How do I turn my single-face document into facing pages?

[Gerben Wierda]

I have a document that I started out with as single-page. But I need to change this. I also have a single master that is single page. Now I need a master that is for facing pages in a spread. How do I change that?

[Eugene Tyson]

File>Document Setup

Click Facing Pages

Then in the master pages add a page beside the master page to make a spread.

[Gerben Wierda]

Facing Pages was turned on. It was a bit fiddling but I found out how to add a page to that master (select the mast page and use "master options" then change th enumber of pages to 2. Now my A Master has a second page.

Something funny, though. That new page seems to have a 3-column setup and no text frame. I changed it to one column, added a text frame, linked the left page text frame to the right one and applied the master to all pages.

Now, when I add pages with a drop of a txt file to my document, all my pages are to the right of the bind (2-page spreads, no page on the left, two on the right).

So, I allowed pages to shuffle. My first spread is called 1-2, the second is called 3-4 but the third is 5,6 (weird), the next is page 7 alone on the right of the bind, then I have 7-8 etc.

I reordered the pages to I have nice sprwads of two and applied the master to all. I turn shuffle pages off. No I go the the one but last page left on the spread where my text ends so far. I add text until I get a reflow to the page right of the bind. That works, but immediately a third page is added to the spread to the right. So, I have now a spread with 3 pages. I add more text and at the end of the second page, another forth page is added to the spread, but the text does not flow from page 2 to page 3.

So, I set again that Id is allowed to shuffle the pages. Immediately stuff gets rearranged. Everything is fine up to and including page 8. Then, page 9 is a single right hand page in a spread and what is worse, the master layout is shifted downwards and to the left. All pages that follow are also affected like this with the master page layout (some fixed boxes shifted downward and left).

I am quite confused about this behavior of spreads and pages.

[Peter Spier]

You'll need to show us a screen capture of the Pages panel. I can't follow the description.

[Laubender]

@Gerben – to get  predictable results, I recommend working with two files.
Be forewarned, It's a complex process:

If your basic single sided document starts with an odd page number:

1. The basics:

docS = your single sided document with single sided master pages

docDD = a all new double sided document you have to create

     with: 1 double sided master page

               with:  page size: docDD page size

               with:  margins inside = docS  margins left

               with: margins outside = docS  margins right

               with: margins top = docS margins top

               with: margins bottom = docS margins bottom

     with: two pages

     with: start page number: 1

     with: baseline grid = docS baseline grid

     with: paragraph style definition of "Basic Paragraph Style" = docS "Basic Paragraph Style"

2. To transfer all pages from docS => docDD:

Select page 1 of docS in the pages panel

Choose "Move Pages..." in the flyout menu of your pages panel

     "Move Pages:" 1-n (where 1 is the first page name and "n" is the last page name of  docS)

     "Destinaion:" After Page 2

     "Move to:" docDD

Hit "OK"

3. All pages of docS are now trasferred to docDD

That the spread view in the pages panel is showing a somehow confusing picture of single pages spreads after page 2 should not bother us too much 🙂

From the pages panel you see something like this:
1, 2, [3],[4],[5],[6] …

4. Now the "hard" part, where we have to be very cautious not to get wrong page contents positions and a wrong stacking order of page elements:

4.1 Select all pages after page 2 in the pages panel and check "Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle"

4.2 Select ALL spreads in the pages panel and un-check "Allow Selected Spreads to Shuffle":

Result should be: [1], [2-3],[4-5], etc...

4.3 Select ALL spreads in the pages panel and un-check "Allow Document Pages to Shuffle"

Now:

4.4 Select page 1 and delete page 1

4.5 Select page 2 and delete page 2

Further:

4.6 Select ALL spreads in the pages panel and check "Allow Document Pages to Shuffle"

4.7 Select ALL spreads in the pages panel and check "Allow Selected Spreads to Shuffle"

Now, we are basically done…

5. Then change the contents of master spread 1 of docDD as you wish and/or add master spreads as you wish.

Hope that helps,

Uwe

[BizEdLogic]

Interesting! How would you do the opposite? Facing to single?

[Peter Spier]

Why do you want to make that change? You can do a lot of damage to a file by switching from facing to non-facing if the master page is not 100% identical on both sides.

[BizEdLogic]

Good question! I exported the file as a ePub and was disappointed at the completed conversion. I'm trying to make it work with Kindle Previewer as well. I've got a colored frame on each page and for some unknown reason it doesn't get transferred to the conversion.

So, to make a long story short; I tried this as a first step.

[Peter Spier]

I seriously doubt that facing/non-facing has anything to do with your problem. You should start a new thread about this.

[BizEdLogic]

Thank you for your suggestion(s). I will act on your advice.

[indesigncc_2014]

Hello,

I keep searching for help "unmarrying" or "divorcing" facing pages. I need to take these to the printer with bleeds on all 4 sides but that doesn't work so well with facing pages. Any suggestions for InDesign CC 2014 on a mac? I have found references to older versions but not this one.

Thank you

[Peter Spier]

Please start a new thread, and include your version of ID and OS, and show us some screens hots of what you have now.

In general there is no problem with facing pages files and bleeds except when there is color that extends to the spine but does not cross over, and then only in certain cases. There are a lot of topics here about this already.