Style Inspector
Quick start guide for checking styles from an InDesign document, PDF, and optional JSON.
This guide explains how to prepare files, open the Style Inspector, load a matching PDF and JSON, and review paragraph or character style information visually.
Export matching files, load them together, then hover or inspect the PDF for style information.
Prepare Files
Prepare the matching source files before inspection.
Run the annotation script
Open the InDesign document and run the style annotation script.
Export the JSON
Save the Style Annotation JSON from the same document pages.
Export a matching PDF
Export the PDF from the same version of the InDesign file.
Basic Steps
Follow this inspection workflow.
Open the inspector
Open the Style Inspector HTML in your browser.
Load the PDF
Add the matching exported PDF.
Load the JSON
Add the Style Annotation JSON from the same document.
Review pages
Navigate through the PDF pages.
Inspect styles
Hover or click text regions to check style information.
Document issues
Use findings for QA notes or production corrections.
Workflow Diagram
Simple inspection flow.
What Each Area Is For
Quick reference for the inspector.
PDF viewer
Shows the document pages for visual review.
Style overlay
Displays regions that connect to style data.
Style details
Shows paragraph style, character style, and text info.
Page controls
Move between pages and adjust zoom.
Processing log
Shows loading or matching messages.
Review notes
Use observations for production QA.
Tips
Helpful reminders.
Keep PDF and JSON matched
- Export both files from the same document version.
- Do not mix old JSON with a newer PDF.
- Rerun the script after layout edits.
Review tables carefully
- Tables may need JSON support for best results.
- Check master page exclusions.
- Confirm live pages were exported.
Troubleshooting
Use these checks when something does not load.
No style data appears
- Confirm the JSON was loaded.
- Confirm the PDF and JSON are from the same document.
- Rerun the annotation script.
Page alignment looks wrong
- Export a fresh PDF.
- Check page range and document version.
Tables are incomplete
- Confirm the script includes table or cell text.
- Review JSON output before inspection.
Best Practice
Recommended workflow.
Recommended workflow
Rerun the annotation script and export a fresh PDF whenever the InDesign file changes.
Important reminder
The Style Inspector is most reliable when PDF and JSON are generated from the same document version.