Placing a graphic as background in linked text boxes

[Mitchell Kivits]

Using indesign I have a series of linked text boxes. I want to place a eps graphic as a background into the first text box. The graphic is larger then all the text boxes. I want the graphic to appear as the background in all the text boxes and be cropped. Is this possible?

[Derek Cross]

Does the graphic have to be in the EPS format; it's generally considered an obsolete format?

[Mitchell Kivits]

No it can be Illustrator format. 

[Mitchell Kivits]

 @Derek Cross Here the background image is placed behind the text layers but then the white spaces in between the text boxes are visible.

[Peter Spier · Accepted solution]

If I understand correctly, you want the image behind the text, but not in the intervening spaces.

You can do that by creating a grid of frames where you want the image, then use the Pathfinder Palette to combine the frames into a compound shape and finally place your graphic into this shape. The areas of the image outside any of the frame areas will be cropped away.

[J E L]

@Mitchell Kivits Can you get what you want by applying the background graphic with the crop you want to a Master/Parent page, and then apply that Master/Parent to the pages where you want the background to appear?