3 Setting Up a Document and Working with Pages

By taking advantage of features that help you set up the publications you create, you can ensure consistent page layout, simplify your production process, and work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Getting started

In this lesson, you’ll set up an eight-page newsletter with an insert and then place text and graphics on one of the document’s facing-page spreads.

1. To ensure that the preferences and default settings of your Adobe InDesign CC program match those used in this lesson, move the InDesign Defaults file to a different folder following the procedure in “Saving and restoring the InDesign Defaults file” on pages 4–5.

2. Start InDesign. To ensure that the panels and menu commands match those used in this lesson, choose Window > Workspace > [Advanced], and then choose Window > Workspace > Reset Advanced. To begin working, you’ll learn how to create a new document.

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   Note

   If you have not already downloaded the project files for this lesson to your computer from your Account page, make sure to do so now. See “Getting Started” at the beginning of the book.

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3. To see what the finished document looks like, open the 03_End.indd file in the Lesson03 folder, located inside the Lessons folder within the InDesign CIB folder on your hard drive.

   

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   Note

   If an alert informs you that the document contains links to sources that have been modified, click Update Links.

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4. Scroll through the document to view other pages. To see the guidelines and placeholder frames on the pages, choose View > Screen Mode > Normal. Navigate back to pages 2–3, which are the only document pages you’ll lay out in this lesson. You will also lay out a pair of master page spreads.

5. Close the 03_End.indd file after you have finished examining it, or you can leave this document open for reference.

Creating and saving custom document settings

InDesign lets you save frequently used document settings, including the number of pages, page size, columns, and margins. Choosing one of these saved document parameters, called document presets, when creating a new document saves time and ensures consistency.

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Units & Increments (Windows) or InDesign CC > Preferences > Units & Increments (macOS). Change the Horizontal and Vertical setting to Inches in order to follow along with the steps in this lesson.

2. Choose File > Document Presets > Define.

3. Click New in the Document Presets dialog box.

4. In the New Document Preset dialog box, set the following:

   • In the Document Preset box, type Newsletter.

   • In the Number Of Pages box, type 8.

   • Make sure that the Facing Pages option is selected.

   • Use the default Page Size (Letter).

   • In the Columns section, type 3 for Number, and for Gutter, click the down arrow once to set the gutter at .125 inches.

   • In the Margins section, make sure that the Make All Settings The Same icon in the center of the margin settings is deselected () so that you can enter custom settings for each margin. Type 1.3125 for Top; type .375 for the Bottom, .5 for the Inside, and .25 for the Outside margins.

     

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     Note

     You can use any supported unit of measurement in any dialog box or panel. If you want to use a measurement unit that differs from the default, simply type the indicator for the unit you want to use, such as p for picas, pt for points, cm for centimeters, mm for millimeters, and either in or “ (inch marks) for inches, after the value you enter into a box.

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5. Click the triangle to the left of Bleed And Slug to display additional controls. Highlight or delete the text (0 in) in the Top box of the Bleed option, and then enter 0p9 (the Picas measurement system). Then ensure that the Make All Settings The Same icon () is selected (unbroken chain) so that the same value is used for the Bottom, Inside, and Outside boxes. Click inside or tab to the Bottom box and notice that InDesign automatically converts measurements expressed using other measurement units (in this case, picas and points) to the default equivalents (in this case inches). (The default Bleed value is one-eighth of an inch, or 0p9.)

   

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   Tip

   The bleed values specify an area outside the perimeter of each page that is used to print design elements, such as pictures or a colored background, that extend to the edge of the paper. The bleed area is trimmed and discarded after the printing process.

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6. Click OK in both dialog boxes to save the document preset.

Creating a new document

Each time you create a new document, the New Document dialog box lets you choose a document preset as the starting point, or you can use this dialog box to specify several document settings, including the number of pages, the page size, the number of columns, and more. In this section, you’ll use the Newsletter preset that you just created.

1. Choose File > New > Document.

2. In the New Document dialog box, choose the Newsletter preset, which you’ll see when you click Saved at the top of the dialog box.

   

3. Click Create.

   InDesign creates a new document using all of the specifications from the document preset, including the page size, margins, columns, and number of pages.

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   Tip

   You can also create a new document based on a document preset by choosing File > Document Presets > [Preset_Name]. If you press the Shift key when selecting a preset, the New Document dialog box is bypassed and a new document based on that preset opens.

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4. Open the Pages panel by clicking its panel icon or choosing Window > Pages. If necessary, drag the bottom of the panel downward until all eight document page icons are visible.

   In the Pages panel, the icon for page 1 is highlighted, and the page number below the icon is displayed within a highlighted rectangle to indicate that page 1 is currently displayed in the document window.

   About page numbering

   There are two kinds of page numbering in any kind of multi-page publication. One is the physical structure of the folded paper that creates the physical pages. The other is the label placed on the pages. The label, or folio, can have sections, and can begin new numbering with each section, in many possible configurations. Here we are concerned with the physical structure.

