Styles > Character styles > "Based on" character styles

When you create a new character style, as described at the beginning of this section, it is usually based on the "Normal" character style. This means that the new character style is based on the formatting of the "Normal" style. Changes to the formatting of the "Normal" style thus affect all other styles.

If you have already created your own character styles and used them in the text, the following occurs when you choose the command Character style: In the list on the left side of the dialog box, the style of the currently selected text is preselected – this may be the "Normal" character style or your own one – and is thus also preset as the basis for a new style. In the list, change the style that you want to use as the basis for a new character style, if necessary, before clicking the New button.

Please note: Subsequent changes to the formatting of the style basis will also change all styles based on it. Only the formatting that you have already customized there will remain unchanged.

If, for example, you select a new font for the "Normal" style, the font will also change in all other character styles – unless a different font was explicitly selected there.

Reassigning the style basis

In addition, you can reassign the style basis to a character style at any time with the option Based on.

To have a character style based on a style other than the one you previously selected, proceed as follows:

1.	Right-click in the text to open the context menu and select the command Character style.

2.	In the list on the left side of the dialog box, select the character style whose basis you want to change.

Tip: If you click on the expand button >> on the bottom right, the description shows the style on which the selected character style is currently based. Furthermore, you will find information here as to the formatting attributes of the character style that have been modified differently from the style basis.

3.	Click on the Edit button.

4.	In the following dialog box, switch to the Style tab.

5.	Important: In the dropdown list Based on, select the style basis to which the selected character style is to be linked. In addition to the "Normal" style, you will also find some predefined styles and the styles you created yourself – as well as "floating" styles. For more information, see below.

6.	You can now also change the desired formatting of the character style, etc.

An application example:

Let's assume that you want to use a distinctive font for notes in a manual. However, they should also appear in different font colors depending on the type of notes. You thus create character styles with different font colors (for example, the styles Notes1, Notes2, etc).

If the character styles are based on each other, and you subsequently think that a different font would be more appropriate for all notes, all you have to do is change the font in the character style that serves as the basis. All styles based on it will then be formatted in this font, but the different font colors will remain unchanged for the notes.

Based on: floating

When you create a new character style based on another style, all existing formatting attributes (font, font size, font color, etc.) are generally copied from that style basis. You usually modify at least one of these attributes in the new character style (for example, the font color: from black to red). If you then apply this character style to a text, the text will be formatted with the modified attribute (font color: red).

However: The text will also be formatted with all other attributes of the style basis (font, font size, etc). If you do not want this formatting, you can proceed in an alternative manner. On the Style tab, the dropdown list Based on contains two special entries: (floating) and (floating, paragraph).

▪If you select the option (floating) and you apply the new character style to a text, only the formatting attribute that you changed in the character style will take effect. If, for example, the font color was changed in the new character style and you apply this "floating" character style to a text, you will only change its font color, but all other formatting attributes of the text (font, font size, etc.) will be retained in their current formatting.

▪If you select the option (floating, paragraph) and you apply the new character style to a text, only the modified formatting attribute will take effect also. However, all other formatting attributes of the text will be reset to the character formatting of the current paragraph style.

Relative font size

If you have one style based on another, you can even specify the relative font size if you want. For example, you can specify that the font size of style X should always be 80% of the font size of style Y.

To do so, proceed as follows:

1.	Right-click in the text to open the context menu and select the entry Character style.

2.	In the dialog box, select the style that you want to change from the list and click on Edit.

3.	Switch to the Style tab.

4.	Enable the option Scale.

5.	Enter the desired factor as a percentage, for example, 80.

6.	Confirm with OK.

The font size of a style edited in this manner will always be 80% of the size specified for the style on which it is based.