Setting up autoflow on master pages

[DavidSweeneyBear]

Hi all, I'm new to Indesign and I'm trying to get to grips with the concept of master pages.

I'm designing a 6x9 trade paperback book which is intended to end up as a collection of short stories.

So I've managed to define a master page and place text boxes containing auto page numbering, that works fine.

What I'm now struggling with is how to define the main text on the page. If I create a text box on a master page, then the "out" of that box wants to be threaded somewhere, but I can't figure out where to thread it to since I just want the text to auto-flow to the next available page in the document, or if there isn't one then to create one.

I've looked at the adobe help and also some tutorials but to be honest they seem to leave me more confused than ever!

Was hoping somebody might be able to explain things simply here.

By the way, I can create a text box and "place" the text on a non-master page, i.e. the first page of my document no problem and the text auto-flows, but then I can't apply any formatting via the master page since there's no "master" text box to make changes to.

I'm usually pretty good at learning new programs and have taught myself Audition, Premier, Photoshop and Illustrator but so far Indesign has me scratching my head a good deal more than the others!

Any help would be much appreciated...

[Migintosh · Accepted solution]

You may or may not need master text frames depending on your design. If you want them, you can create Primary Text Frames on your master pages when you create the document:

…or if you already have a document, you can draw text frames on each of your facing master pages (snap them to your margin guides), and to connect them just click the out port of the left page and click in the center of the right page. There is an icon on the text frame up toward the top left:

The first one is a regular text frame, and the second (with the arrows) is a primary text frame. You can turn either into the other by clicking on the icon with the select tool. Google InDesign Primary Text Frame for more info.

When you're ready to place text, click right into the center of the page of your first document page with your loaded cursor, and your text will flow to the end of the text frame, and if there's more, it will create pages and text frames until it's done. If you need to edit the placement or shape of all of the text frames on your document pages, you can do that by editing the text frames on your master page.

That should get you started, but come back if you need more info.

[DavidSweeneyBear]

Wow, that actually worked! Thanks so much 🙂

[DavidSweeneyBear]

That seemed to work fine with a single master page and with the text starting in the left-hand page of the spread. I now have issues linking two masters, but I've started a new thread since this one is marked correct answer (which it was!) https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/setting-up-a-default-text-flow-using-master-pages/m-p/109166...