pieter78
asked on
Adobe InDesign CS: auto-repeat text (like MS Word header)
Hello,
I introduced my background in my other question: I am new to InDesign, and want a text (like the current date or version number) to appear on every page of a magazine. How can I do this, so that I just have to enter the text once and then it will be refreshed in every instance in the document.
(no search and replace, I guess.. normal text should be untouched, just some textboxes that are created for this)
I introduced my background in my other question: I am new to InDesign, and want a text (like the current date or version number) to appear on every page of a magazine. How can I do this, so that I just have to enter the text once and then it will be refreshed in every instance in the document.
(no search and replace, I guess.. normal text should be untouched, just some textboxes that are created for this)
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Hi Pieter,
Yes, it is possible but not in the same way Word does it. To have the same string in all Master pages what you do is create a separate Master only for that purpose. You can apply more than one Master to a page, so if you have a Master (call it Date Header or something like that) with only that text you can apply it to all pages and that will not hinder you from using other Masters on the same pages. On the next magazine all you have to do is double-click on the Date Header Master and change the date. Similarly, you can also have a Master for automatic page numbering. Simply create a new spread Master (this is a two-page Master for left and right pages), call it Page Numbers, and insert in it two Text fields, one for the left page and one for the right one. Choose a font and size for your text and then go to Type>Insert Special Character>Auto Page Number. Done! Neat, huh?
Good Vibes!
Lobo
Yes, it is possible but not in the same way Word does it. To have the same string in all Master pages what you do is create a separate Master only for that purpose. You can apply more than one Master to a page, so if you have a Master (call it Date Header or something like that) with only that text you can apply it to all pages and that will not hinder you from using other Masters on the same pages. On the next magazine all you have to do is double-click on the Date Header Master and change the date. Similarly, you can also have a Master for automatic page numbering. Simply create a new spread Master (this is a two-page Master for left and right pages), call it Page Numbers, and insert in it two Text fields, one for the left page and one for the right one. Choose a font and size for your text and then go to Type>Insert Special Character>Auto Page Number. Done! Neat, huh?
Good Vibes!
Lobo
ASKER
Well, I think my question has been answered, although I still have on problem with the Master method: the text will appear on the outside of the page, so for even numbers this is left, and for odd numbers it is the right side. Can Master-pages handle that?
At this moment, I am just considering to use a normal text field, and change it with Find & Replace (because it will just be a couple of instances in my case). Master pages could be nice for later....
Detail: I notice that my (Dutch) text is sometimes cut off at the end of the line in a rather funny way (which means: not correct). Can I influence this somewhere?
Thx :-)
At this moment, I am just considering to use a normal text field, and change it with Find & Replace (because it will just be a couple of instances in my case). Master pages could be nice for later....
Detail: I notice that my (Dutch) text is sometimes cut off at the end of the line in a rather funny way (which means: not correct). Can I influence this somewhere?
Thx :-)
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Well, sounds logical to me... okay, thanks. I will have a more thorough look in the Preferences pane, so far I haven't really been playing there but it might be interesting to have a closer look. Maybe I could set the language for the whole document, instead of separate for each text block.
I guess this question has been answered as well, perhaps we'll meet again if I encounter some new problems. Must say I am rather impressed with InDesign, for basic use I found it easy to learn, whereas it offers a lot of "under the surface" options. And after discovering the help section about keyboard shortcuts, it even went better.
(just have to look whether there is a keyboard shortcut for increasing / decreasing the text size like Ctrl + [ (or ]) in MS Word. Might have been in there, perhaps I just overlooked... C u !!
I guess this question has been answered as well, perhaps we'll meet again if I encounter some new problems. Must say I am rather impressed with InDesign, for basic use I found it easy to learn, whereas it offers a lot of "under the surface" options. And after discovering the help section about keyboard shortcuts, it even went better.
(just have to look whether there is a keyboard shortcut for increasing / decreasing the text size like Ctrl + [ (or ]) in MS Word. Might have been in there, perhaps I just overlooked... C u !!
Hi Pieter,
Thanks for the points. Yes, InDesign is a very powerful program; the best page layout program currently in the market, and it's quite easy to use.
To change the Default language to your whole document simply hit Shift-Ctrl-A to Deselect All and then select your language of preference in the Character palette. That simple. If you want to change the Default language for every project, including new documents, close all documents in InDesign, then go to the Character palette and choose the language you want to set as Default. That does it.
To use a key hit to increase or decrease font size. Select you text box or string of text. In the Character palette click once on either up or down arrow that is on the left of the Font Size option. Those arrows increase or decreas the size by one unit at a time. Hitting on either once will highlight the font size, right? When it's highlighted you can use the up or down arrows in your keyboard for further increase or decrease your text size.
If you want to increase/decrease size faster you can use the Default keyboard shorcut of Shift-Ctrl-. (that's a period) to increase size by two units; and Shift-Ctrl-, (that's a comma) to decrease size by two units. To increase/decrease by five units, use Shift-Ctrl-Alt-. (a period) to increase and Shift-Ctrl-Alt-, (a comma) to decrease.
Handy, huh?
Good Vibes!
Lobo
Thanks for the points. Yes, InDesign is a very powerful program; the best page layout program currently in the market, and it's quite easy to use.
To change the Default language to your whole document simply hit Shift-Ctrl-A to Deselect All and then select your language of preference in the Character palette. That simple. If you want to change the Default language for every project, including new documents, close all documents in InDesign, then go to the Character palette and choose the language you want to set as Default. That does it.
To use a key hit to increase or decrease font size. Select you text box or string of text. In the Character palette click once on either up or down arrow that is on the left of the Font Size option. Those arrows increase or decreas the size by one unit at a time. Hitting on either once will highlight the font size, right? When it's highlighted you can use the up or down arrows in your keyboard for further increase or decrease your text size.
If you want to increase/decrease size faster you can use the Default keyboard shorcut of Shift-Ctrl-. (that's a period) to increase size by two units; and Shift-Ctrl-, (that's a comma) to decrease size by two units. To increase/decrease by five units, use Shift-Ctrl-Alt-. (a period) to increase and Shift-Ctrl-Alt-, (a comma) to decrease.
Handy, huh?
Good Vibes!
Lobo
ASKER
Thanks for the good advise, gonna try! :-)
ASKER
I read about the Master Pages in the tutorial, but I am not sure whether this does the whole job... I have got several different page layouts for one magazine, and now I want the current issue (let's say "May 2005 (nr. 1)" ) to appear on every page. Next magazine, I want to change this in " September 2005 (nr. 2)" and that should of course change on every page.
Would be nice to have just one place to change this, so one kind of textfield that repeats itself on every page. The problem with the masters is that I would have to change several Masters, instead of just one textfield. (kind of "reference" instead of "value" field, in programmers' terms.... ;-) )
(Therefore I mentioned the Header / Footer in MS Word, which is an example of what I mean)
Is this possible in InDesign?