CreativePro Forum

Return to Member Forum

• Author
  Posts
• • August 12, 2012 at 3:14 pm #62862
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    From 2010, when a gal asked about creating different right page headers for each chapter, this was the answer given:

    No you don't have to create 23 seperate masters.

    One way to solve it would be to insert a Section Marker (Type / Insert Special Character / Markers / Section Marker) where you want the title to appear.

    Then at the start of each chapter define a new section (if you use a separate file for each chapter you can just use the already defined one ofcourse) and insert your chapter title in the Section Marker field in the Layout / Numbering & Section Options.

    It makes no sense to me. How do you add that Section Marker?? I tried highlighting the pages for Chapter One, and did the Type/Insert Special Character/Markers….but the Section Marker was grayed out.

    I'm lost on her last paragraph, too. Can someone give me kindergarten step-by-step instructions?

  • August 12, 2012 at 3:50 pm #62865
    Theunis De Jong

    Member

    The text for a section marker is set in “Page Numbering and Sections” in the pages panel. The actual section marker itself is a text object and should be inserted in a text frame. Seems you mixed up these two.

    See (again) the online help, first hit on searching for “section marker” … https://help.adobe.com/en_US/in…..7111a.html

    That said, using section markers for automatic headers or footers is so 2009, i.e., pre-CS4. Look up “text variables” in the online help for a far better way.

  • August 12, 2012 at 6:43 pm #62869
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    ** For clarification, I am asking how to make the right page headers reflect the titles of each Chapter.

    “Again?” You don't think I've tried to find this over and over with online help? lol. You must forget what it's like to be brand new to this.

    I clicked on the link you sent. I've seen that page before, but didn't know about variables. I scrolled down to find Create variables for running headers and footers. I followed all the directions (even though I had no idea whether to choose Character or Paragraph Style. I chose Character for the heck of it). It concludes with “You can now insert the variable in a header or footer you create on the master page.” I have no idea what that means.

    So..I then go to the section above this one titled Create a header or footer on a master page. It tells me to create a variable, which I did, then go to your Master page and create your text frame. Done. The next part totally loses me:

    1. Add text, page numbers, and variables as needed.
    2. Apply the master page to document pages where you want the header or footer to appear.
    3. If necessary, create headers and footers for additional master pages.

    1) Add what text?? If I put the title of Chapter One, that would put that title on all 384 pages, right? I've already added the page numbers before this. I have no idea how to add a variable.

    2) How do I “Apply the master page”?? Again, looks like I'd be putting the title of Chapter One to all pages.

    3) Additional Master pages??

    I'm totally and completely lost.

  • August 13, 2012 at 2:30 am #62874
    Theunis De Jong

    Member

    I'm totally and completely lost.

    The underlying problem, d, seems to be you started working with an extremely professional — and thus complicated — piece of software, apparently unhindered by any former knowledge. Compare it to purchasing AutoCAD and then expecting to be able to design a nuclear power plant right from the start.

    You are correct in your assesement that I cannot recall what's it like to know absolutely nothing, because I was never there. I grew up with word processors such as WordStar and WordPerfect, made a smooth transition to Word, PageMaker, and the odd stint of Quark XPress, and was happy to leave that all behind me faced with the awesome array of capabilities of InDesign. Still — the company I work for firmly believes in educating people, both interns and clients, and there is no level too low for us to teach something.

    … If my steps are still too big, buy larger boots.

    Let's tackle today's problems, shall we.

    I followed all the directions (even though I had no idea whether to choose Character or Paragraph Style. I chose Character for the heck of it)

    Why “for the heck of it”? That indicates you have no idea why you actually have two choices here.

    “1. If your content is not already formatted, create and apply the paragraph style or character style for the text you want to appear in the header (such as a title or heading style).”

    Your headers need to be marked with either a paragraph style or with a character style. Possibly both (which is unnecessary), but “I'm not using styles” is not an option here, would be the main point of this bullet point. Since I cannot look over your shoulder, I don't know if you are using styles, and if so, if your chapter headings are formatted using paragraph or character styles. Let's amuse ourselves, and assume you have done it right and used a paragraph style.

    First, give this variable a good descriptive name, the default “Variable 1” is kinda opaque; something like 'chapter' springs into mind.

    The next step is, still quite obvious, that you have to tell InDesign what style to choose. The other options (Use, Case, Punctuation) are For Other Uses and may best left at their default settings.

    What have you got at this point? Well, nothing yet. The variable is “defined” but, just like a paragraph or character style, it doesn't “do” anything until you actually use it somewhere. So it's on to the next hurdle: the bewildering list of steps to make sure the variable “does” something.

