Skip navigation

InDesign

Currently Being Moderated

Creating the cover in the master B - how to save Master as pdf?

May 9, 2012 12:37 PM

Tags: #indesign #pages #saving #book #master #cover

Hi, I'm working on a student guide in InDesign and I heard about creating the cover as a separate Master instead of using a second InDesign Document. I thought it was a good idea so I went ahead and created my cover in the Master B, I'm using the Master A for the inside pages.

Question1: is this the right way to do it, or is it better to just create the cover in a separate InDesign document?

Question2: when saving as pdf doc, it only saves the inside pages, how can I save it in the way that I can see also the cover?

Thanks

778 Views 4 Replies Latest reply: Peter Spier, May 10, 2012 5:25 AM

Replies

Currently Being Moderated

1. Peter Spier,

May 9, 2012 1:24 PM in reply to pchinique

Report

I don't know where you go the idea of using a second master for the cover, unless you minsterpreted the advice and mistook create and apply a second master to the cover page to mean create the cover as a master page.

All is not lost -- just add a page for the cover, then either apply that master, or cut the objects from it and paste in place on the new page.

As to whether this is the right approach, that depends entirely on how the project will be bound. Unless this is what is called a self-cover publication, where the cover is printed on the same sheet as part of the body and folded up with it, or you are printing something like a spiral-bound book and using the same paper stock for cover and body, you'll want a separate file fo the cover so it can be handles separately and printed on it's own stock.

|
Mark as:
Currently Being Moderated

2. pchinique,

May 9, 2012 4:25 PM in reply to Peter Spier

Report

Thank you Peter,

I don't know I read that in another forum, I guess I got confused

I think it will be printed as part of the body and folded up with it. This guide is all folded and stapled together, so I guess I can just include the cover and back cover within the same document? as first page and last page?

Moving a bit away from this topic, I'm also trying to set the auto page number to start from the page 4th so I right click the page 4 and in numbering and section options I selected start page numbering at 1. Is working as far as the auto page number starts in page 4 as page 1 and so on, pages 1,2 and 3 don't have a page number. Problem is that the document split the side by side pages, so now I get first pate titled as 1, 2 and 3 side by side and then page 4 titled as 1 and placed by itself, next pages are all side by side including the last page.

I just wanted to make sure this won't be a problem for printing purposes, not sure if this is the normal behavior when selecting specific page to start with auto page number.

Thanks

|
Mark as:
Currently Being Moderated

3. Michael Gianino,

May 9, 2012 9:40 PM in reply to pchinique

Report

Most books in left-to-right-reading languages begin on a right page—as opposed to a left page—and begin counting at 1. That means that odd-numbered pages are on the right, and evens are on the left. If you have introductory matter that you would like to be either not numbered, or numbered differently (i, ii, iii, etc.), it's usually better to add a blank page (iv, in this case) to bring that front matter to an even page count than it is to start page-one on the left. Some people will tell you you have to do this, fewer will tell you you shouldn't do this, but the majority of people will tell you that while it's ultimately up to you, that it's better to keep page counts divisible by at least two*, and to keep odd page numbers on the right.

* The number that your page count is divisible by has to do with the binding method. Talk to your printer or publisher about this.

|
Mark as:
Currently Being Moderated

4. Peter Spier,

May 10, 2012 5:25 AM in reply to pchinique

Report

There's still the question of whether the cover is being printed on the same paper stock, or something heavier, or glossy, or whatever. There's also a question of page count, and you really DO need to discuss page count with the printer. For a stitched book you ultimately need a count divisible by 4 (including blank pages), which is simple enough, but the count also needs to "fit the press" in terms of the size of the sheet that the book runs on and the number of pages that will fit on that sheet. If the sheet will hold 16 pages, your costs will be virtually identical for 20, 24, 28 or 32 pages, and it may make sense, depending on the page count, to print the cover as a separate sheet.

|
Mark as: