Color is one of the most important tools in any designer’s toolkit, but working with color in InDesign can be confusing for new users.
While you’re still getting used to how everything works, InDesign’s color options can seem to work almost at random, which quickly gets frustrating and destroys your productivity. Changing font color can be one of the common frustrations when you’re not familiar with the software.
Even though it doesn’t seem like it, there is a method to InDesign’s madness, and a bit of background on how text color works in InDesign will help you understand and work better with text in InDesign.
Table of Contents
- Text Contents vs. Text Frame
- Changing Color Using the Tools Panel
- Changing Text Color Using the Color Panel
- Using Swatches for Consistent Text Color
- FAQs
- Can I Change the Color of Multiple Text Boxes?
- Why is My InDesign Text Highlighted Blue?
- A Final Word
Text Contents vs. Text Frame
The most important thing to know about changing text color in InDesign is that InDesign considers the text frame and the text inside the frame as two different objects.
It’s possible to set different colors for the text frame background and the text itself, which is where most people get confused because if you select the text frame and choose a color, it’ll add a background color to the text frame instead of the text.
In every situation where you can apply color to a text frame in InDesign, there will be two different options: Formatting affects container (shown by the left arrow above), and Formatting affects text (shown by the right arrow above). Once you understand that difference, it’s much easier to change text color in InDesign, but there’s still one more quirk.
If your text frame is linked to another text frame, you will be forced to use the Type tool to select your text directly within the container. Selecting the frame will not allow you to use the Formatting affects text option.
If you’ve got a lot of text to select in multiple threaded text boxes, you can place the text cursor within the text frame and then press Command + A (use Ctrl + A if you’re using InDesign on a PC) to select all of your connected text.
Changing Color Using the Tools Panel
The simplest method to change text color in InDesign is to use the color swatches at the bottom of the Tools panel.
Start by selecting the text or the text frame you want to colorize, but remember – if your text frame is linked, you’ll need to select the text directly using the Type tool instead of just selecting the text frame.
If you have a text frame selected, click the small capital letter T icon below the color swatches to switch to Formatting affects text mode. When you have text directly selected, the Tools panel should automatically switch to Formatting affects text mode, and the color swatches will have a capital letter T in the center, as shown below.
Double-click the Fill swatch (as shown above) to open the standard Color Picker dialog. Select the color you want to use, and click OK. Your selected text will update to display the new color.
Changing Text Color Using the Color Panel
It’s also possible to change text color in InDesign by using the Color panel, although you may need to configure it first, depending on your workspace settings. If the Color panel isn’t visible, you can display it by opening the Window menu and selecting Color.
Select the text you want to colorize using the Type tool, and then open the Color panel.
Open the Color panel menu by clicking the panel menu button (shown above), and select the appropriate colorspace for your current project.
Print projects typically use the CMYK colorspace, while screen-based projects use the RGB colorspace, but you can technically use any color mixing method you want since the colors will all be converted to your destination colorspace during the final export process.
Make sure that the Color panel is set to Formatting affects text, if applicable, and then adjust each slider until you reach your desired color. This can be a much faster method for tweaking colors within your layout instead of opening the Color Picker for each minor adjustment.
Using Swatches for Consistent Text Color
If you have to change the text color across a long document or you want to make sure that all your text colors are precisely consistent, it’s a good idea to get comfortable with the Swatches panel.
Swatches allow you to save frequently used colors within a document so that you don’t have to respecify them every time you use them, which can save a lot of time.
There are a couple of different ways to create new swatches. You can open the Swatches panel, click the New Swatch button at the bottom of the panel, and then double-click your new swatch to edit it, or click the Add CMYK Swatch button in the Color Picker dialog window.
To apply a swatch, select your text or text frame, make sure that the Swatches panel is set to Formatting affects text mode, and then click the appropriate swatch. Your text will update to use the new color.
