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ROBGAU
Known Participant
Dec 16, 2025 7:38 AM UTC
Answered

idea of master-pages and layers?

hi, 

i have very much years of 3d,  PS, AE and AI experience but i´m quite new to indesign and i have a question belonging layers and master pages.

 

i dont understand what the idea is to have more masterpages, and why only one layerwindow for x masterpages?

...what logic is behind the fact that i cant see on which masterlayer the layers are drawn?

 

can anyone explain me that in 1 or 2 sentences please.

 

many thanks for help!

thomes

Mike Witherell
Mike WitherellCorrect answer
Community Expert
Dec 16, 2025 4:27 PM UTC

Layers are the same for all pages and parent pages. You cannot have layers that only show up in a specific parent page.

Layers will often be for simple organization: A text layer, a graphics layer, maybe a background layer, maybe a guides layer, maybe a header or footer or parent page objects layer. Some use layers for language-specific text.

Mike Witherell
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8 replies

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Mike WitherellCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
Dec 16, 2025 4:27 PM UTC

Layers are the same for all pages and parent pages. You cannot have layers that only show up in a specific parent page.

Layers will often be for simple organization: A text layer, a graphics layer, maybe a background layer, maybe a guides layer, maybe a header or footer or parent page objects layer. Some use layers for language-specific text.

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Mike Witherell
Bill Silbert
Community Expert
Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
Community Expert
Dec 16, 2025 10:31 AM UTC

It sounds like you're unsure of exactly what a Master (now known as Parent) page is exactly. The following link defines their use: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/parent-pages.html.

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    ROBGAUAuthor
    Known Participant
    Dec 16, 2025 1:27 PM UTC

    thanks willi and bill,

    i think i got it in rough terms.

     

    ...nevertheless i have to get in love with the idea that i have for example 4 layers... layer 1 has content in a.parent, layer 2 has content in b-parent,  layer 3 that has maybe mixed content in a-parent and b-parent and further layer 4 has content only in page 1.   for me that looks veeery chaotic if i have multiple parent and pages sites with lots of content... 

     

    all the best, health first

     

     
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    Bill Silbert
    Community Expert
    Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    Dec 16, 2025 2:38 PM UTC

    The real key to Parent pages is that they are there to establish the basic layout for pages and/or sections of a document. This would also include any headers or footers that don't change from page to page. The actual content of the pages is intended to be added on the actual document pages. Otherwise you would be looking at a new Parent page for every page of the document. 

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    Willi Adelberger
    Community Expert
    Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    Dec 16, 2025 10:06 AM UTC
    1. Layers are document wide. There is no layer for only one specific page or master. Ma,e them alway the same in every document with the same order, like: Background, Graphics, Images, Captions, Text, Overlys, Running Header, Pagina, etc. To keep the same order helps to keep objects in the same order if you copy and paste from one documne to another one. (You can turn on in the layer panel menu paste remembers layers.
    2. You have different kinds of pages in each publication. It is a good practice not to overwride item from the master on the pages, but create a new master and override there the items and apply this master to the pages.
    3. You can create masters based on another master. E.g. when I make a book,
      •  I create the basic master with the margins, without anything else and call it [Basic]
      •  I create a second maseter based on [Basic], add page numbers and name it [Numbered]
      • I create nother master [chapter] based on [Numbered] with different margins on top for 1st page of a chapter
      • I create another on [Numbered] with running headers and footers [content].
      • etc.

    If I change the master of another masteer its children will change the same way.

    I never leave the name of any master with their generic names, like A, B, C to avoid conflicts. Often pages ary copied from other documents and their masters are also imported. I have seen documents with many Master A, and this is confusing.

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      ROBGAUAuthor
      Known Participant
      Dec 16, 2025 10:15 AM UTC

      thanks willi, 

      i will read that some times to get that fully in my head. it is always most importand to understand how a special programm thinks...and this for me is a new playing field.

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