Can you check if the script created any of the three items before crashing?

Ouch.

Can you check if this copy is complete? The very first thing the script does is checking if the layer, paragraph style, and swatch “ImageLabel” exist — and if any of them don't, it creates them! So theoretically, this error — what it says is basically 'I don't have access to this style called “ImageLabel”' — ought not have happened.

Can you verify on a simple rectangle in a blank new document if the layer, paragraph style, and swatch are created correctly?

Actually, all of the above is possible using regular scripting No extra plug-in needed, just a bit of know-how.

Copy the Javascript below and paste it into a plain text file — see David's handy “How to Install a Script in InDesign That You Found in a Forum or Blog Post” article for the exact procedure. Rest assured, there is no malicious code hidden in here That I know of

It has the following features:

1. Run on a single, plain selection — one with the black arrow. It will add labels and lines for width and height. The current selected object will stay selected.

2. It puts the labels and lines on a layer called “ImageLabel”, which is set to non-printing on creation. If the layer already exists, it doesn't change the existing settings. (If you always want to have it print: to remove the default non-printing setting, change 'printable: false' to 'printable: true' in line 17.) This layer is colored ghastly green by default.

3. The lines and text use a custom swatch called “ImageLabel”. It's an RGB color (because presumably it's just for viewing), but of course I can make it a real CMYK color as well. As per above, you can also run the script once and then adjust the settings — the script won't change it if it already exists.

4. The text has a paragraph style called “ImageLabel” by default. It's set to Helvetica at 12 pt, but you can change these values in the script (for new defaults) in line 30, or simply change the “ImageSize” paragraph style. Same as above.

5. The labels appear centered in their text frames, so the left one has to be wide enough for three decimals. The text frames are set to ignore all text wrappings to prevent unexpected overset text.

6. You didn't ask for this, but it groups the text frames and lines together for each image. Might come in handy; but if you find yourself ungrouping everything every time because stuff is just not In The Right Place (and that's always a different place (*)), delete the entire line near the bottom that says “app.activeDocument.groups.add …”

(*) I mean, if you find that everything is always off by exactly 0.1″, it's easier to change the script. If the value is always different, remove that grouping line.

7. It comes with an Undo! Undoing will, uh, undo everything the script did. If you ran it twice, a first Undo will remove the last labels it added. The second time it will also remove the layer, paragraph style, and swatch (but only if it created them in the first place).

… That's about it. I tested with CS4 but I'm totally fairly reasonable sure it'll work on CS5 and later as well. If not, yell and I'll think about what needs tinkering with.

Alas … The script contained too much special codes for this forum to be copied & used as-is, so I put it up at my website: https://www.jongware.com/binaries/labelImageSize.zip

Download, unpack (if your browser doesn't do so automatically), and put into your User Scripts folder. Then, enjoy!

Hah — I had an idea and it worked!

1. Set all of your text to Keep With Next:1 line. InDesign won't change a thing, because it somehow detects it's nonsense to keep such a long list all together.

2. Run this Javascript:

3. And suddenly you have all of your “Name” items at the top of a column!

(Edited 3 times, this one ought to be okay now)

If you have CS5.5 you can use its new feature “Keep with Previous” — simply reverse all of my instructions above …

For CS5 or earlier I don't have any (non-scripted) solution.

Heh heh — sorry, 'twas the evil imp on my shoulder that prompted me.

You can use “Open” to open a Book in InDesign but you won't see its pages until you open the document as well. (But “Book” wasn't what you were looking for anyway so I'll let it rest.)

It's still a bit unclear what you managed to accomplish though. Are you using InDesign's (extremely basic) Print Booklet feature to 'impose' an existing InDesign document?

Uh, it seems you missed the sub-question in my question. How would it be possible to apply two paragraph styles to just a single paragraph? A paragraph style, by definition and by purpose, applies formatting to an entire paragraph. Applying “a second” paragraph style removes all formatting of the previous one and replaces it with its own.

You might want to take a look at character styles — now those are meant to be applied to parts of a paragraph.