Skip to main content
N
Northporter
Inspiring
September 15, 2022
Answered

Text flow is not right

  • September 15, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 464 views

I changed the order of three pages now the text flows to the original pages instead of to the replacement page. How do I get the text to flow correctly?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer James Gifford—NitroPress
I like your thought. This is a 170+ page book that my wife has spent 6-7 years on. If I understand your instructions we need to copy the whole project then move the text. I tremble just thinking af the chances of me messing it up. We have someone coming about a week that is much younger than I and has taken college classes on InDesign. It’s a granddaughter. Our marriage has a much better chance of surviving if she messes it up. I’ll just try to learn something as she straightens this
out. Thanks for the advice though.

Sent from Mail<> for Windows

You don't have to risk the original at all.

 

Create a completely new document with the page size and margins of the original (or, this is the time to tweak them for good print standards — a typical mistake is to make the inside margin too small).

 

Make sure you have Facing Pages and Primary Text Frame checked when you create it.

 

Then open both documents, select/copy the entire flow from the original, and place/paste it in the new one. It should do a smooth new flow all the way to the end. And if you mess it up, just delete the pasted text and try again. The original book will be exactly as you left it. Save it as an archive edition.

 

Among other things, this will let you 'clean up' the new file considerably and get rid of excess baggage that can cause errors or just annoying editing glitches.

 

—

2 replies

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
September 15, 2022

I was going to add a note to Willi's instructions, but here's a complete page on how text pages link and thread — all good, relevant info:

 

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/threading-text.html

 

—

N
NorthporterAuthor
Inspiring
September 16, 2022

It's a bigger problem than it first appeared. We have some very messed up pages. At this point we have double text boxes on some of the affected pages in addition to the text not flowing right. There may be other problems we aren't aware of.  I'm going to contact a person we know for a few hours worth of InDesign lessons. Hopefully, she can point out our errors and straighten things out. Thanks for the help though. It's nice to know people are willing to help.

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
September 16, 2022

Lessons are always good, but here's what might be a simple solution: create a new document with the same page layout. Be sure "Primary Text Frame" is checked when you do the setup.

 

Select all the text from the faulty document (Just Ctrl-A in the text flow, then Ctrl-C to copy it). Put the text cursor in the first text frame of the new document, and Ctrl-V to paste it. Should flow into a near-duplicate of the old doc with all the material in the right order.

 

Might be easier than untangling a mangled doc.

 

—

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 15, 2022

Relink the frames, click on tho out-square bottom right to the should-be-next frame. Sometime click short wth holding the cmmd/ctrl key to select the nect frame.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices