Save layout elements in a style

To add some layout elements such as legends, scale bars, and grids, you typically choose one from a gallery. The items in those galleries are stored in project resources called styles. Styles are databases that store symbols and other style items for reuse. Many layout elements are available in the system styles that are authored by Esri and included with ArcGIS AllSource.

You can modify the properties and appearance of an element after you've added it to your layout. If the result is something you want to save to reuse again elsewhere, you can save it to a style as a style item. The system styles are read-only, but you can save items to your Favorites style, or to any custom style you create.

The following elements can be saved as style items:

• North arrow
• Scale bar
• Legend
• Legend item
• Table frame
• Table frame field
• Grids

Additionally, text, graphic points, lines, and polygons can be saved as symbols in styles just as you can from maps. Symbols in styles can be used in a layout regardless of where they were saved from.

To save a layout item, complete the following steps:

1. With a layout view active, in the Contents pane, right-click an element and choose north arrow, scale bar, legend, or table frame and click Save to Style . Additionally, for north arrows, scale bars, legends, and table frames, you can right-click the element on the layout itself to access the save to style option, not just in the Contents pane
2. On the Save As dialog box, provide the following:
   1. Name—Type a descriptive name for the symbol.
   2. Category—Use the drop-down list to choose a category in the current project styles, type a new category, or leave it blank. Categories are used to search for or filter symbols in style galleries. Category is optional.
   3. Tags—Type one or more descriptive tags separated by semicolons. Tags is optional.
   4. Style—Use the drop-down list to choose an editable style that is connected in the project. You are limited to your Favorites style only if no editable styles are in the project. You can subsequently copy text symbols from your Favorites style to another style in the catalog view. Learn about managing styles.
   5. Key—Enter a string to be used as the style item key. If you do not provide a key, one will be generated automatically. Keys are used for storing a unique identifier for style items in cases in which unique item lookup is needed. Keys must be unique within the target style and cannot be empty. Key is optional.
3. Click OK to save the symbol to the specified style.