FAQs
Considering how much text there is in most InDesign layouts, it’s no surprise that there are quite a few questions asked by readers, and I’ve tried to answer them all. If you have a question that I missed, let me know in the comments below!
Can I Change the Color of Multiple Text Boxes?
The only way to change text color across multiple unlinked text boxes is by using paragraph styles and color swatches, which is a bit more complex than the methods described earlier in this tutorial (but not too much).
Paragraph styles are like style templates for text, and once you’ve got each paragraph associated with a particular style, you can update the style in one centralized place, and all the paragraphs which use that style will adjust to match.
By default, all the text frames you create in InDesign will use the default paragraph style, which is named Basic Paragraph.
First, create a swatch for the color you want to use by following the swatch method described earlier. Next, open the Paragraph Styles panel, and double-click the entry labeled Basic Paragraph to open the style options.
In the left pane of the Paragraph Style Options window, select Character Color. Select the swatch you created earlier from the list, and click OK. All the text which uses the Basic Paragraph style will update.
Why is My InDesign Text Highlighted Blue?
If your InDesign text is being highlighted in light blue unintentionally, you won’t be able to change it using the color settings described in this post because it’s not actually colored.
Light blue text highlighting is just InDesign letting you know that local formatting has been applied to override a Paragraph Style.
This is useful for finding local formatting in long documents, but you can disable it in the Paragraph Styles panel. Open the Paragraph Styles panel menu, and click the entry labeled Toggle Style Override Highlighter.
A Final Word
That’s just about everything there is to know about how to change text/font color in InDesign! It can be a bit frustrating at first, but you’ll get used to making sure that your formatting options are set properly, and you’ll find it easier and easier to create beautifully colored text.
Happy coloring!
Also Read
- How to Live Trace in Adobe Illustrator
- How to Use Autotune in Audacity
- How to Create a Color Palette in Adobe Illustrator
- How to Combine Shapes in Adobe Illustrator
- How to Change Opacity in Adobe Illustrator
- How to Change DPI Resolution in Adobe Illustrator
FAQs
How to Change Text Color in Adobe InDesign (2 Methods)? ›
Select the object or text you want to change. If the Color panel is not displayed, choose Window > Color. Select the Fill box or the Stroke box in the Color panel. If you selected a text frame, select the Container box or Text box to change the color of either the fill or text within the frame.
How do I change text color in InDesign? ›Select the object or text you want to change. If the Color panel is not displayed, choose Window > Color. Select the Fill box or the Stroke box in the Color panel. If you selected a text frame, select the Container box or Text box to change the color of either the fill or text within the frame.
Why can't I change the color of text in InDesign? ›But here the answer: Your text frame is threaded to another text frame. The story consists of more than one text frames. Then this option is not available. You have to select the text to get it colored.
How do I change from CMYK to RGB in InDesign? ›Fortunately, InDesign makes it easy: Choose File > Export, then choose JPEG from the Format pop-up menu. When you export in the JPEG format, InDesign always converts all your colors (including CMYK and spot colors) to RGB.
How do I change the color of text? ›To change the keyboard color on an Android phone, go to Settings > System > Languages & Input > On-screen keyboard > Gboard > Theme and pick a color.
How do you change text color code? ›<FONT COLOR= >
To change some of the text in the HTML document to another color use the FONT COLOR Tag. To change the color of the font to red add the following attribute to the code to the <FONT COLOR=" "> tag. #ff0000 is the color code for red.
This is the easiest way of creating such kind of text. Put your text in a <span> tag and give it a class name "multicolortext". Then, you need the CSS background-image property to add a gradient background to your text with its "linear-gradient" value, where you put the names of your preferred colors.
Is there a way to change all text in InDesign? ›- Select Type > Find/Replace Font.
- Select one or more font names from the Fonts In Document list.
- Follow any of these options: ...
