How do you drop caps in InDesign?

To apply drop caps in Adobe InDesign, you primarily use the Drop Caps And Nested Styles options available through the Paragraph panel or within Paragraph Styles.

Applying Drop Caps Directly to a Paragraph

The most straightforward way to add a drop cap to a specific paragraph is by using the Paragraph panel menu. This method is ideal for applying drop caps to individual paragraphs without creating or modifying a paragraph style.

Steps:

1. Select the paragraph(s) where you want to add a drop cap.
2. Go to the Paragraph panel (Window > Type & Tables > Paragraph).
3. Click on the menu icon in the upper-right corner of the Paragraph panel.
4. According to the reference, choose Drop Caps And Nested Styles from the Paragraph panel menu.
5. In the dialog box that appears, configure the drop cap settings:
   • Lines: Specify the number of lines the drop cap character(s) should descend.
   • Characters: Specify the number of characters at the beginning of the paragraph that should be included in the drop cap.
6. Click OK to apply the drop cap.

You can also quickly add a basic drop cap by directly adjusting the "Drop Cap Lines" and "Drop Cap Characters" fields directly in the Paragraph panel itself, located near the bottom.

Applying Drop Caps Using Paragraph Styles

For consistency throughout a document or when needing to nest character styles within the drop cap, integrating drop caps into your Paragraph Styles is the recommended approach. This allows you to define the drop cap appearance as part of your overall text formatting.

Steps:

1. Open the Paragraph Styles panel (Window > Type & Tables > Paragraph Styles).
2. Create a new paragraph style or double-click an existing one to edit it.
3. In the Paragraph Style Options dialog box, click on the Drop Caps and Nested Styles category in the list on the left.
4. As stated in the reference, to nest the character style in a paragraph style, double-click the paragraph style, and then click Drop Caps And Nested Styles.
5. Configure the "Drop Caps" settings just as you would when applying directly:
   • Lines: Define the height in lines.
   • Characters: Define how many characters are part of the drop cap.
6. (Optional) Use the "Character Style" dropdown within the Drop Caps section to apply a specific character style to the drop cap characters (e.g., a different font, color, or weight).
7. Click OK to save the paragraph style.
8. Apply this paragraph style to the desired paragraphs in your document.

Using Paragraph Styles ensures that all paragraphs formatted with that style will automatically have the defined drop cap, making global changes much easier.

Summary of Methods

Method	Use Case	How to Access
Direct Paragraph Panel	Single, unique paragraph	Paragraph Panel Menu > Drop Caps And Nested Styles
Paragraph Style	Consistency, nested styles, document-wide	Paragraph Style Options > Drop Caps and Nested Styles

Applying drop caps enhances the visual appeal of your text and can mark the beginning of sections or chapters effectively.