Page style

For a simple single-sided document with only one Master Page (Right), and where the dimensions of the background PDF exactly match the page size (which might be A4 here):

1. View🞃Master Pages
   click anywhere on page outside all text frames
2. File🞃Import›File… [bgfilename.pdf]
   ⦿ Import By Reference {probably}
3. Graphics🞃Object Properties…
   verify: Offset From:
   Top [0 cm] Left [0 cm] [Apply]
4. Graphics🞃Runaround Properties…
   verify ⦿ Don't Run Around [Set]
5. Graphics🞃Arrange…›Send to Back
6. View🞃Body Pages
   author at will

Potential problems

• The bgfilename.pdf above is presumed to have exactly the same dimensions as the page. If not you have a couple of options for dealing with that, not detailed here.
• If this is a double-sided document, or has other Master Pages, the graphic needs to be imported to all of them.
• If this is for a full bleed print workflow, the bgfilename.pdf needs to be larger than the FM page, and will need negative Offset.
• If performance is sloggy during authoring, unset View🞃Options…
  ☐ Graphics [Set]
  Turn it back on for rendering.

Hi,

I do not have FrameMaker here on this laptop. So everything from memory.

Go to the master page view.

Insert the PDF not in the header/footer text frames or in the main text frame, but on the white area outside of any text frame. Then position the graphics file, so that it covers the whole page. You can use the object properties to adjust the position. Or use the mouse.

Best regards, Winfried