   Any printed material that has a spine, such as a magazine or a book, follows a structure dictated by folding paper. The simplest example is to fold a piece of paper in half. Each resulting rectangle is a page. If you nest two folded pieces of paper into each other and staple them at the fold (the spine), you have created an 8-page booklet. The first page (the cover) of this booklet is to the right of the fold (the spine). Open the first page and you have one page to the left of the spine (or fold), page 2, and one page to the right of the spine, page 3.

   When you create a document with facing pages, InDesign shows you this structure in the Pages panel. Page 1 is to the right of the center line, which represents the spine. Page 2 is to the left. All odd number pages are to the right, and all even number pages to the left. To begin a document to the left of the spine, you must enter an even number in the Start Page # box in the Document Setup dialog box.

   

   The Pages panel is divided into two sections by a horizontal line. The upper section displays thumbnails of the document’s master pages. A master page is like a background template that you can apply to any page in a document. Master pages contain elements, such as headers, footers, and page numbers, that appear on all document pages. (You’ll work with master pages later in this lesson.) The lower section of the Pages panel displays thumbnails of document pages.

   In this document, the default master page (which is automatically given the default name “A-Master”) consists of a two-page spread of facing pages.

   

5. Choose File > Save As, name the file 03_Setup.indd, navigate to the Lesson03 folder, and click Save.

Working with master pages

Before you add graphics and text frames to a document, you may want to set up the master pages, which serve as backgrounds for your document pages. Any object that you add to a master page automatically appears on the document pages to which the master page has been applied.

In this document, you’ll create two master page spreads to contain elements such as headers, footers, and placeholder frames for text and graphics. By creating multiple master pages, you allow for variation within a consistent design theme.

Adding guides to the master page

Guides are nonprinting lines that help you lay out a document precisely. Guides placed on a master page appear on any document pages to which that master is applied. For this document, you’ll add several guides that, along with the existing column guides, act as a grid to help you position graphics frames, text frames, and other objects.

1. In the upper section of the Pages panel, double-click the name A-Master. The master spread’s left and right pages are displayed in the document window.

2. Choose Layout > Create Guides.

3. Select Preview to display your changes as you make them.

4. For the Rows option, type 4 in the Number box and .125 in in the Gutter box.

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   Tip

   If the two pages of the master page spread are not centered in the document window, double-click the Hand tool in the Tools panel to center them.

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5. For the Columns option, type 2 in the Number box and 0 in the Gutter box.

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   Note

   Gutter is the term for the space between columns or rows.

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6. For Fit Guides To, select Page and notice how the horizontal and vertical guides appear on your master pages, along with the margin and column guides that you established when you created the Newsletter preset.

   

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   Tip

   Guides can also be added to a spread in a facing-page document by using the Create Guides command (Layout menu) when working on a document page rather than a master page.

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   Selecting Margins instead of Page causes the guides to fit within the margin boundaries rather than the page boundaries. When you lay out document pages, you can use these guides to help you position and align objects.

7. Click OK.

Dragging guides from rulers

You can drag guides from the horizontal (top) and vertical (left side) rulers at the edge of the document window to provide additional alignment assistance on individual pages. Pressing Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) while dragging a horizontal guide applies the guide to the entire spread. Pressing Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) while dragging a guide from the horizontal ruler changes it to a vertical guide and, likewise, changes a vertical guide to a horizontal guide when dragging a guide from the vertical ruler.

In this lesson, you will place headers above the top margin of the page and footers below the bottom margin. To position the headers and footers accurately, you will manually add two horizontal guides and two vertical guides.

1. Open the Transform panel (Window > Object & Layout > Transform). Without clicking in your document, move the pointer around the document window and watch the horizontal and vertical rulers as the pointer moves. Notice how the hairline indicators in the rulers correspond to the pointer’s position. Also notice that the dimmed X and Y values in the Control panel and the Transform panel indicate the position of the pointer.

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   Tip

   You can also drag a ruler guide without the Ctrl or Command key and release the guide over the pasteboard to have a guide appear across all pages in a spread as well as on the pasteboard.

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2. Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) and position your pointer on the horizontal ruler anywhere above the spread. Drag a ruler guide down to .375. The Y value is displayed next to the pointer while you drag and is also displayed in the Y box in the Control panel and the Transform panel. Pressing Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) when you create a guide causes the guide to extend across both pages of the spread, as well as across the pasteboard on either side. If you don’t press Ctrl or Command, the guide will extend only across the page on which you release the mouse button.

   

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   Note

   The controls in the Transform panel are similar to those in the Control panel. You can use either panel to make many common modifications, such as changing position, size, scale, and angle of rotation.

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3. Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) and drag one more ruler guide from the horizontal ruler to 10.75.

4. Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) and drag a ruler guide from the vertical ruler to the .5 position. Watch the X value in the Control panel as you drag. If the X value doesn’t display .5 as you drag, place the guide as close as you can, and then—with the guide still selected—highlight the X value in the Control panel or Transform panel, enter .5, and then press Enter or Return.

   

5. Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) and drag another guide from the vertical ruler to the 16.5 position.

6. Close or dock the Transform panel, and then choose File > Save.

Step and repeat, paste, and delete guides

A key concept to understand about guides in InDesign is that they behave like other objects. You can use many of the same techniques with guides that you use for working with any objects. One powerful technique is Step and Repeat.

In this lesson, you step and repeat guides, copy and paste guides, and delete guides.

1. Navigate to page 6 by double-clicking the icon for page 6 in the Pages panel. Drag a guide from the vertical ruler to 1 inch from the left.

2. Open the Step And Repeat dialog box (Edit > Step And Repeat). Enter 3 for the repeat count and .25 for the Horizontal offset. Click Preview to see the changes while you work. Hold down the Shift key and click the up arrow in the Horizontal measurement two times until you get an offset of .75, or just type .75. (If you don’t hold down the Shift key, InDesign will change the measurement in increments of one-sixteenth of an inch, or .0625.) Click OK.

   

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   Note

   If you accidentally deselect this new guide, drag across the guide to select it (with the Selection tool). When selected, the color of the guide will be darker.

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3. Use the Selection tool and drag across all four guides you just created to select the guides. Choose Copy from the Edit menu.

4. Double-click page 8 in the Pages panel. Choose Paste In Place from the Edit menu. The guides will be in the exact same place on page 8 as they are on page 6. This technique can be useful when you want to duplicate a design, but not on enough pages to warrant creating another master page. You can also copy and paste guides between documents.

5. If you decide to change your layout, it’s often helpful to delete guides you no longer need. Again, use the Selection tool and drag across the four guides you just pasted onto page 8 to select them. Choose Edit > Clear, or press the Delete key.

Creating a text frame on the master page

Any text or graphic that you place on a master page appears on document pages to which the master is applied. To create a header, you’ll add a publication title (“Garden News”) and a page number marker to the top of the verso (left) and recto (right) pages of the document’s facing-page master spread.

1. Navigate to the left master page, and make sure that you can see the top of the page. If necessary, zoom in and use the scroll bars or Hand tool ().

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   Note

   Objects on master pages display with dotted lines to distinguish them from objects on document pages.

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2. Select the Type tool () in the Tools panel. On the left master page, click near where the two ruler guides intersect above the leftmost column and drag to create a text frame, as shown here. You’ll position it exactly in a later step.

   

3. With the insertion point in the new text frame, choose Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number.

   The letter A appears in your text frame. On document pages based on this master page, the correct page number is displayed, such as “2” on the document’s page 2.

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   Tip

   An em space is the width of the current font size. For example, when working with 12-point text, an em space is 12 points wide. The term originated in the days of metal type and described the width of the capital letter M.

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4. To add an em space after the page number, right-click with the insertion point in the text frame to display a context menu, and then choose Insert White Space > Em Space. Or you can choose this same command from the Type menu.

5. Type Garden News after the em space.

   

6. Press the Escape key to change to the Selection tool while keeping the text frame selected. Choose the Text tool and click the Character Formatting Controls icon () in the Control panel and choose Myriad Pro, and from the Font Style menu, select Bold. Then choose Type > Change Case > UPPERCASE.

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   Note

   You can apply text attributes with the frame selected rather than selecting text with the cursor. This is a very useful feature. For example, you can select several text frames and apply the same attributes to all of them at the same time.

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7. With the frame still selected, choose Object > Text Frame Options. Under Inset Spacing, turn off the same settings button () and set the Left and Right insets to .125. Under Vertical Justification, choose Center from the drop-down menu, and click OK.

8. To size and position the text frame, click the Selection Tool () and set the reference point on the Control panel to the center left position, and type these settings: X .25, Y .5, W 7.75, and H .3125.

   

Next, you’ll duplicate the header on the left master page, position the copy on the right master page, and adjust the text so that it’s a mirror opposite of the left header.

1. Choose View > Fit Spread In Window to display both master pages.

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   Tip

   If you also press the Shift key while Alt-dragging (Windows) or Option-dragging (macOS) a text frame, movement is constrained to vertical, horizontal, and 45-degree angles.

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2. Using the Selection tool (), select the header text frame on the left master page. Hold down the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (macOS), and drag the text frame to the right master page so that it snaps to the margin guides, mirroring the left master page as shown here. The X measurement will be 9 in.

   

3. Select the Type tool (), click the Paragraph Formatting Controls () in the Control panel, and then click the Align Right button.

   

   Click Paragraph Formatting Controls at the left side of the Control panel to see the alignment options.

   The text is now right-aligned within the header frame on the right master page. Now you’ll modify the text on the right master page, placing the page number on the right side of the words “Garden News” so that the page numbers will print on the outside edges of the pages, not near the spine.

