Difficulty in Creating a Large File Using Templates and the Book Function

Report · Jun 01, 2023

Hello,

I am currently creating a brand identity for a company, but I'm having some issues with the use of templates.

My document is around 60 pages long, and for practicality reasons, I have created each chapter in a separate InDesign file that I then combine into an INDB file (book).

To make my life easier when creating the different chapters, I have created multiple templates that I synchronize across the chapters. In these templates, certain elements should not be modified, such as page numbers and the current date.

However, some elements are meant to be modified. For example, each page should contain a title and a text block. So, I have integrated text frames in the template at the desired locations, with the correct paragraph style. When creating a new page, I apply my template, then I use CTRL+SHIFT+Left Click to select the different text frames that I need to modify (thus detaching them), and I fill them with my text.

Here are my issues:

1. Since the text frames I modified have been detached from the template, if I want to change their position in the template, the detached frames won't update automatically. Is there a way to modify the text without detaching the text frames from the template?

2. When I synchronize my different chapters in the book, sometimes the template re-applies to all my pages. This results in a second text frame being created below the one I modified. Is there a better way to use templates in this type of document?

I may be using the templates and/or the "book" function incorrectly, but I'm not sure of the best approach to take.

Do you have any methods that could solve these two issues?

Thank you in advance for your time, and I'm available to clarify any points if needed.

Best regards,

FK

Report · Jun 01, 2023

1. If you dont change the location of your overridden frame on the document page it will remain linked for postion to the parent and should move when you edit the parent.

2. This would be expected if you include parent pages in the synch.

Report · Jun 05, 2023

Thank you very much for your answer!

1. Effectively I did not know this functionalitée!

2. Yes, but it doesn't do it all the time... I can sometimes sycronize my documents 5 times without having this problem and then the 6th time the elements are duplicated...