• Registered: 2025-08-28
  • Posts: 44

Topic: Group styles - How do they work?

Hello everyone,

Could you please help me understand how group styles work?

I’m trying to organize my text styles using a group style. I created a group style, but I can’t seem to add other paragraph and character styles to it.

My intention is to create a group style with the name of our company and then place a hierarchy of paragraph and character styles inside that group.

I’m not sure if my understanding of group styles is correct. Could you please explain how group styles are meant to be used, and how I can add other styles to a group style?

I’m using Affinity Studio.

Thank you very much for your help — it is truly appreciated.

Kind regards,
Chris

  • Registered: 2025-10-02
  • Posts: 22

Re: Group styles - How do they work?

I can't answer your question but have you read the unofficial manual?  Link here:
https://punster.me/serif/viewtopic.php?id=1153

Affinity Photo user with a Canon camera

3 Reply by Bad_Wolf (edited by Bad_Wolf 2026-01-27 20:55:27)

  • Registered: 2025-08-28
  • Posts: 44

Re: Group styles - How do they work?

Hello Stuck,

Thank you for your reply and the information, which was really helpful.

I didn’t know about that manual before, but I’ve downloaded it now. There is a short explanation about group styles in it.

I also found out how to put paragraph and character styles inside a group style, and it is much simpler than it looks.

For example, let’s say you create a group style called “My Group Style”, in which you define font and paragraph properties. Then you create another paragraph or character style called “Body Text.”

If you want to link the style “Body Text” to the group style “My Group Style,” you simply go to the Style tab and, in the “Based on” field, select the group style “My Group Style.” The linked style will then inherit all properties of the group style.

You can check how styles belong to a group style by opening the menu at the top right of the Text Styles panel and choosing Hierarchical (or Hierarchy) view.

Thank you again for your help — it is much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Chris

4 Reply by Pioneer (edited by Pioneer 2026-01-27 23:19:53)

  • Registered: 2022-01-21
  • Posts: 123

Re: Group styles - How do they work?

There is an in depth webinar by Elaine Giles on YouTube Mastering Text Styles in Affinity by Canva....... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piToaMImEdQ
Its quite long but worth a watch.

Always searching for the keys of knowledge
  • Registered: 2025-08-28
  • Posts: 44

Re: Group styles - How do they work?

Thank you Pioneer for your suggestion. I already watched that webinar.

Elaine her tutorials are always long but very interesting and educational.

Saturday 31 January 2026 is also a very interesting one: How to create church newsletters.

Kind regards,

Chris

  • Registered: 2025-08-28
  • Posts: 44

Re: Group styles - How do they work?

Hello everyone,

Group styles are very useful when building your text style structure (a style tree). However, in Affinity Studio Layout, I believe there is a bug.

You create a group style called “G_BaseStyle.” You set the properties you need and close the dialog. A group style cannot be applied directly to text in your document (something important to remember).

Next, you create a paragraph style named “P_Body” and base it on the group style “G_BaseStyle.” You adjust the properties as needed and close the dialog.

If you then notice in the Styles panel that “P_Body” has suddenly become a group style, you’ve encountered the bug.

It took me several days to realize that I was actually fighting a bug in Affinity Studio Layout.

To fix this issue, you need to reset the Text Styles panel.

Restart the application and, while it is restarting, hold down the CTRL key. A reset dialog will appear. Select only “Text Styles” and make sure all other options are deselected. Then click “Clear.”

After this, your Styles panel should behave normally again.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Chris