4. Delete the em space and page number at the beginning of the right page header.

5. Place the insertion point at the end of “Garden News” and then choose Type > Insert White Space > Em Space. (Note: You won’t see this change until you add the Current Page Number character in the next step.)

6. Choose Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number to insert the Current Page Number character after the em space.

   

7. To create footers, select both headers with the Selection Tool () and choose View > Fit Spread In Window to display both master pages. Press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS), and drag down to the guide at the bottom of the page. This creates a copy of both text frames.

8. With both frames still selected, select the Type tool () and change the font from Bold to Regular and change the size to 10 points. Then choose Type > Change Case > Title Case. Switch back to the Selection tool () and in the alignment area of the Control panel, click the Align Bottom button.

   

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   Note

   On smaller screens, fewer tools are available in the Control panel. If you don’t see the text alignment tools in the Control panel, choose Object > Text Frame Options and in the Vertical Justification area choose Bottom.

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9. Switch back to the Type tool and place the insertion point in the left footer and triple-click to select all of the text. Type Urban Garden Oasis, replacing the text. Copy this text, select all of the text in the right footer, paste, and then click the Align Right button.

   

10. Choose Edit > Deselect All, and then choose File > Save.

Renaming the master page

When a document contains multiple master pages, you may want to assign a descriptive name to each master page to make them all easier to identify. You will rename this first master page “3-column Layout.”

1. Choose Window > Pages if the Pages panel is not open. Confirm that the A-Master page is still selected. Choose Master Options For “A-Master” from the Pages panel flyout menu ().

2. In the Name box, type 3-column Layout, and click OK.

   

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   Tip

   In addition to changing the names of master pages, you can use the Master Options dialog box to change other properties of a master page, such as the prefix, number of pages in the master page spread, and whether or not the master page is based on another master.

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Adding placeholder frames for text

Each document page in the newsletter will contain text and graphics. The main text frame and graphics frame are the same on each page, so you’ll create a placeholder text frame and a placeholder graphics frame on the left and right pages of the A-3-column Layout master page.

1. Double-click the left page icon of the A-3-column Layout master in the Pages panel to center the left page in the document window.

   

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   Tip

   To set up a master page spread with different margin and column settings for the left and right pages, you can double-click the individual page in the master page spread and then change the selected page’s settings by choosing Layout > Margins And Columns.

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2. Select the Type tool (). Click where the top margin guide intersects the .5 in guide you drew in the upper-left area of the page, and drag to create a text frame that extends horizontally across two columns and vertically down about half of the page.

   

3. Double-click the right page icon of the A-3-column Layout master in the Pages panel to center it in the document window.

4. With the Selection tool (), click the text frame you just created and then press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS), and drag across to the right page. Position this text frame so that it begins at the second column. The left position will be approximately 11.625.

5. Click a blank area of the page or pasteboard, or choose Edit > Deselect All.

6. Choose File > Save.

Adding placeholder frames for graphics

You have now created placeholder text frames for the main text on each page. Next, you’ll add two graphics frames to the A-3-column Layout master. Similar to the text frames you created, these frames act as placeholders for graphics you’ll later place on document pages, helping you to maintain a consistent design.

Although the Rectangle tool () and the Rectangle Frame tool () are more or less interchangeable, the Rectangle Frame tool, which includes nonprinting diagonal lines within, is commonly used to create placeholders for graphics.

1. Select the Rectangle Frame tool () in the Tools panel.

2. Position the crosshair pointer at the intersection of the top margin guide and the left margin guide on the right page.

   Drag down and to the right to create a frame that extends horizontally one column width and vertically to the ruler guide at 5.4375 in. The resulting frame will be 2.5 in wide (W) and 4.125 in tall (H).

   

3. Create an identical placeholder graphics frame in the mirror position on the left page either by drawing another frame or duplicating this frame.

4. Use the Selection tool to click a blank area of the page or pasteboard, or choose Edit > Deselect All.

5. Choose File > Save.

Creating an additional master page

You can create multiple master pages within a document. You can build them independently or base one master page on another master page. If you base a master page on another master, any change made to the parent master is automatically applied to the child master.

For instance, the A-3-column Layout master page is useful for most pages in the newsletter and can be used as the basis for another set of master pages that share key layout elements, such as margins and the current page number character.

To accommodate different layouts, you will create a separate master page spread that uses a two-column format, and then you’ll modify the two-column layout.

1. In the Pages panel, choose New Master from the Pages panel flyout menu.

2. In the Name box, type 2-column Layout.

3. From the Based On Master menu, choose A-3-column Layout, and click OK.

   Notice that the letter A is displayed on the B-2-column Layout master page thumbnails at the top of the Pages panel. This letter indicates that the A-3-column Layout master serves as the foundation for the B-2-column Layout master. If you were to change the A-3-column Layout master, the changes would also be reflected in the B-2-column Layout master. You may also notice that you cannot easily select objects, such as the footer frames, from parent master pages. You’ll learn about selecting and overriding master page items later in this lesson.

