Undesired yet repeating master page elements

Ok, your question makes sense now. I would pivot and take a different approach. Parent pages are so great because they control the repeating elements. Sure, we can override occasionally, but it should be just that—occasionally. And not in a long document where editing forces reflow. 

I see two avenues that will cause initial work, but will solve the issue. 

Working in a single file

Make the opening page artwork a Library item. (Group it, add text wrap and then add it to the library). Then you can place a copy where you need it, anchored it to a paragraph style that is centered and at the top of the page, and as you add remove/content it just reflows? It will remain editable.

Use an InDesign book

If you break the sections/chapters into their own files, and collect them back into a book, the reflow that impacts previous chapters will not impact future chapters. You just update the book numbering and you are good to go. 

~Barb

Create different parent/master pages, starting with the simplest (possibly blank) and working up to the more complex using based on parent pages by adding more objects. (I generally don't use None since it removes the ability to make changes to the parent page later on.)

You can also use layers to control what shows up on parent pages, but that's probably not necessary. 

Hi @Grundoon Groundhog:

So we typically don't want to micromanage the parent page elements. (Master pages have been renamed parent pages.) The general idea here is that you put the repeating elements on the parent pages, and assign the parent pages to the body pages. You can define additional parent pages when you have variations that you want to assign to your body pages. You can also link the new parent pages to the original A-Parent, so that a change to the A-Parent will flow down to the linked parent pages, and then to the linked body pages.

I can't think of a good reason to physically copy parent page elements to the body pages. Instead, I would create a parent page spread for each situation. For example, A-Parent may have the folio and columns defined, and B-Parent (based on A-Parent) may have those two elements, plus the article title in the running head. Then you can assign the correct master page as you add new body pages.

I'm not sure how you are adding body pages, but in the Pages panel, you can simply drag a master page to the body page area to add the new page and assign the master at the same time.

If this is also clear as mud, then it's probably time for some screenshots. Or you can share your file with me by putting it on dropbox and messaging me a link.

~Barb

Hello Barb. Thanks fo your message. I think I didn't explain the problem well. If I add or delete pages, master page items "automatically" appear on succeeding pages, often on top of already extant master items I've pasted in by hand as it were. Oh, perhaps you mean I should select the option key +_none when adding pages? I want to add a page that has a foliio or columns already set, but special pages with say the title of an article are the ones that get the elements repeated. I hope this is clearer than mud.

Best,

Andrew O