What is a Master Page?
Master pages, also called “parent” pages, are essentially templates to use within your InDesign document. They are used to format information or layouts used across multiple pages/spreads such as headers, footers, and page numbers.
Using Master Pages to Your Advantage
Using master pages within InDesign provides several distinct advantages meant to save time and streamline the design process.
Bulk Application
Master pages can be applied to multiple pages and spreads in just two clicks. Compared to copy/paste, applying master pages in bulk both saves time and avoids potential inaccuracies. You can even apply a master page to another master page!
Easy Editing
Editing a repeated layout is also incredibly easy using master pages. When a change is made in a master page, that change is reflected in all of the document pages using that master page. That means changes in font choice, color, or layout can be made once instead of multiple times.
One drawback to this is that, once an element has been selected from its locked position on the master page within the document itself, it will no longer reflect changes on the master page. Ideally, all formatting should be complete before individual page edits are made.
Getting Organized
Master pages are found at the top of the “Pages” palette in InDesign. The creation process is identical to the creation of a standard page, though your page elements will be outlined in a dotted line instead of a solid line. Check out this post on using grids to help construct your layouts. This is the time to determine if you’ll use a grid, and what style will work best for you.
In terms of organization, I strongly advise naming your master pages. In the video below, you can see the different names for all of my planner master pages. I use a different initial to indicate a year, month, or week view, and then I specify the specific style.
To rename your master pages:
- Select the pages palette
- Select your master page spread
- Right click on the NAME of the master page to open up the submenu and choose “Parent Options…”
Another way to organize more visually is to use the page attribute feature. This is also available under the same submenu as above, and allows you to select a page color label. This can be invaluable if you are using nested master pages (one master page applied to other master pages).