   

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   Note

   If all of the master page icons are not visible in the Pages panel, click the horizontal bar that separates the master page icons from document page icons and drag down until the other master page icons are visible.

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4. Choose Layout > Margins And Columns. In the Margins And Columns dialog box, set the number of columns to 2, and then click OK.

Overriding master items

The document pages that will use the two-column layout do not require placeholder frames, which means that only the footer text frames and the ruler guides from the A-3-column Layout master are required. Next, you’ll remove the placeholder frames from the B-2-column Layout master.

1. Using the Selection tool (), click within the graphics frame on the left page of the B-2-column Layout master. Nothing happens. Because this frame is inherited from the parent master, you can’t select it with a simple click.

2. Hold down Shift+Ctrl (Windows) or Shift+Command (macOS), and then click within the graphics frame. The frame is now selected, and you have overridden its status as a master item. Press Backspace or Delete to delete the frame.

3. Use the same method to delete the placeholder graphics frame on the right page, as well as the placeholder text frame on the left and right pages.

4. Choose File > Save.

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   Tip

   To override multiple master page items, hold down Shift+Ctrl (Windows) or Shift+Command (macOS) and with the Selection tool, drag a marquee around the objects you want to override.

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Modifying a parent master

To complete your work laying out the newsletter’s master pages, you’ll add several header elements to the top of the A-3-column Layout master. Then you’ll view the B-2-column Layout master and see how the new objects are automatically added to that master page spread.

Rather than manually laying out the additional header and footer frames, you’ll import a snippet. A snippet is a file that contains InDesign objects, including their location relative to one another on a page or spread, and can be imported into a layout with the Place command (File menu) the same way you import graphic files. InDesign lets you export selected objects as a snippet file and place snippets into documents. (You’ll use snippets again later in this lesson, and you’ll learn more about snippets in Lesson 10, “Importing and Modifying Graphics.”)

1. Double-click the name of the A-3-column Layout master in the Pages panel to display the spread.

2. Choose File > Place. Open the Links folder in the Lesson03 folder, located inside the Lessons folder within the InDesign CIB folder. Click the file named HeaderSnippet.idms, and then click Open.

3. Position the loaded snippet icon () outside the upper-left corner of the spread, where the red bleed guides meet. Click to place the snippet.

   The snippet places a header at the top of each page. Each header includes an empty blue graphics frame, vector objects, and a text frame with white placeholder text.

   

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   Tip

   To create a snippet, select one or more objects on a page or spread. Choose File > Export, and then choose InDesign Snippet from the Save As Type menu (Windows) or the Format menu (macOS). Choose the location of the file, assign a name, and then click Save.

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4. Double-click the name of the B-2-column Layout master in the Pages panel. Notice how the new elements you just applied to the A-3-column Layout master have been automatically applied to this child master.

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   Tip

   The parent–child master structure enables you to quickly apply design changes to common elements, without having to make the same change to several items.

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5. Navigate back to the A-3-column Layout master. Click the left blue graphics frame to select it. Open the Swatches panel, choose Fill color () and click the Green-Brightest swatch. Navigate to the B-2-column Layout master in the Pages panel again, and see that the color of the left header box is now green as well.

   

6. Choose File > Save.

Applying master pages to document pages

Now that you have created all of the master pages, it’s time to apply them to the pages in the document. By default, all of the document pages are formatted with the A-3-column Layout master. You will apply the B-2-column Layout master to several pages in the newsletter, and then you’ll apply the None master page to the cover page, which doesn’t require header or footer information and thus does not require a master page.

You can apply master pages to document pages by dragging master page icons onto document page icons in the Pages panel or by using an option in the Pages panel flyout menu.

1. Double-click the name of the B-2-column Layout master in the Pages panel. Make sure that all master pages and document pages are visible in the panel.

   

2. Drag either the highlighted master page name or the accompanying spread icon of the B-2-column Layout master onto the icon of document page 4. When page 4 is displayed with a black border, indicating it’s the page to which the selected master will be applied, release the mouse button.

3. Drag either the highlighted master page name or the accompanying spread icon of the B-2-column Layout master onto the icon of document page 5 and then onto document page 8.

4. Double-click the page numbers 4–5 (below the page icons) in the Pages panel to display this spread. Notice that page 4 has the two-column layout of the applied master page, as well as the header and footer elements that you placed on the parent master page. Also notice that the correct page numbers are displayed on each page as a result of the Current Page Number characters you placed on the A-3-column Layout master page spread.

5. Double-click the icon for document page 1. Because it’s based on the A-3-column Layout master, it includes header and footer elements, which aren’t required on the cover of the newsletter.

6. Choose Apply Master To Pages from the Pages panel flyout menu. In the Apply Master dialog box, choose [None] from the Apply Master menu and make sure that 1 is the page number in the To Pages box. Click OK.

