Right off the bat, the title for today’s thought, Become a Slave to Master Pages, is probably one of the hokiest titles I’ve ever come up with. Apologies for not being more clever (or original considering it’s probably been used a thousand times in the past.)

With that said…

I almost got caught making a layout task much less efficient than it needed to be. Fortunately, a better solution came to me before I wasted my time on the less efficient solution. The incident illustrates what can happen when we forget just how amazing our layout tools can be.

I’m doing the layout for a book and the client wanted to add 36 pages of lines so that the reader could keep a journal in the back. Each page would have the same heading, then about 20 lines for the reader to write whatever he or she wanted. In other words, 36 pages exactly alike.

My very first thought was to create the first page, then copy/paste the text box with the heading and lines into the 35 other pages. Not smart! Why?

If the client wanted any change, like a different heading for the page, or a change in the spacing between the 20 lines, I’d have to change the first one, then do the copy/paste routine over again 35 times. And imagine the fun if the client decided on another change after that!

Instead, I created a new Master Page, something you can do in both InDesign and QuarkXPress. On this Master Page, I created the header and lines once. When I added the new pages to the layout, I indicated that the new pages should use the new Master Page I created.

In an instant, I had 36 pages of lines. But the real beauty is that if the client wants a change, I only need to make it on the Master Page and it will be applied instantly to all 36 pages.

Master Pages are nothing new for me… I use them on just about every project. But I don’t often have a need to use multiple Master Pages and that’s why I almost got tripped up. I had gotten so used to not using multiple Master Pages, I had forgotten just how valuable they can be.

One reason I bring this up is because it’s so easy to forget (or never learn!) everything our design tools can do and how they can make things easier for us. That’s why I always encourage beginners to spend time learning how their design tools work. Take advantage of those slow moments as you’re building your direct market design career and see what’s hiding in all those menus and sub-menus.

Sites You Should Know About:

I’ve been stumbling across some great sites recently… it’s not that they’re new, I had just never seen them before.

All Graphic Design – A lot of great content here. Two recent articles – Designing A Catalog From Conception To Completion and Logo Design Creation Process from Start to Finish – are among many useful tips you’ll find on this site.

LogoBlog.org – Speaking of logos, many long-time readers here will know that logo design is not something I feel I’m good at. But I am fascinated by the process because, to me, it requires a different type of thinking. If logos are your thing, this site is for you. I really liked the article from April 9, Magic of the First Letter. It’s amazing how something so simple in a logo can still be very effective.