Creating and Applying Master Pages | Adobe InDesign CS3 Bible

Before the arrival of personal computers, publications were created by graphic designers who leaned over light tables and ‚ armed with matte knives and waxing machines ‚ stuck galleys of type, halftones , and plastic overlays onto paste-up boards. The paste-up boards were usually oversized sheets of white card paper on which was printed a grid of light blue lines. The blue guidelines indicated such things as the edge of the final, trimmed page, the margins in which text and pictures were placed, column boundaries, and so on. These guidelines helped the designer position elements on a page and also helped ensure consistent placement of repeating page elements, such as page numbers .

Although there are no paste-up boards in the electronic publishing world, the concept has survived in the form of master pages. A master page is a nonprinting page that you can use as the background (that is, as the starting point) for document pages. Typically, master pages contain text and graphic elements that appear on all pages of a publication, such as page numbers, headers, footers, folios, and so on. And like their paste-up board ancestors , master pages also include guidelines that indicate page edges, column boundaries, and margins, as well as other manually created guidelines to aid page designers in placing objects. By placing items on master pages, you save yourself the repetitive work of placing the same items one by one on each and every document page.

By default, every InDesign document you create contains a master page. Whether you use the master page or create and use additional master pages depends on the kind of publication you're creating. If it's a single-page document, such as a business card, or an advertisement, you don't need to worry about master pages at all. ( Generally , master pages are of little use for one-page documents.) However, if you're creating a multipage document like a newsletter, a book, or a catalog, using master pages will save you time and help ensure design consistency. It's impossible to overstate the importance of master pages. They're one of InDesign's most powerful features.

The Pages pane

When you work on multipage documents, you'll probably want to display the Pages pane (Window ‚ Pages or F12), shown in Figure 7-1. The Pages pane displays an icon-based view of document pages (bottom) and master pages (top) in the current document. The controls in the Pages pane and its accompanying pop-up menu let you perform several master page ‚ related tasks , including creating and deleting master pages, applying master pages to document pages, and creating master pages out of document pages. The Pages pane also lets you add and remove document pages.

Figure 7-1: The Pages pane. The document page icons at the bottom of the pane show that the publication has eight pages. The master-page icons at the top show the default masters: None and A-Master.

Cross-Reference ‚

See Chapter 5 for more information about adding and removing document pages.

Here's a quick rundown of the controls available in the Pages pane and the commands in its pop-up menu:

The page icons at the top of the pane represent master pages. Every document includes a master page called [None], which includes only margin guidelines, and A-Master, which reflects the margin and column settings you specified in the New Document dialog box when you created the document. If a letter is displayed on a master page icon, it indicates that the master spread is based on another (parent) master page; for example, if you have a master page named C-Master and the icons for C-Master have the letter A, then C-Master is based on A-Master. A master page's name is displayed below its icon. If a master page and its name are highlighted, it means that master page is displayed in the document window. If a master page name is displayed in reverse type, it's currently displayed in the document window.
The page icons at the bottom of the pane represent document pages. Dog-eared icons represent left and right pages in a facing -page document. The letter displayed on a page icon indicates the master page it's based on. (If no letter is displayed, the page is based on the blank master page.) The numbers below the page icons indicate the page numbers, including section numbering, if any (sections are covered in Chapter 5). If a page and its number are highlighted, it means that page is currently displayed in the document window. If a page number is displayed in reverse type (that is, white characters on a black background), it means that it's currently displayed in the document window.
The Create New Page button (notepad icon) at the bottom of the pane lets you add a new page with a mouse click.
The Delete Selected Pages button (trash can icon) lets you delete document and master pages.
The Insert Pages palette menu command lets you add pages to a document and specify the master page on which they're based.
The New Master palette menu command lets you add a new master page.
The Duplicate Spread and Duplicate Page palette menu commands do exactly what the names say. They let you duplicate a page or a facing-page spread. The name of the command depends on whether a page or spread is highlighted in the pane.
The Delete Page, Delete Spread, Delete Master Page, and Delete Master Spread palette menu commands let you delete single pages and facing-page spreads (both document pages and master pages). Again, the menu name will change based on what is selected in the pane.
The Select Unused Masters palette menu command selects all unused master pages and spreads, so you can easily identify and perhaps delete them.
The Master Options palette menu command is used for changing master-page attributes, including name and parent master page (if you want to base a master page on another master page).
The Apply Master to Pages palette menu command is used for applying a master-page layout to one or more document pages.
The Save As Master palette menu command lets you convert a document page into a master page.
The Override All Master Page Items palette menu command lets you have any local changes to the selected pages override the master-page settings. This command moves all master items to the document page on the selected pages.

