creating a text frame in a document with one DPI, and pasting it into a document with a different DPI, or creating a text frame in a document and then changing the document's DPI.

But it is also common for a user to resize a text frame improperly. If you look at the lower right corner of a text frame you will see it has two handles. One attached to the box, one detached and diagonally lower. If you resize the frame using the detached handle, you also rescale its contents, and get behavior like you describe.

@Catshill: Yes, that's the usual recommendation. But another user recently mentioned an alternative which is simpler, if it works in this situation. Select the misbehaving frame. (Not the text; the frame itself.) Then click the Revert Defaults button in the Toolbar, or use Edit > Defaults > Revert.

[lukek]

@Catshill Thanks for the comment. I've confirmed the suggested work around by deleting all of the text frames, re-pasting the text, and then setting the text style. This works. Interestingly, once I deleted all affected text frames, recreated the linked text frames, and applied the text styling, I could delete linked text frames to my hearts content, without any of the above text styling issues.

@walt.farrell Thanks for your suggestion. I've played with the resize frame option. The problem with that approach is that there is no easy way to match the font size, except for doing it by eye balling it. At least as far as I can see. Also, there is no IDML data involved in this case, so I'd guess that the problem is with common code used by IDML and native Affinity text style code.

@Catshill I confirmed Edit > Defaults > Revert works. Defaulting the text frame style, and then re-applying the custom style. This seems like the BEST workaround.

Cheers, Luke.

[Lee D]

As @Catshill& @walt.farrell indicate there are quite a few threads on this issue, I've added this to the report with the developers.

[BigStef]

For your information : 1 years later, I still meet this problem on version 2.3.1 of Affinity Publisher - Mac OS.

https://share.cleanshot.com/Qr6kkWmZ

@Catshill tip works, but I'm not sure this is THE solution  - It should simply not happens, don't you think so ?

[lukek]

@BigStef I just retested this in Affinity Publisher v2.3.1 Mac OS and the issue is still there.