Monthly Layouts combining with Static Designs

[leo_5106]

I'm currently managing a document with 13 master page layouts:

• 12 tailored for each month.
• 1 for a non-specific month.

Additionally, I have static designs for daily, weekly, and monthly views. Here are the issues I'm facing:

1. Reducing Master Page Count and document weight: I'm trying to avoid creating 12 variations for each of the 3 types (daily, weekly, monthly), which would result in 36+ master pages.

2. Efficient Design Updates: I need a way to update one static layout and have those changes automatically reflected across all similar layouts.

3. Layer Management: I considered using layers within each monthly layout to switch between daily, weekly, and monthly views. However, toggling a layer on or off affects the whole document, not only the page I am working on.

I'm looking for advice or techniques to manage this efficiently. Are there InDesign features like nested master pages, conditional text, or perhaps scripting solutions that could help? Or any other method to control visibility of layout elements without affecting all instances?

Any insights or alternative approaches would be immensely helpful.

Thank you!

[Mike Witherell]

"Are there InDesign features like nested master pages"

Yes, you can make super-parent-pages for parent pages if you want. 

Pages panel menu button > Parent Options for "such and such parent"

Look for the "Based on parent..."

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Masters - you can base one on another - but you probably won't lower the total number. 36 isn't a big number. 

Layers - yes, they are global for the document.

Yes, there are text variables and alternate layout.

Scripting - anything is possible - but you need to provide more information - especially what would be the differences between layouts - maybe those 36+ masters will be enough.

[Mike Witherell]

An editing help here might be Edit > Place and Link.

If you have used this in the parent or any other page, editing the first one will update down through any number of other linked places.

[leo_5106]

My design is highly specific and tailored to a unique style. The menu changes based on the month, and it’s not just text—it incorporates graphical elements on both the left and right sides. This dynamic layout ensures each month has a distinct visual identity, aligning with the overall theme.