Open with a Spread (left page)?

[decerbodesign]

I'm in the process of laying out my first major multi-page document with InDesign. It will be a 150-page coffe-table book made up of about 20 chapters, with multiple cross-gutter pictures.

I took a trip to Borders and have a couple of trusty InDesign help books whose advice I've been trying hard to follow. To that end, I have been setting up each of the chapters in their own file - and trying to use the book feature to keep everything in order and easy to print.

Unfortunately, each of the chapters begins with a full-page left picture. And, I can't for the life of me get my chapter files to begin with a spread (opening with that left-hand picture page) On occasion, I have been able, somehow, to drag a page on to that opening left spot and get it to stay while I'm working in the file. However, when I close and open the book again - the file shifts everything around so that the first page is an opening right. That's particularly bad because then the master page items are all applied incorrectly and my spreads are broken. I've been working around the issue by putting a blank opening right page in each chaprter file. But, that's not so good because that messes up my page numbers and creates blank pages when I print the book.

Is there a proper way to make the first page of the file be a left hand page?

Would really appreciate any advice...
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

 

[jimoblak]

Use a blank right hand page as a leader.

It is impossible to construct a book for the Western World without a leading right hand page or cover.

- - I hope this helps - -
[sub](Complain to someone else if it doesn't)[/sub]

 

[jmgalvin]

If you intend to have each chapter end on the right side so the new chapter starts on the left (reverse side of last page of preceding chapter), you might try start each chapter with the last page of the preceding chapter - making sure that chapters have an odd number of pages.

When you create a "book"things will then be in order.

Using OSX 10.3.8 on a G4

 

[decerbodesign]

The book will, of course, start with a right hand page. But - each of the chapters begin on a left-hand page. That doesn't seem that unusual to me - given that InDesign has the book feature which is supposed to allow you to break books into chapters, I'm really suprised there isn't some way to start on a left. You know what I mean?

Thank you both very much for your good advice, but I think I'd still have problems...

jmgalvin: The trouble with putting the last page of the preceeding chapter on the first (right) page of the next chapter is that it would require running text between files - is that possible? Another practical problem - the author hasn't decided in what order he'd like his chapters to appear....

jimoblak: I suppose I could instruct the print shop to ignore the blank pages at the beginning of each chapter file, but the blank chapter leader pages would also mess up my page numbers throughout...

I'm in a real quandry - what should I do? Do I have to compile all the pages into one file? I hate to do that, because the seperate files have been a very convenient way to move quickly between chapters.

 

[jmgalvin]

You can reorder pages AFTER the whole thing is done but before creating the "book". There are 2 easy ways.

1 - Open 2 consecutive chapters. Open the pages window. make the second chapter active and insert a new page at the beginning of the second chapter via pages window. Go to first chapter, last page, Select all, copy and paste into the new first page of second chapter. Delete last page of first chapter via Pages window. Repeat for various chapters.

2 - Open 2 consecutive chapters. Open the pages window. Go to Window menu/arrange/tile. make first chapter active. Drag the icon for the last page of chapter 1 onto the window for chapter 2. That will put that page into chapter 2. Check order of chapter 2 via window menu and drag first page as necessary. Yu can thank jimoblak for this as he posted this solution (which works great) a number of months ago.

Please remember that the book will be imposed by the printer in various ways depending on binding. When it gets imposed your right page will become left if the chapter before is set so that the last page is right. If you hjappen to have a copy of ID that came with Inbooklet SE (very basic imposer) you can test this by running the book, or 2 or more chapters) through Inbooklet and then creating a pdf. Then look at the pdf to check that all os ok.

Using OSX 10.3.8 on a G4

 

[decerbodesign]

Thanks - I'm going to print your message and read it carefully in front of my files tonight.

 

[jimoblak]

but the blank chapter leader pages would also mess up my page numbers throughout.

Don't forget that InDesign allows you to specify the way that pages are numbered in the pages palette.

- - I hope this helps - -
[sub](Complain to someone else if it doesn't)[/sub]

 

[Lessa]

If you set the first page of each chapter to an even number, it will stick it on the left side.

 

[decerbodesign]

Fabulous!

Do you know...if I have the files set up in a book (that is automatically setting the page numbers) will it screw things up if I manually set the page number to start on?

Thank you!

 

[ActiasLuna]

Set up your document in spreads... before you start laying out art add pages so that you have at least one two-page spread in your document pages window... then click on the first spread and in your page options (the triangle at the top right of the window) select "keep spread together"... the page numbers on the page layout view will now be bracketed together [#-#]

Then delete the single right side page and you should be good.

HTH...KH

 

[decerbodesign]

That works perfectly. Thank you!!