How to Flow Text Over Many Pages in Only Left Column

[tundra0]

I am trying to create a Pagemaker document with two columns. I have two text files that I want to flow into separate columns. That is: Text File # 1 will flow down through the left hand column, while Text File # 2 will flow down through the right hand column.

I can get text to flow through both columns and down many pages, but I cannot figure out how to keep the text in only one column.

Any ideas?

 

[Eggles]

Other than doing it manually, I don't think it is possible to assign autoflow to only place text in one column of a two column page.

 

[tundra0]

That confirms what I had reluctantly come to believe. Thanks for your help.

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, tundra0,

It is possible if you are using the same master page for all the pages.

Click to the master page. Set up your 2 columns, and then pull non-printing guides over the two column margins in the centre of the page.

Re-set the page to a single column. Drag the right margin to the left so it sits on the left of the two non-printing guides, becoming the right margin of the left column.

Go to the page from where you want the text to start. File -> Place and find/select the text. Hold down Ctrl and click. The text will flow down all the left columns of all the pages.

Mirror the process for the right hand column.

HTH.

Iechyd da! John
01:49 20/05/2003 BST

 

[Eggles]

John - how did you get to be so smart? I must admit I cannot quite follow your suggestion - I will have a go when I am not so tired.

tundra0 - let us know if you can make it work.

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Lyn,

> John - how did you get to be so smart?

Flattery will get you everywhere!

But I've had PM from ver3 in about 1989, and learned a few tricks in the mean time, like temporarily re-positioning margins. I have to confess though that I'm not too au fait with some of PM's latest bells and whistles as my daily use of PM has dwindled following promotion. I just get called into troubleshoot these days instead of playing with the software!

I forgot to add that the text blocks shold be locked into position after the text has flowed through.

Iechyd da! John
19:22 20/05/2003 BST

 

[Eggles]

Well, you're about 12 years ahead of me in PM experience. I first used it in a DTP course I commenced in 2000. I have had a total of about 2 years experience since then, using it perhaps 25% of that time (i.e. the equivalent of about 6 months!!)

I have just started a new job (as a 'Technical Desktop Publisher') so I am hoping my PM experience picks up a bit.

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Lyn,

Congrats on the new job! It sounds really good.

I'm the Deputy Head of Service in Local Govermnet with about 400 people in our service, and in the years when I was one of the Staff Development Officer I got a really good grip on materials and publications sing PM and Acrobat.

Thanks to "economies" we were "restructured" and I got promoted - i.e. got more work to do - and in addtion to Staff Development, I am now responsible for broader e-government and associated issues (i.e. arguing with Senior IT Officer) and other meta-work like quality assurance, external liason with insititutions like local universities and "The Government".

In my view, it all went downhill when MS PowerPoint obliterated Aldus Persuasion, and to this day I refuse to do PP pesentations despite a nice lap top Tosh and LCD projector. A well designed (in PM of course) overhead transparancy wins every time!

I have a .gov.uk e-mail address which I keep quiet about, but it's not hard to work it out.

http://www.wirral.gov.uk/ed/index.htm

Iechyd da! John
18:35 21/05/2003 BST

 

[kh707]

I think another way you might be able to do this. The first you actually want to turn off the auto flow function. The go to the top of your first column and place your text as you normally would. Then you will tet the bottom windowshade handle which you click on to get your icon again and go to your next column and do the same thing. Granted a little more work but it should work.

Or...you can use text frames. I know how to do this but it has been some time and I don't think I could explain it here. Maybe someone else could.

Good luck