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Dominique_R2
Dominique_R2
Known Participant
August 10, 2026
Answered

Dotted text frames, cannot type in them

  • August 10, 2026
  • 5 replies
  • 68 views

Hello everyone,

On a two-page spread, I have drawn text frames, two per page. As I want to use this layout for most of my pages, I have copied the spread in the Parent Pages part of the Pages panel, thus creating a new spread of Parent Pages.

Then I inserted two new pages based on that recent new spread, but the new pages in question show my four text frames with dotted lines only, and I cannot click into them to start typing text.

When I go back to their Parent Pages, the text frames are dotted lines as well, but the borders of the text frames become solid/normal when I hover over them with the black arrow, I can select them and type in them. In the regular pages based on those Parent Pages, I cannot select them, they remain just dotted.

I must have done something wrong… Advice will be very much appreciated, thanks in advance.

    Correct answer Dave Creamer of IDEAS

    Items on parent pages are locked by default to prevent movement or editing. 

    You can either Cmd/Cntl-Shift-click on each item to unlock it

    OR

    You can select all the desired pages in the Pages panel and right-click on one of the pages. Select “Override All Parent Page Items”. 

    Tip: if there are some parent page items you want to override and some you don’t, put them on separate layers. For example, Parents-locked and Parents-Override. Lock the appropriate layer and even the override options won’t affect those items. 

    (If this doesn’t make sense, let me know and I’ll go into more detail.)

     

    5 replies

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 11, 2026

    Use file>place and browse to the source text files to get the text into those parent text frames or use David’s method and override the frames. 

    Dominique_R2
    Dominique_R2Author
    Known Participant
    August 11, 2026

    Thanks Bob. I think David’s method is better as I will not be placing text very often. I type the book directly in InDesign, only some text will be imported from Word.

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 11, 2026

    Even using David’s method has benefits. When you override parent items, they are still tied to the parent page so if you need to make adjustments, you can. This will remain as long as you don’t make any changes to the frame as far as size or position on the active page.

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 10, 2026

    Items on parent pages are locked by default to prevent movement or editing. 

    You can either Cmd/Cntl-Shift-click on each item to unlock it

    OR

    You can select all the desired pages in the Pages panel and right-click on one of the pages. Select “Override All Parent Page Items”. 

    Tip: if there are some parent page items you want to override and some you don’t, put them on separate layers. For example, Parents-locked and Parents-Override. Lock the appropriate layer and even the override options won’t affect those items. 

    (If this doesn’t make sense, let me know and I’ll go into more detail.)

     

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
      Dominique_R2
      Dominique_R2Author
      Known Participant
      August 11, 2026

      Yes of course I knew that… but apparently I needed someone to remind me, so thank you! ;o)

      Considering the need to unlock or override on each page, would you rather go the way I’m going now and have the text frames on the parent page, or leave the parent page blank of such text frames and draw them one after another on each new actual page in the book? Bearing in mind that the book will be around 300 pages long, with lots of photographs and not so much text.

      Many thanks in advance for your advice.

      Dominique

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