My master page has one text frame with 2 columns but when I run in text it makes two text frames

[Noyster2]

Hail, all powerful hive mind!

My master page has one text frame with 2 columns but when I run in text it makes two text frames on top of the master frame and the added pages also have two text frames. This is inconvenient because I want to use span columns.

By selecting the text frame with two columns using a variety of  SHIFT, OPT, COMM variations I was able to make this work for the first article, but I can't seem to replicate this for the second article.  

What I want (note, one text frame, two columns)

 Shift click gave me this (two separate text frames)

[Willi Adelberger]

You set up the master/parent with 2 colums. When you place text it is ignoring this 2 column text frame if it is not a primary text frame. Change the layout of the master to a single column layout.

[Noyster2]

Thanks Willi, and sorry for dating myself for using the depreciated term, Master page.

This is how I have the parent page set up now: one text frame with 2 columns.

If I change it to one text frame with one column, the same thing happens

 

[Willi Adelberger]

No, you have still 2 colums on the master/parent, do you see the 2 violett guides in the middst?

1. Go to the master/parent
2. Layout > Matgin & Columns …
3. Set to 1 column,

Now use an object style with 2 colums to get columns and can use the span function.

[Noyster2 · Accepted solution]

I actually just figured out how to make it work with the set up I have. Click the out port of the text you want to run and hover over the upper left corner of the unselected text frame you want to run into. After a second a icon appears that looks like multiple lines of text within parentheses. Clicking with that icon will run the text into two columns in a single text frame.

Thanks so much for your input. When I have a few spare minutes I will look into your solutions.

Happy designing!