New Feature ‚
The Override All Master Pages function is new to InDesign CS.
The Remove All Local Overrides and the Remove Selected Local Overrides palette menu commands returns master objects that you've modified on specific document pages to their original condition. If no object is selected, the menu command is Remove All Local Overrides; if one or more objects are selected, the menu command is Remove Selected Local Overrides .
The Detach Selection from Master palette menu command removes any master page items that had been modified on the selected pages from the master page for those selected document pages only. Essentially , this command prevents you from using the Remove All Local Overrides or Remove Selected Local Overrides commands for these document pages, permanently changing the master pages for them.
The Keep Spread Together palette menu command ensures that the pages will not be split apart as you add pages. Normally, adding a single page shuffles all subsequent pages so they form new spreads. With this command, existing spreads are maintained , so adding an odd number of pages will not cause them to be reshuffled.
The Palette Options palette menu command controls icon size , position, and other Pages pane display settings.
The Numbering & Section Options palette menu command lets you establish independently numbered sections in a single document. For example, you could create a section if you wanted to use a different numbering scheme (Roman numerals, perhaps) for the front matter of a book than for the body. (See Chapter 5 for more information about sections.)
The Spread Flattening palette menu command lets you control image flattening for specific spreads. Flattening is InDesign's term for reducing the resolution of graphics to save disk space and speed output time. Typically, you'd flatten images for Web-oriented documents, since the Web displays images at the relatively low resolution of 72 dpi. You might also flatten high-resolution graphics when printing a draft version, to speed up printing.

Cross-Reference ‚
Chapter 31 covers flattening in more detail.

Creating a new master page

If all the pages in the publication you're creating share essentially the same page design, you don't need to create a new master page. Instead, you can simply use the default master page called A-Master that every document has. But if you intend to use more than one page layout in your document ‚ maybe you're building a magazine and you want some pages to use a three-column format and others to use a two-column format ‚ you'll need to create additional master pages.

Before you create a new master page, you should have a general idea of how you want it to look. In particular, you should know where you want to place margins, column boundaries, and repeating elements, such as page numbers. (Laying out master pages is covered later in this section.) When you're ready to create a new master page, here's what you do:

If the Pages pane is not displayed, choose Windows ‚ Pages or press F12.
From the Pages pane's palette menu, choose New Master.

You can also press Option+ z or Ctrl+Alt and click the Create New Page button at the bottom of the pane. The New Master dialog box, shown in Figure 7-2, is displayed.

Figure 7-2: The New Master dialog box.
In the Prefix field, specify a one-character prefix that's attached to the front of the master page name and displayed on associated document page icons in the Pages pane.

The default will be a letter, such as B, C, or D.
In the Name field, enter a name for the master page.

Use something descriptive, like "3-column Layout," "Front Matter Layout," or "Chapter Title Pages."
If you want to base the master page on another master page you've already created, choose the parent master page from the Based on Master pop-up menu.

Basing a master page on another master page is covered in more detail later in this section.
In the Number of Pages field, enter the number of pages you want to include in the master spread.

Typically, you'll enter 2 for a facing-page document and 1 for a single-page document.
After you've finished specifying the attributes of the new master page, click OK to close the dialog box.

After you create a new master page, it's displayed in the document window. (When a master page is displayed, its name is displayed in the Page Number field in the bottom-left corner of the document window.) You can modify any of a master page's attributes at any time by clicking on its icon at the top of the Pages pane, choosing Master Options from the pane's palette menu, and then changing any of the settings in the Master Options dialog box, which is identical to the New Master dialog box.

Basing a master page on another master page

If you find that a particular publication requires more than one master page, you may want to first lay out a base master page (you could use the default A-Master) and then create additional master pages that share the same basic layout but are slightly different. For example, if the magazine you're working on uses two-, three-, and four-column page layouts, you could create the two-column master spread first and include all repeating page elements. You could then create two additional master page spreads, base them on the two-column master, and specify different column formats. The two "children" masters would be identical to the parent except for the number of columns . If you subsequently decide to modify, move, or delete a repeating page element, such as the issue date in the folio, you could make the change on the parent master and it will automatically be applied to the children masters.