- Select the new font you want to use from the Replace With list, and follow any of these options:
In "Find Format" > "Basic Character Formats" select the missing font you want to replace. In "Change Format" > "Basic Character Formats" select the new font that you want to use.
Which option allows you to change the Colour of the selected text? ›You can change the color of text in your Word document. Select the text that you want to change. On the Home tab, in the Font group, choose the arrow next to Font Color, and then select a color. You can also use the formatting options on the Mini toolbar to quickly format text.
How do I change text format in InDesign? ›
Select the Type tool . Click to place an insertion point, or select the text that you want to format. In the Control panel, click the Character Formatting Control icon or the Paragraph Formatting Control icon . Specify formatting options.
How do I change the color scheme in InDesign? ›Click the fill color in the Properties panel and select the Swatches option at the top of the panel. You can then select a default color swatch from the list of swatches that appears. Click the fill color in the Properties panel and select the Color option at the top of the panel. You can then mix a custom color.
Should I use RGB or CMYK in InDesign? ›So basically, whenever you're working on a document you think at some point will be printed in some way or another, whether that's at home, in-office or through a commercial printer, you should always be working in a CMYK Colour Mode.
How do I change RGB to CMYK without changing colors? ›Can you convert RGB to CMYK without losing color? You cannot convert between RGB and CMYK without some amount of color difference of some sort. It's a good idea to do test prints of your work with a high quality printer to see how your colors turn out.
What is the difference between RGB and CMYK InDesign? ›Is Your InDesign CMYK? InDesign supports both color modes and it depends on the type of your projects which mode the program will choose. In case you chose the Web/Mobile category, your file will be in RGB mode. On the other hand, if you selected the Print category, your file will be in CMYK mode.
How do I change the color and shading of text? ›- Select the shape or text box.
- On the Drawing Tools Format tab, click Text Fill > More Fill Colors.
- In the Colors box, either click the color you want on the Standard tab, or mix your own color on the Custom tab.
The text's color can be changed using the text-color parameter. Use the style attribute in HTML to change the font color. An element's inline style is specified through the style property. You can change the color of the text in your word document.
What is font color? ›Color is sometimes used to convey meaning beyond the basic text. In a course syllabus, for example, you may use color to emphasize an important statement. Or, on a PowerPoint slide showing a multiple choice question, you might show the correct answer in green and color the incorrect answers in red.
How do I find the color code of text? ›Select the text you're interested in. Right click on the text and choose Font from the context menu (or just hit ctrl-D) Click the down arrow to the right of the Font color setting, then click More Colors. Click the Custom tab, and you'll see the RGB value of the colour.
What is the code to change the font of the text? ›The <font> tag was used in HTML 4 to specify the font face, font size, and color of text.
How do I change text color dynamically? ›
- function changeColor(id){
- document. getElementById("box"). style. backgroundColor=id;
- }
Click the text on your canvas to edit it, then click and drag to highlight all of the text. Go to the upper settings bar, click on the color picker to open the color palette, and choose a new color. Click OK to save your changes, and the new color will be applied to the text.
Can fonts have multiple colors? ›Color fonts (also known as chromatic fonts) can use multiple colors, including gradients, in a single glyph, rather than the flat, single color used by typical, non-color (monochromatic) fonts.
Which InDesign tool lets you edit text? ›Use the Story Editor
You can edit text in InDesign either on the layout page or in the story editor window.
To override a master page element, you need to hold down Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or Command+Shift (Mac) and click on the element on the page. This will release the element from the master page and make it editable on the page. You can then move, resize, delete, or change the element as you wish.
How do I select multiple parts of text in InDesign? ›- Shift: You can click on one object, then hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click another object. ...
- Shift in Layers: If it's difficult to click on the objects on the page for some reason, you can select them in the Layers panel.
- Select the cells you want to apply conditional formatting to. Click the first cell in the range, and then drag to the last cell.
- Click HOME > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Text that Contains. ...
- Select the color format for the text, and click OK.
