import a master page on multiple documents

[pierret18811376]

Hello,

I have an Indesign book with 3 chapters.

I would like to create an Indesign document (my template) with a master page containing the page number, and import this template in several Indesign documents in one go.

My goal is that by importing the template, it put automatically the page number to all the selected Indesign documents. How to do this ?

[Peter Spier]

One way would be to add all the documents to an InDesign Book (.indb file) and use the synchronize feature to add the Parent page to all docs in which it is missing or defined differently.

I would be very careful about syncronizing anything else, however, if the docuemtns are not intended to always be used together. You can accidentally wind up with new style definitions and incorrect page numbering very easily.

[pierret18811376]

In fact, I would like to create an empty Indesign document (template) where I set the page number.

Then I would like to import the format (page numbering only) of my template inside the 3 chapters of my book in one go. Is it possible ?

[Peter Spier]

I'm not entirely clear on what you have now, but it seems to me you could just add that page numbering to the Parent page  (or format a style for the page numbering if there is already numbering in place) in one of your current chapters and synch them without having to create a new template file.

You can, of course, create a template with whatever styles and elements you'd like, but you'll have to create a new .indd file from it (preuming you actually save a template (.indt) file to include in any Book. As a matter of infromation, the only difference between a .indd and a .indt file is the last letter of the extension, whicbn triggers the default opening behavior. .inidd opens as original by default, .indt as a copy. Cnging the xtension on an existing file changes the behavior.

[pierret18811376]

Ok. You advise me to use synchronization between the chapters of my book.

In that case, I would like to set page numbering on chapter 1 (at the top of each page), and synchronize in order to have automatically the page numbering applied inside chapter 2 and 3 (at the top of each page). How to do it ?

[Peter Spier]

If each of your files uses a Parent/Master page with the same name for the page you want to number, add the number to that parent /Master in any one of your files. Add all the chapter files to a .indb Book file if you haven't already. Select the modified document file as the source and sychronize the Parent/Master pages.

To have the numbering continue from chapter to chapter you set the numbering options in the Book Page Numbering Options from the Book Panel flyout menu.

[Barb Binder]

Salut, Pierre!

Did FrameMaker's lack of automatic drop caps send you running to InDesign? LOL

FrameMaker has File > Import > Formats, which allows you to import specific formatting categories from one file to another, or from one file to the selected files in a book. InDesign handles this with the Sync command in the book file. The idea behind it is the same — you can standardize the formatting across all of the documents in a book. It has the same hazards that FrameMaker has, in that you can inadvertently overwrite formatting that was intentionally different. When you are ready to sync, my best tip is use Sync Options and not Sync Book so that you can choose exactly what you want to sync (equivalent to Fm's check marks.)

I would take a similar approach in InDesign to the layout that you were doing FrameMaker. Create a new document and set it up as completely as possible. Set up the parent pages (master pages in Fm) with the running heads, page numbers, and page structure. On the body pages, add sample text so that you can define your paragraph and character styles, and decide how you want to handle tables and graphics. Focus on one chapter until you get it perfect.

InDesign is different in that it has an actual template format. So once you get the file set up you can delete the content and then save the shell as an InDesign template (.indt file). In both applications, it's ideal to get the formatting right while you're still working on the template so that you can use that template as a basis for each of your new documents and not think about it again. However, we are humans who make mistakes/change our minds, so in both applications, you can correct mistakes after the files are set up using Import Formats or Sync Options to copy the updates to the other files in the book.

As for the actual page numbering, ignore it in the chapter files (as I recommend in FrameMaker). Once you add your chapters to the Book window, you define the numbering with Book Page Numbering Options. All of the book commands are in the Book panel menu.

~Barb

[pierret18811376]

Salut Barbara, from Rocky Mountain country !

I admit it : I love InDesign drop cap !

And thank you for the very interesting comparison between FrameMaker and InDesign.

Both softwares seem to be very close.

[Barb Binder]

H Pierre:

They are, but they also have some fundamental differences. I'm happy to help if you have any questions about how one is different from the other, or where the comparable feature is located. 

~Barb