How can I cause all headers to automatically update to the new, updated header format?

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#1

How can I cause all headers to automatically update to the new, updated header format?

When I click “update format” it changes the format, but not all the existing headers.

For example, if I have “Header 1” set to size 14 and bold, and then I take one of my headers and highlight it and change it to be size 18 instead, I can then click the “update style” button beside the dropdown menu. Now whenever I make a new header and select “Header 1” it will size 18 and bold. But all the old headers will still be size 14.

This is really problematic if one wants to change the text body size in a document that is hundreds of pages long and already has hundreds of headers. Selecting the text body over and over again throughout the document without selecting the headers is a nightmare. I recently got prototype books printed and realized some sizing adjustments need to be made, but I’m not finding a way to automatically update all the matching styles, which is weird because I thought that was the whole point of pre-set styles. When I use a google document, it automatically updates all the matching headers of the same header tier.

I use Windows 10, and save as .odt files. I can’t tell what Libre Office version I’m using. I clicked on its properties, but there isn’t anything there which would tell me.

#2

Please reword what you want to achieve. As is, it can’t be understood. For that, edit your description, don’t use an answer which is reserved for solutions.

Describe how you document is organised: which page styles are used? if several, how you transition from one to the next? what you put into your header(s) (chapter title, … to be extracted from the text?

What do you call “updated header format”?

Most important, tell your OS, LO version and save format (.odt or .doc(x)).

#3
  1. Read this tutorial and this tutorial.
  2. If you can’t find an answer, read these guidelines and ask a good question.
#4

I have this hunch that the OP mixes up headers and headings. You normally don’t have headers with 14 pt and bold text in them.

#5

Most probably, yes, the OP means headings. But where does he get any “Header 1” from?

#6

For example, if I have “Header 1” set to size 14 and bold, and then I take one of my headers and highlight it and change it to be size 18 instead, I can then click the “update style” button beside the dropdown menu. Now whenever I make a new header and select “Header 1” it will size 18 and bold. But all the old headers will still be size 14.

Right, that way of modifying a style seems to be exactly the cause of your problems. You are mixing up direct formatting with formatting with styles. Both are great when applied where they are best, but don’t mix them.

When you want to modify a style, open the style dialog window and change the properties there. So, press F11, select the style that you want to modify, make the changes, click OK to confirm. That will update all text with that style. You may have applied direct formatting to the headings previously, and remember: direct formatting overrides style formatting. So, 14 pt bold direct formatting overrides 18 pt in a character or paragraph style. You can check if any direct formatting remains by selecting text and pressing Ctrl+M to remove direct formatting.

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#7

Also, call up the Navigator (F5) to quickly go though all headings and apply Ctrl + M to all of them. Afterwards, changes in the style will apply to all headings.

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#8

I actually selected my entire document and cleared all direct formatting and that fixed all the issues all at once! Thank you so much!

#9

Removing direct formatting from the entire text is a very dangerous thing because it will remove formatting like italics for single words.

#10

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