If you’re spending time manually formatting image frames, shapes, or text boxes in every layout—stop. Object Styles in Adobe InDesign can apply consistent formatting to any object with just one click. They’re like paragraph styles, but for everything around the text: strokes, fills, shadows, text wrap, and more.
Mastering object styles can significantly cut your production time while keeping your designs tidy and consistent.
What Are Object Styles?
Object styles are pre-defined settings that control the appearance and behavior of frames and objects in your layout. These styles can include:
- Stroke and fill colors
- Corner effects
- Drop shadows
- Text wrap settings
- Frame fitting options
- Paragraph styles inside the frame
Apply an object style to any selected object—text frame, image frame, or shape—and it will instantly adopt all those properties.
How to Create and Apply Object Styles
- Open the Object Styles Panel
Go to Window > Styles > Object Styles - Format an Object First
Select a frame, apply your desired stroke, fill, and effects. - Create a New Style
In the Object Styles panel, click New Style, then name it and click OK. - Apply the Style
Select any object and click on the style name in the panel to apply it.
Power Features of Object Styles
- Nested Paragraph Styles:
Assign a paragraph style to any text within the object, so both the frame and its contents are styled in one step. - Frame Fitting Options:
Set images to auto-fit and align within a frame for consistent visuals. - Text Wrap Settings:
Useful for image boxes with pre-defined wrap distances—great for magazine-style layouts. - Corner Options & Effects:
Round corners, bevels, shadows—all saved into a style.
Real-World Use Cases
- Magazine layouts with image boxes that need identical spacing and wrapping
- Infographic elements with consistent corner radius and fill
- Pull quotes with background color, padding, and specific text formatting
- Placeholder frames in templates
Pro Tips
- Use Based-On Styles to create style variations
- Name styles clearly, like “Image Frame – Drop Shadow” or “Quote Box – Beige BG”
- Combine with Object Libraries to build reusable template elements
- Use Quick Apply (Cmd/Ctrl + Return) to apply styles without opening the panel
Final Thoughts
Once you start using Object Styles in InDesign, you’ll wonder how you ever worked without them. They bring structure to your layouts and cut your production time dramatically—perfect for any designer working on complex, multi-object documents.