When you create a new master page, the New Master dialog box provides the option to base it on an existing master page. You can also choose or change a master spread's parent by:

Choosing Master Options in the Pages pane's palette menu and then choosing a master page from the Based on Master pop-up menu.
Dragging and dropping the icon of a master spread (the parent) onto the icon of another master spread (the child). Be careful if you use this method. It's possible to base only one page of a master spread on another, but in most cases you'll want to base both pages of the child master on both pages of the parent master. To do so, make sure that when you release the mouse button both pages of the child are highlighted.
Clicking on the master spread you want to be the child, then pressing Option or Alt and clicking on the master spread you want to be the parent.

When you base a master page on another master page, the prefix of the parent is displayed on the page icon of the child.

Tip ‚

If you base a master spread on another master spread, you can still modify the master objects (that is, the objects inherited from the parent master) on the child master page. As with regular document pages, you have to Shift+ z +click or Ctrl+Shift+click on the object inherited from a parent master to release it before you can edit it on a child master.

QuarkXPress User ‚

QuarkXPress cannot base a master page on another, so InDesign users who are used to QuarkXPress may ignore this feature. But they shouldn't ‚ it has the same power that based-on formatting provides style sheets in QuarkXPress and InDesign.

Creating a master spread from a document spread

Generally, if you need a new master spread, you'll begin by choosing New Master from the Pages pane's palette menu. But you can also create a master spread from a spread of document pages. To do so, highlight the spread of document pages by clicking on the page numbers below the page icons in the Pages pane, then choose Save as Master from the Pages pane's palette menu. The new master is assigned a default name and prefix. If you want to modify any of its attributes, click on its name in the Pages pane, then choose Master Options from the pop-up menu.

Duplicating a master

You can create a copy of a master spread by clicking on its icon and then choosing Duplicate Master Spread from the Pages pane's palette menu or by clicking on its icon, dragging it onto the Create new page button, and releasing the mouse. If you duplicate a master spread, there is not a parent/child relationship between the original master and the copy (as there is when you base a master on another master).

Deleting a master

To delete a master page, click on its name and then choose Delete Master Page from the Pages pane's palette menu. You can also click on the master icon, then click the Trash icon in the Pages pane or drag the icon directly to the Trash.

Laying out a master page

Because a master page is similar to a document page, you can use the same approach for building both master and document pages. Some designers prefer to do a preliminary sketch on paper and then re-create the design in InDesign. You may like to do your creative brainstorming at your computer, in which case you can use InDesign as your sketchpad. The main difference between document pages and master pages is that master pages don't contain any content (other than elements that appear on every page). So, when you're building a master page, you should be thinking more about the page's overall infrastructure than about details.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing master pages:

If you're working on a facing-page document (most multipage publications have facing-pages), you'll create facing-page master spreads. The left-hand page (used for even-numbered document pages) and right-hand page (used for odd-numbered document pages) of the master spreads you create will be ‚ more or less ‚ mirror opposites of each other. For example, page numbers are generally placed near the outside edge of facing pages so that they're visible when a reader thumbs through the pages. Or you may decide to place the publication name on one side of a spread and balance it by placing the date of publication in the same position on the other side.
If you want to automatically place page numbers on document pages, you should add a page number character on each page of your master spreads. To add a page number character, draw a text frame with the Type tool, then choose Type ‚ Insert Special Character ‚ Auto Page Number or press Option+ z +N or Ctrl+Alt+N. The prefix of the master page (A, B, C, and so on) is displayed on the master page, but on document pages, the actual page number is used. When you add a page number to a master page, make sure to format it as you want the actual page numbers to look on document pages.

Perhaps the most important elements of a master page are the margins and column guides. To specify margins and columns for a master page, make sure the page is displayed in the document window, then choose Layout ‚ Margins and Columns. The Margins and Columns dialog box, shown in Figure 7-3, is displayed. The controls in this dialog box let you specify the position of the margins, the number of columns, and the gutter width (space between columns).

Figure 7-3: The Margins and Columns dialog box.

Tip ‚

When placing text elements on master pages, you may want to use placeholder text instead of actual text. For example, if you produce a monthly magazine and you want to include the name of the month on each spread (perhaps opposite the name of the newsletter on the facing page), you could use placeholder text like "[Name of month]" or "[Add month here]." If you use placeholder text, format it as you want the actual text to look on document pages. Of course, be sure to replace the placeholder text with the actual text in your final document.

If you want to place additional guidelines on a master page, you can add as many custom guidelines as you want. (Guidelines are covered later in this chapter.)
Like objects on document pages, the objects you place on master pages have a stacking order. On document pages, all master objects remain beneath any objects you add to the page.

Figure 7-4 shows a typical master page spread for a newsletter. Whenever you want to make a change to a master page, double-click on its icon in the Pages pane to display it in the document window.

