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Participant
January 29, 2020
Answered

convert a single master page into a spread.

  • January 29, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 3282 views

I have a large document that I initially set up as a single page document. Things have changed, so I  used the document setup dialog to turn it into a facing page document. The only problem is that my master pages are still single pages, and I need them to be spreads. Is there a way to change this?

 

Thanks,

Nick

Correct answer Alex34562084pf0c

I think there are answer hinted here, but nobody answered directly. SO, here it is:

  1.  Select the master page (e.g. "A Master")
  2.  right click on the selected master page. select "Master Option for A Master"
  3.  "Number of Pages": set to 2
  4.  Tada!

3 replies

Alex34562084pf0cCorrect answer
Participant
January 3, 2024

I think there are answer hinted here, but nobody answered directly. SO, here it is:

  1.  Select the master page (e.g. "A Master")
  2.  right click on the selected master page. select "Master Option for A Master"
  3.  "Number of Pages": set to 2
  4.  Tada!
Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 3, 2024

In current versions of InDesign, master pages have been renamed parent pages, so a right click in step 2 will show "Master Options for A-Parent" but yes, this is the answer. 

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Legend
January 30, 2020

You can import a facing master page from a document that was started as a facing-page document. Maybe start a new facing-page doc the size of your existing doc, copy the master-page items from your single to the facing doc and save it. Then import the facing master into the single doc with the fly-out of the Pages window (Master Pages>Load Master Pages). If the new doc has the same name for the master page as was in the single doc, you can elect to replace the same-named master in the single with the one from the facing. If you don't want to do that, name the master in the facing to something else.

 

EDIT: Sorry, I was thinking about how Quark does master pages. It's easier if you just edit your master (select the master and go to Master Options) or make a new master and set the number of pages to 2.

Participant
March 26, 2023

I had this exact problem. And your solution worked for what I needed.

Ashutosh_Mishra
Inspiring
January 29, 2020

Hi Nicholas,

 

Thanks for reaching out. I have found a similar discussion on https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/convert-single-page-to-spread/td-p/9767541?page=1 

Please check and let us know if the steps provided here help you out.

 

Regards,

Ashutosh

Participant
January 29, 2020

Hi Ashutosh,

 

Thanks for getting back to me. I have seen that post, but that is about starting a document with a spread, rather than a recto page. This problem is entirely to do with master pages. My master pages show up as single pages, rather than spreads, even though my doc is set up as spreads.

Yours,

 

Nick