   

7. Choose File > Save.

Adding new document pages

You can add new pages to your existing document. Next, you’ll add six additional pages to your newsletter. Later in this lesson, you’ll use four of these pages for a “special section” within your newsletter that uses a different page size and separate page numbering.

1. In the Pages panel flyout menu, choose Insert Pages.

2. In the Insert Pages dialog box, type 6 in the Pages box, choose After Page from the Insert menu, and enter 4 in the accompanying (page number) box, and then choose [None] from the Master menu.

   

3. Click OK. Six blank pages are added in the middle of the document. Lengthen the Pages panel so that you can see as many document pages as possible.

Rearranging and deleting document pages

You can use the Pages panel to rearrange the sequence of pages and delete extra pages.

1. In the Pages panel, click page 12 to select it. Notice that it’s based on the A-3-column Layout master. Drag the page 12 icon upward onto the icon for page 11, which is based on the B-2-column Layout master. When the small arrow near the hand is pointing to the right, indicating that page 11 will be “pushed” in that direction, release the mouse button.

   Notice that page 11 is now based on the A-3-column Layout master, and the page that had previously been page 11 is now page 12. Pages 13 and 14 remain unchanged.

   

2. Click page 5, and then press the Shift key and click page 6.

3. Click the Delete Selected Pages button icon () at the bottom of the panel. Pages 5 and 6 are deleted from the document, leaving it with 12 pages.

4. Choose File > Save.

Changing the size of pages within one InDesign file

Next, you’ll create an insert within the newsletter by changing the size of four pages in a “special section” of the publication. This section will be slightly narrower and shorter than the newsletter.

1. Select the Page tool (). Click page 5 in the Pages panel, and then press the Shift key and click page 8. The icons for pages 5–8 are highlighted in the panel. These are the pages whose size you will change.

   

2. In the Control panel, enter 7.5 for W (Width) and 10.5 for H (Height).

3. Double-click page 4 in the Pages panel, and then choose View > Fit Spread In Window. Notice that the spread now contains pages of unequal size.

   

Using the Measure tool

1. Notice that the outside margins on the narrower page look the same as on the original, wider page. InDesign has automatically adjusted the margins and columns. To understand this adjustment, we’ll use the Measure tool () to compare column widths.

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   Note

   Hold down the Shift key as you drag the Measure tool to constrain the direction to horizontal, vertical, or a 45-degree angle.

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2. Double-click page 8 in the Pages panel, and then choose View > Fit Spread In Window. Both pages show 3 columns within the outer margins. Press K on the keyboard to select the Measure tool (), and then press the Shift key and drag the tool from left to right within one column on page 8. The Shift key constrains the direction to exactly horizontal. The Info panel pops up. Note the measurement for W (Width). Now measure a column on page 9. Now you can see that InDesign has made the columns on page 8 narrower than the original, while keeping the margins the same.

   

3. Choose File > Save.

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   Note

   The Measure tool is also available from the Tools panel. It’s grouped with the Color Theme tool and the Eyedropper tool. Press and hold the Color Theme tool to activate the flyout menu and choose the Measure tool.

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Adding sections to change page numbering

The special section you just created will use its own page-numbering system. You can use different kinds of page numbering within a document by creating sections. Next, you’ll start a new section on the first page of the special section, and then you’ll adjust the page numbering of the subsequent newsletter pages so that they’re numbered correctly.

1. Choose the Selection tool (). In the Pages panel, double-click the page 5 icon to select and display it.

2. Choose Numbering & Section Options from the Pages panel flyout menu, or choose Layout > Numbering & Section Options. In the New Section dialog box, make sure that Start Section and Start Page Numbering At are selected and that the Start Page Numbering At value is 1.

3. Choose i, ii, iii, iv… from the Style menu in the Page Numbering section of the dialog box. Click OK.

   

4. Examine the page icons in the Pages panel. Starting with the fifth document page, the numbers below the page icons now appear as Roman numerals. The numbers in the footers of the remaining document pages that contain footers also appear as Roman numerals.

   Now you’ll specify for the document to use Arabic numerals for the newsletter pages that follow the special section and to continue the numbering from the page prior to the first page of the special section (page 4).

5. Select page v in the Pages panel by clicking its icon once.

   

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   Note

   Single-clicking a master page icon or a document page icon targets the page for editing purposes but does not cause that page to be displayed in the document window. If you want to navigate to a page, double-click its icon in the Pages panel.

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6. Choose Numbering & Section Options from the Pages panel flyout menu.

7. In the New Section dialog box, make sure that Start Section is selected.

8. Select Start Page Numbering At and specify a value of 5 in the accompanying box to start section numbering on page 5 and resume the numbering of the document pages (1–4) that precede the special section.

