Affinity Publisher Text Styles – Clear local formatting on new paragraph

[Martin S Taylor]

I have a Text Style (called 'Listings') set up exactly how I want it. The text is in Garamond Regular (ie. not italic). However, I need the last few words of each paragraph to appear in italics. Easy to do, either with a Character Style or a local Italic override.

But now I hit <Return> to start a new paragraph and the text continues to appear in italics. I'd like all that local italicising to be cancelled, so that the new paragraph begins, automatically, with the text style 'Listings', exactly as I've defined it – without italics.

It's easy enough to cancel the italics manually. Or there's a stupid workaround, where I can define two identical text styles, 'Listings' and 'Listings 2', each of which is followed by the other. But this is a bit daft.

Am I missing something here? Is there no way to clear local formatting automatically when I start a new paragraph in the same Paragraph Style?

Martin

[walt.farrell]

What OS are you using, and what is the release number of Publisher (from About, or from the Account dialog)?

[Martin S Taylor]

MacOS 13.2.1 and Publisher 1.10.6

Martin

[Old Bruce]

2 hours ago, Martin S Taylor said:

I have a Text Style (called 'Listings') set up exactly how I want it. The text is in Garamond Regular (ie. not italic). However, I need the last few words of each paragraph to appear in italics. Easy to do, either with a Character Style or a local Italic override.

But now I hit <Return> to start a new paragraph and the text continues to appear in italics. I'd like all that local italicising to be cancelled, so that the new paragraph begins, automatically, with the text style 'Listings', exactly as I've defined it – without italics.

I am guessing you are typing, then either selecting the "last few words" and applying the italics and hitting return or you are typing, turning on Italics typing and hitting return. Either of these ways of working will result in the Italics remaining on. Either of these workflows will work.

Do all of the typing first then do the styling for italics.

Type, turn on Italics, type, turn off Italics, hit the return.

[Martin S Taylor]

2 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

I am guessing you are typing, then either selecting the "last few words" and applying the italics and hitting return or you are typing, turning on Italics typing and hitting return. Either of these ways of working will result in the Italics remaining on. Either of these workflows will work.

Do all of the typing first then do the styling for italics.

Type, turn on Italics, type, turn off Italics, hit the return.

Yes, you're right and your workaround is good. I'm just a little surprised there isn't a way to start the new paragraph and automatically begin with a fresh text style, as it were, with no local formatting.

MST

[Catshill]

I was wondering if “next style” would work for you? Alternatively just hit CTRL i

[Martin S Taylor]

1 hour ago, Catshill said:

I was wondering if “next style” would work for you? Alternatively just hit CTRL i

That's the problem. The style I'm working in is called 'Listings'. If I could set Next Style to be 'Listings', this would probably work, but I can't do that – 'Listings' isn't there as an option. All I can choose is '[Same Style]', and this doesn't strip out local formatting, as I've explained.

MST

[MikeTO]

8 hours ago, Catshill said:

I was wondering if “next style” would work for you? Alternatively just hit CTRL i

Next Style is for Paragraph Styles only, it doesn't impact the Character Style or individual character attributes in use.

I have the same issue. Every one of my hundreds of Heading 2 paragraphs end with a character style named Date. I have to choose No Style (character) before or after pressing Return and I often forget and keep typing with Date applied.

IMO this should be changed. Other apps such as Microsoft Word always clear the character style and individual character attributes when you press Return to start a new paragraph.

[Martin S Taylor]

21 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

Next Style is for Paragraph Styles only, it doesn't impact the Character Style or individual character attributes in use.

I have the same issue. Every one of my hundreds of Heading 2 paragraphs end with a character style named Date. I have to choose No Style (character) before or after pressing Return and I often forget and keep typing with Date applied.

IMO this should be changed. Other apps such as Microsoft Word always clear the character style and individual character attributes when you press Return to start a new paragraph.

My point exactly.

Better still, if Next Style is set to '[Same Style]', then don't strip the character style or local attributes. But if Next Style is set to the name of the paragraph style itself (not currently an option) then do strip them.

MST