Before creating or editing styles in Calaméo, it is helpful to understand a few key concepts. These concepts explain how style sheets work and how their rules can affect the reader.
This article presents these concepts in a simple way, with no technical background required.
What is a style sheet?
A style sheet is a set of rules that define the appearance and certain behaviors of the Calaméo reader.
It allows you to manage these settings in a single place and then apply them to one or more publications.
By default, a style sheet is empty. As long as no rules are added, it has no impact on the reader.
What is a rule?
A rule corresponds to a specific setting: it affects an element, an action, or a behavior of the reader.
A style sheet can contain multiple rules, each serving a specific purpose.
Rules organized by categories
To make navigation easier, rules are grouped into categories.
These categories help you find more easily the settings related to a specific type of element or functionality.
Active rules and rules that need activation
Not all rules work in the same way.
Some rules are active as soon as they are added, while others require an additional activation before they take effect.
This behavior helps prevent unintended changes and keeps you in control of the modifications applied.
Hierarchy and inheritance of styles
Styles work with a system of hierarchy and inheritance.
This means that some rules are more general and can apply to several elements of the reader, while others are more specific.
In practice, a single rule can impact multiple elements if they inherit its behavior or appearance.
This is why it is recommended to add and modify rules gradually, in order to clearly understand their scope.
Key takeaways
- A style sheet is a set of rules.
- A style sheet is empty until rules are added.
- Rules are organized by categories to make them easier to manage.
- Some rules must be activated to take effect.
- The hierarchy and inheritance system allows a rule to affect multiple elements.