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    How to let users define their own default font for Rich text fields

    Mary Beth Raven  March 9 2010 09:29:57 AM
    Terrific Template users,
    If you have users who like to always use certain colors or fonts when writing in rich text fields, here's a tip on how to let them set their own and then make it the default for themselves. (Thanks to Mike Carroll for this tip).

    Use this trick in any template to allow users to use their own font for rich text fields.  To accomplish this the following must happen.
    1. The Template developer needs to create a Permanent Style (ex. MyRichTextStyle) and apply it to the paragraph containing the rich text field that is going to have this capability.
      How to create the Permanent Style in designer template
      1. Place cursor in the paragraph containing the richtext field (will not work in a table)
      2. Bring up Infobox to Text Properties
      3. Set Font properties to be used in the Permanent Style
      4. Set Paragraph Properties to be used in Permanent Style (Note that in this case you skip this step as they will be set already to what you want)
      5. Go to last tab in Text Properties
      6. Select "Create Style..."
      7. Enter the style name StyleXYZ and select  "Make Style Available for all documents" (Include Font should be left selected) Press OK
    2. Now user needs to create their version of that Permanent Style.  In other words they have to create a Permanent Style with the same name as the one in the template.That's it.  Next time the user creates a new document using the form the user's new font attributes will be used instead of the designer's font.
      How user is to create their Permanent Style
      1. Create a new document using the form from above.
      2. Place cursor in the richtext field from above
      3. Bring up Infobox to Text Properties
      4. Set Font properties to be used in the Permanent Style
      5. Set Paragraph Properties to be used in Permanent Style (Note that in this case you skip this step as they will be set already to what you want)
      6. Go to last tab in Text Properties
      7. Select "Create Style..."
      8. Enter the style name StyleXYZ and select  "Make Style Available for all documents" (Include Font should be left selected) Press OK  (Name must be exactly the same)


    And,  before you ask, while the trick above does work,  yes we are thinking about making the ability to set your own default font a little more user friendly. But until we ship that, you can use the trick above.