Recently, one of our fellow InDesign users asked indesignsecrets.com the following question:
Is there a way I can permanently turn off facing pages in InDesign? Right now, we have to uncheck the facing pages box on the new document dialog box. Most of the documents we create would not be appropriately set as facing pages.
In all versions of InDesign from CS on, the Facing Pages option is automatically enabled in the [Default] new document preset. This is fine if the bulk of the layouts that you create in InDesign include spreads. However, if the majority of the layouts that you create are single page designs, then you must always remember to disable Facing Pages in the New Document dialog box. Is there any way to change the [Default] new document preset?
The answer is yes. Thankfully, InDesign understands that the default new document settings may not be perfect for everyone. To edit them, you must first choose File > Document Presets > Define. When the Document Presets dialog box appears, select [Default] from the Presets list and click Edit. Doing so displays the Edit Document Preset dialog box. Proceed to turn Facing Pages off and click OK. From that point forward, every new document that you create using the [Default] preset will not have Facing Pages enabled.
Of course, the same principle applies if the majority of the documents that you create are not Letter size (8.5″ x 11″). Maybe you work for a magazine publisher whose pages print at 8.125″ x 10.875″. Rather than entering these values in the New Document dialog box every time you start a project, it makes sense to either change the page size in the [Default] preset, or else create a new preset all together.
To create a new document preset, choose File > Document Presets > Define. When the Document Presets dialog box appears, click New. Doing so displays the New Document Preset dialog box. Proceed to enter your preferred settings. When you’re ready to save your preset, give it a descriptive name, such as ‘8.125 x 10.875 magazine spread’, and click OK. After the preset is saved, you can access it from the New Document dialog box Presets list, or from the File > Document Presets submenu.
This article was last modified on July 11, 2023
This article was first published on February 9, 2009
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