    1) Add what text?? If I put the title of Chapter One, that would put that title on all 384 pages, right? I've already added the page numbers before this. [..]

    Any text you want. Hey, it's your Master Page, and you are its sole Master and Commander! If you want to have the text “doodlebugs rule” on each page, well, this would be the place & time to insert it. The title of Chapter One, well, sure, if you want to have that appear on each page — but obviously you do not, so why mention it?

    [..] I have no idea how to add a variable.

    Hm. It doesn't get mentioned on the Help page I pointed you to. Okay, you might recall how you got to the “Define Variables” dialog: Type menu -> Text Variables -> Define .. The other choice in that menu is “Insert Variable”, and it's important to note that a text variable is a sort of text; you can only insert it into a text frame. If you are not inside a text frame, the command is simply grayed out. If you do not have a text frame, draw one (preferably on the location where you want your header to appear).

    Once inserted, apply any text formatting to the variable code. Remember, this is still a Master Page so the only text you will see is the variable name; but on “live” pages, the picked up paragraph style text will appear in the formatting that has been applied to the variable code.

    2) How do I “Apply the master page”?

    The Usual Way, through the Pages panel menu. See the Online Help if in doubt.

    3) Additional Master pages??

    It's unclear to me what is unclear to you here. Yes, you can create additional Master pages (lots and lots of them)? No, you don't Need To if you don't Want To? This point #3 is only there if you want more than a single style of header and/or footer. In particular, it has nothing to do with you having several chapters — the Text Variable is going to take care of that, as per its designated purpose.

    Give it a shot and call me back in the morning, but make sure to have done your homework first.

  • August 13, 2012 at 6:58 am #62876
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Doodlebug1, the online help can only take you so far. For your long-document feature (book-making, master pages, headers, table of contents, and that kind of thing) help, take a look at Mike Rankin's video title about Long Documents at lynda.com. Or read the long documents chapter of Real World InDesign. Actually, as you're a beginner, I would strongly recommend getting a copy of Sandee Cohen's Visual Quick Start Guide for InDesign: https://creativepro.com/res…..and-videos

    It's so helpful to have a printed resource like that at your desk!

  • August 14, 2012 at 10:55 pm #62903
    Michael Maslowski

    Member

    doodlebug1, I am curious how you came about to create this large book (and now a second one) and use InDesign? I am guessing you don't work in desktop publishing. Did your firm decide to create this in-house—instead of finding a designer—and you were the lucky person assigned the job?

  • August 19, 2012 at 7:37 am #62926
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Michael_SacBehr said:doodlebug1, I am curious how you came about to create this large book (and now a second one) and use InDesign? I am guessing you don't work in desktop publishing. Did your firm decide to create this in-house—instead of finding a designer—and you were the lucky person assigned the job?

    ---

    Michael, I am just a regular person who put together a book that has been quite popular and life-changing, and also own the publishing company.

    I hired a formatter to do the first edition. It was very costly. I hired someone to do the second edition–she was okay but for several reasons, didn't want to use her again. Six months later, I hired a third person to add in more text i.e. an update to the second edition. She was horrible!! I hired a fourth person to clean up her mess. I then hired the fourth person again to work on this translated copy of the book. He completely failed me–didn't meet his own deadlines, didn't communicate well, etc. I finally had to fire him. So…..I decided it's time to learn this and do it myself. It made sense to control my own work.

    But it was far harder than I imagined, thus, my thankfulness for this and other forums to help me get unstuck in certain areas. I now have the book 90% done. Just waiting on the translator to fix a few problems, such as seeing three paragraphs where I had six, etc. Then all I have left is the Index.

  • August 19, 2012 at 7:42 am #62927
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Jongware said:

    … If my steps are still too big, buy larger boots.

    *****************

    lol. That's about as logical as saying to a Kindergartener “Buy a book on calculus to understand me”. I'm stretching as far as I can, trying to understand. But I need simplier directions sometimes to get to the calculus book. lol. Thanks for your additional answers. I took a week off and am diving back in.

  • August 19, 2012 at 7:43 am #62928
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    David Blatner said:

    Doodlebug1, the online help can only take you so far. For your long-document feature (book-making, master pages, headers, table of contents, and that kind of thing) help, take a look at Mike Rankin's video title about Long Documents at lynda.com. Or read the long documents chapter of Real World InDesign. Actually, as you're a beginner, I would strongly recommend getting a copy of Sandee Cohen's Visual Quick Start Guide for InDesign: https://creativepro.com/res…..and-videos

    It's so helpful to have a printed resource like that at your desk!

    ---

    I already ordered it thanks to your earlier recommendation and it arrived two days ago. :) Thank u.

• Author
  Posts