Figure 7-4: A typical three-column master layout for a newsletter. The footer at the bottom of the left- and right-hand pages includes a page-number character (B) on the outside.

Tip ‚

To copy a master page from one document to another, display the source document, click on the master's name in the Pages pane, drag it to the window of the target document, and then release the mouse button.

QuarkXPress User ‚

The ability to move master pages from one document to another, or even from one layout to another in a QuarkXPress 6 project, does not exist in QuarkXPress. So QuarkXPress users may be in the habit of using libraries to transfer master-page items from one document to another. In InDesign, you don't need to take this circuitous route.

Applying a master page to document pages

After you've built a master page, you can apply it to new document pages as you add them or to existing pages. (See Chapter 5 for information about adding and removing document pages.) For facing-page documents, you can apply both pages of a master spread to both pages of a document spread, or you can apply one page of a master spread to one page of a document spread. For example, you could apply a master page with a two-column format to the left-hand page of a document spread and apply a master page with a three-column format to the right-hand page.

To apply only one page of a master spread to a document page, click on the icon of the master spread and then drag it onto the icon of the document page you want to format. When the target document page is highlighted (framed in a black rectangle, as shown in the left side of Figure 7-5), release the mouse button. If both document pages are highlighted, both sides of the master spread are applied to the document spread.

Figure 7-5: Left: Applying a single page of a master spread to a document page. Right: Applying both pages of a master spread to a document spread.

To apply both pages of a master spread to both pages of a document spread, drag the master spread's icon onto the document spread's page numbers (under its page icon). When both pages of the target document spread are highlighted, as shown in the right side of Figure 7-5, release the mouse button.

InDesign also lets you apply a master page to multiple document pages in a single operation. You can

Select the document pages to which you want to apply a master. You can click on a page then Shift+click on another page to select a range of pages, or you can hold down the z or Ctrl keys and click on pages to select nonconsecutive pages. After you've selected the document pages, press Option or Alt and click on the master page you want to apply.
Choose Apply Master to Pages from the Pages pane's palette menu. The Apply Master dialog box, shown in Figure 7-6, is displayed. Choose the master page you want to apply from the Apply Master pop-up menu and specify the pages to which you want to apply it in the To Pages field. Use commas to separate page numbers; use a hyphen to specify a range of pages. For example, you could enter 2, 4-6, 8 to apply the selected master to pages 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8.

Figure 7-6: The Apply Master dialog box.

You can also use these techniques to apply a different master page to a document page. If you want to disassociate a document page from its applied master page, you can apply the default None master page the same way you apply any other master page.

Modifying master items on document pages

As you work on a document page that's based on a master, you may find that you need to modify, move, or delete a master object. For example, you might apply a master to the first page of a newsletter and then decide that the page number you've placed on the master page isn't necessary for page 1. In this case, you'd select the master object on the document page and delete it. Any change you make to a master object on a local page is referred to as a local override.

If you remove a master object from a document page, you sever the object's relationship to the master-page object for that document page only. If you subsequently move or modify the object on the master page, it won't affect the deleted object on the document page ‚ it remains deleted on that particular document page.

However, you can modify a master object on a document page without completely breaking its relationship to the corresponding object on the master page. For example, if you change the size, position, or content of a master object on a document page, any subsequent size, position, or content change you make to the object on the master page does not affect the object you modified. But any changes you make to the stroke or fill of the object on the master page are applied to the overridden master object on the document page. Similarly, if you use any of the transformation tools or the corresponding controls in the Transform pane to modify a master object on a document page, any similar transformations applied to the corresponding object on the master page are not applied to the overridden object.

In other words, any type of attribute applied to the item on a particular document page prevents any changes to the same attribute on the master page from affecting that document page.

Tip ‚

The Display Master Items command (View ‚ Display Master Items) lets you show or hide master objects on document pages. When a checkmark is displayed next to the name of the command, master objects are displayed.

To modify a master object on a document page, you must select it. However, master objects behave slightly differently than other objects on document pages. Specifically, to select a master object on a document page, you must hold down Shift+ z or Ctrl+Shift when you click on the object with one of the selection tools. After you select a master object on a document page, you can modify it in the same manner as you modify non-master objects.

If you modify one or more master objects on a document page and then decide you want to revert back to using the original master objects, you can remove the local overrides. To do so, display the document page that contains the master objects you've modified, select the objects, and then choose Remove Selected Local Overrides from the Pages pane's palette menu. If no objects are selected, the command name changes to Remove All Local Overrides (if the selected spread doesn't have any modified master objects, the command is not available).