"Blank page" text on automatically created empty pages

[Guest]

I want "blank page" text to appear automatically on any page that FrameMaker_8 adds to create an even pagecount. Is this possible?

[FieryPantone]

Sort of  The trick, as far as I remember, is that the automatic blank page always uses the Left master page. I don't have an example to hand, but I think what I did was define a new master page realLeft (for left-hand pages with text on) and then add the required "page left blank for double-sided printing" or whatever on the original Left.  Next step, via Master Page Usage, apply realLeft to all even pages. From then on in, just check every now and then to make sure that adding content doesn't push text on to the Left master(ed) page at the end of the document.  It's been a while since I first set this up; I think it was Sheila Carlisle who first pointed me in the right direction … for which, once again, my thanks to her!

[Guest]

Thanks for the idea, but what I would really like to do is to leave the left master page as is, to avoid the complications if text flows onto the last page.

I would like to specify a different master page for FM8 to use when it automatically creates a blank left page.

[Bob_Niland]

This topic was most recently discussed to death at:

"Page intentionally left blank."

There are two major approaches, and both use AMP (Apply Master Pages).

[Guest]

Thanks for the link. The answers there don't really simplify things much.

At the moment I flip through the book, checking the last page of each chapter. If it's a blank left page I create a "BlankPage" paragraph style on the previous page and re-save. This creates the desired effect.

However, when re-editing the chapter the pagination can change, leaving me with a "BlankPage" right page, followed by a blank left page, and this is what I'd like to avoid automatically.

Is there no way to tell FM8 which master page to use for an automatically created left last page?

[Bob_Niland]

> Is there no way to tell FM8 which master page to use for an automatically created left last page?

Nope, unless you want to have the default MP "Left" laid out as a TPILB (This Page Intentionally Left Blank). That also requires creating a new "Left.Content" MP, and making sure that a critical mass of commonly used Paragraph Formats are mapped to it or "Right".

What FM needs, and doesn't have, is a notation for the MasterPageMappingTable that controls what happens when there is no Flow A or other user generated content for a page.

Back in the real world, always first work Plan 0, which is to talk management or the customer out of requiring TPILBs in the first place.

TPILBs: I know how to do 'em. Glad we don't need 'em here.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

No, no way other than those discussed.

However, it sounds like a very simple FrameScript or ExtendScript.  If you don't want to write one, consider getting a quote from Rick Quatro.

Rick's stuff is always wonderfully affordable, and just yesterday on my request he updated his Runaround None plugin to include support for pasted graphics (for FREE)

-Matt

@mattrsullivan