How to Change Global and Document Defaults in InDesign

InDesign as many other softwares has its own default settings. Actually InDesign have tons of default settings which are available through menus and panels: default paragraph style, default text wrap, frame fitting options and so on. There are two kinds of defaults: global – for every new document now and on and document defaults – for currently active document.

Global defaults in InDesign
To change global defaults for every new document starting from now and on do it before you create new document. Start InDesign and circle through menus to see which options are available to change defaults, every option that is grayed out is not available to set default settings.

Changing global defaults in InDesign without any document open

Document defaults in InDesign
After creating new document you can still change default settings but only for that particular document, settings will be saved with document and you will have same text wrap default option for example after reopening that particular document only, any other newly created document will have global default settings.

Changing document defaults in InDesign with document open

Note: don’t mess this defaults with preferences, every changes in Preferences dialog (Edit > Preferences) will be treated as global defaults for every new document or every document you will open now and on regardless when changed: with or without open document.

Reference:
InDesign / Setting preferences

Product used in this tutorial: Adobe InDesign CS5