CreativePro Forum

Return to Member Forum

• Author
  Posts
• • March 15, 2010 at 8:18 pm #55168
    stingpin

    Member

    I have a non-printing object in an Indesign CS3 file — I put it there some time ago. The problem is, I can't remember how I created it! I can't find it in Help — I think InDesign calls it something other than “non-printing object”. Can anyone help me find/remember?

  • March 15, 2010 at 9:26 pm #55169
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    You can make a non-printing item by selecting it with the Selection tool and then turning on non-printing in the Attributes panel (Window > Attributes). I agree that it is a “hidden” feature, as few people would look at that panel

  • March 15, 2010 at 9:35 pm #55170
    stingpin

    Member

    That's for sure! Who keeps the “attributes” panel open?!

    Thanks!

  • March 16, 2010 at 12:32 am #55171
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    A great way to find a feature you have forgotten is through the Quick Apply, under Edit or by pressing CTRL (CMD) Return

    You can then type in the command you're looking for an it will show you a path to where it's located and you can also apply that command directly there by pressing Return again once it's highlighted.

  • March 16, 2010 at 12:43 am #55172
    stingpin

    Member

    Good to know! Although, if I type “non-printing object” into Quick Apply, it only tells me how to change the Display Performance under the View menu — nothing about the Attributes panel…

  • March 16, 2010 at 2:42 am #55173
    Anonymous

    Inactive

    Well that was a bad example. It works for most things though.

    It's even a bit tricky to find when searching the help files? Ah well hope it helps someday.

  • June 18, 2022 at 4:03 pm #14366811
    Allen Cobb

    Member

    FYI – I use this to manage special wordings of chapter titles for ToC’s and running footers. I put a textbox above the chapter title, and insert the re-worded text, in a “ghost” style, with red text so it’s easy to spot. Then I set the idiotically located no print checkbox. BUT — if you happen to have Overprint Preview turned on, the red text disappears, so in Preview mode there’s no sign of its existence. So I have to remember to keep Overprint Preview turned off if I need to check on these ghostly reworded titles.

    I guess I should submit a user voice request to put a Non-Printing checkbox in the paragraph stylesheet.

    When using this trick for specially-worded running heads or footers, it’s also a great way to SUPPRESS the head or footer. You can’t leave the ghost style without content, though, and spaces don’t work — the previous chapter title will persist. However, I found that a discretionary hyphen is both invisible and counts as content, blanking the head or footer until the next instance of the ghost style.

    • June 18, 2022 at 4:12 pm #14366812
      Allen Cobb

      Member

      NOTE: The floating textbox containing the ghost header may need to be anchored to the actual chapter title, depending on the way your story flow is structured. In most of my cases, I have had to do that, or the floating text isn’t seen as being a “first occurrence of a style” by the Variable machinery.

• Author
  Posts