4 Replies Latest reply: Apr 26, 2008 5:54 AM by (Nigel_Chapman) RSS

    INDCS3: Starting Chapters

    Tomabcd Community Member
      Hi -

      I'm trying to set up formatting for the chapter-title page for a book.

      I can do most of what I need to do, but it's an manual process, and easy to miss a step. Can anyone help me do this more elegantly?

      If I want to go into the text, and add a new chapter, I have to
      * Insert an odd page break at the end of the previous frame
      * In the frame after the break, start a new section
      * Put the title of the chapter in the dialog
      * Insert a section marker
      * Apply "Chapter Title" paragraph style to the section marker.

      Naively, I kind of hoped there was some way to include "start section" and "odd page break" in the paragraph style "Chapter Title", so I could just type the title and apply a style.

      I could have a different master page set up for the first page of a chapter, but the left side should still be governed by the master in force before this chapter. And I have to manually link the text frame on the left side to the previous page's text frame.

      I'm relatively new to InDesign, so please feel free to tell me I'm doing it wrong. Should I be using a snippet or something like that?

      Thanks!

      Tom
        • 1. Re: INDCS3: Starting Chapters
          Community Member
          I approach this by putting all the chapters in separate files, using the book feature to collate them. If you do that, you can create a chapter template, which has the opening set up, and create each actual chapter from the template. Then you need to add it to the book, so that the page numbering will work out. You can use variables for the chapter number and so on, and synchronize all your styles and swatches between all the chapters. All you have to do is make sure that each chapter ends on a verso.

          If you haven't done this before, you'll need to read up about book features in the manual.
          • 2. Re: INDCS3: Starting Chapters
            [Jongware] Community Member
            >All you have to do is make sure that each chapter ends on a verso.

            Which is an option in the Book Numbering options (also choose "Insert Blank Page" to see it and have it included in prints and exports).
            • 3. Re: INDCS3: Starting Chapters
              Tomabcd Community Member
              Thanks!

              I hadn't looked at the book features yet, since it seemed simpler to stick with a single document. But I'll go look at it now.

              I also found a way to set a paragraph style to start on the next page.

              On the "Paragraph Style Options" dialog box, select "Keep Options" from the left column. Then from the "Start Paragraph" drop down select "On Next Odd Page".

              That does what I originally wanted, but your way may still be better!

              A follow on question: is there a way to have a separate master for the first page of a chapter? Given that I have two-page spreads, and the left hand page is from a previous chapter, I'm not sure how having one master for the first page of a chapter and another for all the other pages would work.

              It just seems like if I do this as a book, the master from both of the two successive chapters will both be trying to style the left hand page (one styling the last normal left hand page of chapter one, and the next chapter trying to style the left hand page before the first page of the chapter two).

              Thanks,

              Tom
              • 4. Re: INDCS3: Starting Chapters
                Community Member
                You can create a master that is only a single page -- it doesn't have to be a spread. Even if it is a spread, you can apply it to just one page. It will pick up the left or right page of the master according as the page you apply it to is a verso or recto.