InDesign text autoflow

[steelycal09]

In older versions of InDesign I could place a Word doc on the first page and then hold down shift as I clicked on the next page and the text would autoflow and create as many pages as needed. InDesign 2020 doesn't seem to do this.

[jmlevy]

Nothing has changed about this. I just tested it again just now and it perfectly works. BTW, it is better to hold the shift key when you begin to import the text on the first page: the text will directly autoflow.

[Derek Cross]

Ensure you have Smart Text Reflow ticked, under the Type tab, in InDesign preferences.

[jmlevy]

Hi Derek, it works even if the preference is unticked.

[rob day]

Are you placing the Word doc into a Master’s Primary Text frames, a Master’s threaded text flow (not Primary Text Frames), or are you not using masters and flowing the Word doc to the page margins?

[steelycal09]

I'm thinking it might have something to do with the master pages text boxes, although I tried it with and without them witth no sucess. I'll experiment some more, thanks for all the suggestions.

[rob day]

If you want the main text flow to be attached to a master, the master page threaded frames should normally be Primary.

A Primary frame’s icon

Primary text frames are automatically overridden on the pages when you set the document up with Primary Text Frame checked, so all you have to do is select, or click inside of the first page’s Primary frame–if you click outside the text will get placed on the page and not in the master’s Primary textflow.

To get the placed text in a primary text frame to auto flow you will need Smart Text Reflow checked as Derek suggests

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Here are two quick autoflow demos for you to take a look at—in both cases, page 2 is added automatically.

1.) No primary frames. Shift+click to autoflow the Word doc. Watch for the solid curved line cursor.

2.) Primary frames in place. Simply click to autoflow the Word doc.

Please take a look at these two workflows, and let us know what exactly you are doing.

~Barb

[steelycal09]

I’ve been using InDesign since it supplanted PageMaker some 20 years ago and I’ve never noticed a primary text frame, but that solved the problem. Thanks, all.