9. Make sure that 1, 2, 3, 4… is selected in the Style menu, and then click OK.

   Now your pages are correctly renumbered. Notice that a small triangle is displayed above pages 1, i, and 5 in the Pages panel, indicating the start of a new section. In this document, the page numbering at page 5 continues the numbering from the first section, but the numbering could be another pattern. The important point to note is that whenever you see the triangle above a page in the Pages panel, it indicates a section change, regardless of the particular numbering pattern in that file.

   

10. Choose File > Save.

Overriding master page items and placing text and graphics

Now that the framework of the 12-page publication (the eight-page main section and four-page narrow section) is in place, you’re ready to lay out document pages. To see how the work you’ve done setting up the document’s master pages affects the document pages, you’ll add text and graphics to the spread on pages 2 and 3. You’ll learn more about creating and modifying objects in Lesson 4, so for this lesson, we’ve simplified the layout process to minimize your work.

1. Choose File > Save As, name the file 03_Newsletter.indd, navigate to the Lesson03 folder, and click Save.

2. In the Pages panel, double-click the page 2 icon (not page ii), and then choose View > Fit Spread In Window.

   Notice that because the A-3-column Layout master is assigned to pages 2 and 3, these pages include the guides, headers and footers, and placeholder frames from the A-3-column Layout master.

   To import text and graphics created with other applications, such as a text file from Microsoft Word or an image from Adobe Photoshop, you use the Place command.

3. Choose File > Place. If necessary, open the Links folder in the Lesson03 folder, located inside the Lessons folder within the InDesign CIB folder. Click the Article1.txt file, and then Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (macOS) Article2.txt, Graphic_1_HoneyBee-1.jpg, and Graphic_2_GardenTools.jpg to select these four files. Click Open.

   The pointer changes to a loaded text icon (), with a preview of the first few lines of the Article1.txt text file that you are placing.

   

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   Note

   Parentheses are displayed when InDesign recognizes a preexisting frame beneath the loaded text icon or the loaded graphics icon when importing text or graphics into a layout. If you click within an existing frame, InDesign uses that frame rather than creating a new text or graphics frame.

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4. Position the loaded text icon over the placeholder text frame on page 2 (not directly on the guides). Notice that the icon changes to a type block with parentheses around it when you hover over the text frame from the master page, and that there’s a (4) after the loaded text icon, indicating that you have four items to place. Then click to place the Article1.txt text into the frame.

5. To place the three remaining files, click within the text frame on page 3 to place the Article2.txt text file, then click within the graphics frame on page 2 to place Graphic_1_HoneyBee-1.jpg, and then click within the graphics frame on page 3 to place Graphic_2_GardenTools.jpg.

   

6. Choose Edit > Deselect All.

   You’ll import a snippet to complete the layout of the spread.

7. Choose File > Place. Click the Snippet2.idms file, and then click Open.

8. Position the loaded snippet icon () outside the upper-left corner of the spread, where the red bleed guides meet. Click to place the snippet.

   

9. Choose Edit > Deselect All, or click an empty area of the page or pasteboard to deselect all objects.

10. Choose File > Save.

Next, you’ll override two master items on your spread—the two text frames that contain the header text—and then replace the placeholder text with new text.

Replacing placeholder text

Graphic designers will often use placeholder text to establish the look of a document, and then replace that text with the actual text when it’s available. You will do that now.

1. Select the Type tool (). Hold down Shift+Ctrl (Windows) or Shift+Command (macOS), and then click within the placeholder text frame on page 2 that contains “Placeholder Text.” Replace the placeholder text with Bees and Bugs.

2. Repeat step 1 to change the header text on page 3 to Gardening Tips.

   

3. Notice that the frame boundaries are no longer dotted lines, indicating that the frames are no longer master page objects. Choose Edit > Deselect All.

4. Choose File > Save.

Printing to the edge of the paper: using the bleed guides

A very important concept to keep in mind when setting up a document is whether any elements will print all the way to the edge of the paper. If so, you need to account for how that is accomplished in commercial printing. The bleed guides that we set up in the newsletter template are there to enable you to do that.

In commercial printing, pages are printed on large paper, and pages are arranged to fold correctly on bindery machines, rather than on single sheets as on an office printer. For example, the pages could be 2-up on a small digital press, or 8-up on a typical large offset press. Throughout the printing process, tolerances are built in to allow for slight variations, and one of those tolerances is bleed.

Sheets of printed material are cut while in large stacks, and even with a very sharp industrial blade, it’s impossible to cut exactly to the edge of an image hundreds or thousands of times. So to get a perfect edge every time while allowing for the mechanics of cutting paper in stacks, any artwork that will print to the edge must actually extend past where the blade will cut the printed sheet.

Therefore, to create a finished piece with photos or other elements that print right to the edge of the page, you actually must extend those items in the InDesign file past where the blade will cut the sheet to the final size. That produces a clean edge because the blade cuts through printed image, not unprinted paper. It’s best to do this while you are building a file because you may have a photo or other art that is not big enough to extend past the page edge, and it’s better to deal with that early in the process, not right before it’s due to print. You will now learn how to check that items extend sufficiently beyond the page edge, and fix them if they do not.

