Table of Contents style for starting in next column

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
July 20, 2023
3 replies
390 views

I have a Table of Contents for a volume that has several chapters in it. I would like to force a column break before each line with TOC H1 Entry paragraph style except for the first.

I tried modifying the TOC H1 Entry paragraph style by setting Keep Options > Start Paragraph > In Next Column which was a total failure, even though I set the other TOC H2, H3 and H4 styles based on the TOC H1 Entry to start anywhere. It worked, sort of; the chapters all started at the top of a column, but the first page (two columns) was totally blank.

I suspected this is because the Title at the top of the first page confused InDesign into thinking that no chapter could start after the Title. I did eliminate the Title (left the box blank) and left it at [no parragraph style]. I then manually shortened the text frame of the first of the Contents pages, and added a text box at the top that says "Contents."

To make it more elegant, I used two columns for each page's text frame and turned on Balance Columns for those text frames.

It seems inelegant, but I figured I would post it for other to see and ponder. Maybe there's a more elegant solution.

Type

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Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

I see 2 possible solutions:

Break the frame in 2 linked frames and the style before the first h1 entry has a huge space after to force the start in the next frame or
Work with keep before with h2f entries.

keithconoverAuthor

Inspiring

James, Scott, Willi, thanks for your comments. Here is what I came up with. Note that the Contents and text about clickable links is in a separate text frame. First page:

Second page:

What would be even better would be if I could have the chapter title centered at the top, which I guess I could do manually with a text box just like the first page. But inserting the title of the chapter below the "CONTENTS" in the first box, or maybe just getting rid of "CONTENTS" as it's pretty clear this is a Table of Contents. In fact, now that I mention it, I'm going to do this for each of the chapters.

I should say that I have multiple chapters in a single volume/single PDF as I have so many clickable crosslinks between the chapters in this (and each of the other) volumes. Doesn't work with separate PDFs unless users put them in the same folder, and even then there are issues…

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

I have always found it easier to manually place and format a "Contents" head. The automated feature is convenient, at simple/report level, but far too often complicates the overall layout issues.

Scott Falkner

Community Expert

I suspect James is right (there’s a first time for everything), and you can’t fully automate this. But a screen capture of a simulated finished TOC would help.

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

There are some things with TOC generation that can't quite be automated. I have a couple of books where a new TOC has to be touched up with the application of some alternate styles to get (in one case) the after-material to break to the second TOC frame. That may be a simpler solution than elaborately rigging the automated feature.

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