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Dan Rodney/2 min read

Story, Galley, & Layout Views

InCopy vs Word

Layout-Aware

InCopy shows real fonts, sizes, and copy fit; Word doesn't.

Paragraph Styles

Editor sees the actual styled output, not Word's approximation.

Live Sync

Changes appear in InDesign instantly, no copy-paste round trip.

Editorial Tools

Track changes, notes, and copy fit — built for editors.

Master InDesign at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop's Graphic Design Certificate covers InDesign — the layout app that pairs with InCopy for editorial workflows.

Explore the different aspects of Galley, Story, and Layout views in this comprehensive guide, with detailed instructions on setting the default view and customizing the Galley and Story Appearance toolbar.

Story, Galley, & Layout Views

Galley View

  • Shows text visible in layout as well as overset text that cannot be seen in the layout.

  • Shows accurate line breaks.

  • Can customize the font/size using the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and in:

    Mac: InCopy > Preferences > Galley & Story Display
    Windows: Edit > Preferences > Galley & Story Display

  • Shows line numbers.

  • Notes can be viewed inline in the text.

  • The font shown here is not accurate to the final layout. It is set in the Galley & Story Appearance toolbar (see the instructions at the end of this reference).

Story View

  • Shows text visible in layout as well as overset text that cannot be seen in the layout.

  • Does NOT show accurate line breaks.

  • Can customize the font/size using the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and in:

    Mac: InCopy > Preferences > Galley & Story Display
    Windows: Edit > Preferences > Galley & Story Display

  • Notes can be viewed inline in the text.

  • The font shown here is not accurate to the final layout. It is set in the Galley & Story Appearance toolbar (see the instructions at the end of this reference).

Layout View

  • Shows actual page layout with fonts, pictures, colors, etc.

  • Shows visible text only. Overset text cannot be seen in this view.

  • Notes are viewed using the Notes panel (Window > Notes).

  • Type styling is what you would see in a final printed layout.

Setting the Default View

The default view is Story view, but if you’d like to change it:

  1. Close all documents.

  2. Go into the View menu and choose your preferred view (Galley View or Layout View).

  3. The next time you open a document, it will open in that view.

The Galley & Story Appearance Toolbar

Located at the bottom left of the screen, the Galley & Story Appearance toolbar lets you change the font, size, line spacing, etc. used for the Galley and Story views.

galley and story appearance toolbar

It’s shown by default, but if you ever need to re-open this toolbar, go to Window > Galley & Story Appearance.