1. Using the Selection tool (), double-click the page 2 icon in the Pages panel to display it.

2. Choose View > Screen Mode > Normal and focus on the red bleed guides.

3. First look at the bottom photos on the left and right. Notice that the photos on the left of the spider web and the ladybug extend to the red bleed guide, which means there is enough image to get a clean edge when the paper is cut.

4. Now look at the photo of the strawberries on the right. See that the box ends exactly at the edge of the page. This needs to be extended at least up to the red bleed guide. Click this photo with the Selection tool. Pull the right handle farther to the right to make the picture box big enough to meet or pass the red bleed guide.

   

5. Next look across the top of the spread. See how the green graphics frame on the left is lower than the blue graphics frame on the right. Click it with the Selection tool. You won’t be able to select it since this item is on a master spread. Navigate to the A-3-column Layout master by double clicking it in the Pages panel. Now you can select the green box. Pull the center handle upward to make the box bigger. Stop either at the red bleed guide or slightly past it.

6. Navigate back to page 2 and notice that the green box is now big enough to bleed off the top. Every document page that uses this master page will now bleed correctly without you having to fix each one.

7. Choose File > Save.

Viewing the completed spread

At this point you’re ready to hide guides and frames and see what the completed spread looks like.

1. Choose View > Fit Spread In Window, and hide any panels if necessary.

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   Tip

   To hide all panels, including the Tools panel and Control panel, press Tab. Press Tab again to redisplay all panels. (You can’t do this when you’re working with text using the Type tool.)

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2. Choose View > Screen Mode > Preview to hide the pasteboard and all guides, grids, invisible characters, and frame edges. Preview is the closest onscreen view that best shows how the pages will look when printed and trimmed to size.

   

   You have formatted enough of the 12-page document to see how adding objects to the master pages helps you maintain a consistent design throughout your document.

3. Choose File > Save.

Congratulations! You have finished the lesson.

Exploring on your own

A good way to reinforce the skills you’ve learned in this lesson is to experiment with them. Try some of the following exercises. They’ll give you more practice with InDesign techniques.

1. Create another master page for the document. Base it on the A-3-column Layout master, name it C-4-column Layout, and then modify it so that it contains four columns instead of three. Apply the new master page to any of the document’s full-sized pages that don’t contain objects (1 or 5–8).

2. Not all types of printed materials have a spine like the newsletter example in this lesson. Another common type is a trifold (or six-panel), where there are three panels that fold into the size of one panel. The panel that folds behind the cover must actually be slightly narrower so that the paper will lay flat when the trifold is closed. This example is also a good illustration of using different page sizes within one InDesign file.

   

   A sample file of a trifold is included with this lesson. Open the file named 03_Trifold_Template.indd in the Lesson03 folder, located inside the Lessons folder within the InDesignCIB folder on your hard disk. Click the pages with the Pages tool and notice which ones are narrower. Also examine the Pages panel, which shows three pages next to each other and the page numbering. This is also an example of a document setup where Facing Pages is turned off.

   

3. Try making a master page for the special section in the newsletter. This time, make it an independent master page because the special section will look different. Make the page size 7.5 x 10.5 to match the size of the pages in the special section. Add elements, such as a footer, that might be included. Apply this master page to pages i to iv in the newsletter.

   

   InDesign will display a warning about the master page size. In this case the special section is the same size as the new master, so there really isn’t an issue. Choose Use Master Page Size or Keep Current Page Size.

   

   The following example shows a footer added to the new master page.

   

Review questions

1 What are the advantages of adding objects to master pages?

2 How do you change the page-numbering scheme within a document?

3 How do you select a master page item on a document page?

4 What’s the advantage of basing a new master page on an existing master page?

5 How do you override a master page item?

6 How do you handle items that print to the edge of the paper?

Review answers

1 By adding objects such as guides, footers, and placeholder frames to master pages, you can maintain a consistent layout on the pages to which the master is applied.

2 In the Pages panel, select the page icon where you want new page numbering to begin. Then, choose Numbering & Section Options from the Pages panel flyout menu, or choose Layout > Numbering & Section Options and specify the new page-numbering scheme.

3 Hold down Shift+Ctrl (Windows) or Shift+Command (macOS), and then click the object to override it from the master page and select it. You can then edit, delete, or manipulate the object.

4 By basing a new master page on an existing master page, you create a parent–child relationship between the new master page and the existing one. Any changes you make to the parent master page are automatically applied to the child master.

5 Hold down Shift+Ctrl (Windows) or Shift+Command (macOS), and then click the item you want to change.

6 Items that will print up to the edge of paper must extend past the edge of the page in the file and into the pasteboard area. The bleed guides show the minimum amount they must extend.