“tput setaf” sets foreground color, “tput setab” sets background color, and “tput sgr0” resets all the settings to terminal default. There are 8 standard colors encoded in numbers from 0 to 7 (in order: black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, white).
How do I view text formatting in InDesign? ›You can view text formatting in separate panels by choosing Type > Character or Type > Paragraph. Select the Type tool in the toolbox and drag across text to select it.
How do I open type settings in InDesign? ›The easiest way to do that is to hit command+T or alt+t on windows then select the “Opentype” tab on the window that pops up. You can also go to Window>Type>Opentype.
How do I change my color scheme? ›
- Select Start > Settings .
- Select Personalization > Colors. ...
- In the list for Choose your mode, select Custom.
- In the list for Choose your default Windows mode, select Light or Dark.
- In the list for Choose your default app mode, select Light or Dark.
- Expand the Accent color section, then:
Select your illustration and go to Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork. Once your colors are in the swatch palette, you're ready to convert your illustration!
What are the two types of color swatches in InDesign? ›There are various kinds of color swatches that can be created in Adobe InDesign; process color, spot color, mixed ink, tint, and gradient.
What happens if I use RGB instead of CMYK? ›Because the RGB scheme has a greater range of colors, CMYK cannot produce brighter colors. These hues are beyond the CMYK range and will come out darker and more dull when printed than what you see on your display.
What is the color mode in InDesign? ›Setting the Default Color Mode in InDesign
If you change your mind after creating your document, you can adjust this by opening the File menu and clicking Document Setup. Open the Intent dropdown menu, and select Print to default to CMYK, or select Web/Mobile to default to RGB.
Keep in mind that most modern printers can handle RGB content. Converting to CMYK early won't necessarily ruin the outcome, but might result in the loss of some color gamut, especially if the job is going on a digital press such as the HP Indigo or a wide-gamut device such as a large format inkjet printer.
How do I convert RGB to CMYK in InDesign? ›Adobe InDesign
Use the following menu options: Window > Swatches and Window > Color. Double click color in Swatches Change color mode to CMYK and color type to Process.
Adjust settings as desired for this document. Click Color Management on the left side of the Print dialog box. Under Print, select Document. For Color Handling, choose Let InDesign Determine Colors.
How do you customize text in InDesign? ›To edit text in InDesign, simply double-click on the text frame you want to edit and the cursor will automatically appear inside the frame. You can then start typing away or use the Type tool to make further changes to your text.
How do you change the text for InDesign? ›Select the text frame, click an insertion point in the text frame, or select multiple frames from different stories. Choose Edit > Edit In Story Editor.
How do I select color mode in InDesign? ›
When you first create a new document in InDesign, you can adjust the Color Mode of the document by setting the Intent of the document to Print (CMYK), Web (RGB) or Digital Publishing (RGB). By choosing Print from the Intent drop-down menu, InDesign automatically sets the Color Mode of the new document to CMYK.
How do I change the color scheme in InDesign template? ›Open the InDesign Template and go to Swatches panel menu and click in the Main Color. 2. In the Swatch Options, you can change the color do you want.
Why do I change the color in InDesign? ›Changes in document color in InDesign are usually the result of changes in the Color Management menu of the program. Color changes can also result from displaying CMYK colors meant to print on a computer monitor with RGB settings. Colors can appear brighter by adjusting the RGB Color Mode.
What are the text formatting options in InDesign? ›There are two types of text styles: paragraph and character. Paragraph styles save both character and paragraph formatting and apply to entire paragraphs of text. Character styles save only character formatting such as font and font size. Each new document starts with a basic paragraph style called “Basic Paragraph.”
How do I find and change text in InDesign? ›Choose Edit > Find/Change, and then click the Text tab. Specify the range of your search from the Search menu, and click icons to include locked layers, parent pages, footnotes, and other items in the search. In the Find What box, describe what you want to search for: Type or paste the text you want to find.