# Cascading "Shared" Styles

Advanced users can “share” styles that cascade across objects. Artboard is smart about sharing styles. When you draw several objects using a shared style, they share the properties of that style. If you edit a shared style, the changes are applied across all instances of the style – in other words you will see the changes on all objects where the style has been used. In this way, changes to styles across multiple objects can be made very quickly and efficiently.

If you've used Artboard version 1.6 or prior and have existing styles that you want to continue to be shared, activate this setting in the Artboard Preferences pane.

## Show Hide To Enable (or Disable) Cascading "Shared" Styles:

1. Check (or uncheck) 'Enable Style Sharing' in the Artboard > Preferences… Editing pane.
2. Each time you create a new style, check the 'Shared' box to make the style sharable.

HINT: If you want new styles that you create to be sharable by default, make sure "Styles are sharable by default" is also checked in the Preferences menu.

## Show Hide About Shared Styles:

Shared styles cascade across objects. Choose a shared style and draw three objects in a row – they share the same style; adjust the style and the change automatically cascade across all three objects. You can break the style link between successive objects by clicking “Reset” to create a new style, or "Clone" to create a new style based on the one currently in use.

The Format Bar provides quick access to simple fill and stroke style editing. Advanced “expert” styles, such as arrowed paths and gradient fills, are created and edited using Artboard’s powerful Style Inspector. Remember, shared styles cascade across drawing objects– if you edit a style without clicking "Reset" or "Clone" the changes will apply across all objects where the style has been used.

HINT: Styles in the built-in Mapdiva collection cannot be over-written – to edit styles in the built-in collection, use "Clone" to make a copy of the original.
HINT: Editing a shared library style can have unforeseen consequences, including if the style is in use in other documents.

## Show Hide How To Use 'Reset' and 'Clone':

Do one of the following:

- To create a new style from scratch, click the 'Reset' button. The style is reset to Artboard's simple default style with a black stroke and gray fill. To customize the style, check or uncheck the "Stroke" and "Fill" style components and adjust the colors and settings as desired. Continue drawing.
- To create a style from an existing style, use an existing style and click the 'Clone' button. Clone will make a copy of the style you are currently using so you can make changes to it and continue drawing. Use clone, for example, when you want to change the stroke width but keep all other settings the same. Complex styles should be edited in the Style Inspector.

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