Text box with borders on two or three sides

[LuAnnL]

I am trying to recreate a very long document that was originally created in WordPerfect. It's mostly text, with bullets and "frames" around certain pieces of text. I'm using paragraph styles and for the most part, things are working well.

HOWEVER....the "introduction" to each section is enclosed in a box. When the introduction is contained on a single page, it's simple. I apply a style to the text box. The style includes inset spacing, so the same bullet styles can be used "inside" the box and outside.

HOWEVER... sometimes the introduction is too long to fit on one page, and that's when I have a problem. Is there a way to apply a border to only three sides of a text box?

 

[eugenetyson]

It might best if you worked with tables for these pages. They work with cells in Excel and you colour each side differently and put different stroke weights etc.



With the white arrow tool select one side of the box, delete it. Then apply your stroke.

You won't be able to put different colours on any or different sides though.

 

[MikeMoss]

Hi

I would just make a narrow rectangle the color of the back ground that covers the top or bottom of the box where you don't want it to show.

I.e. if the box has to run off the bottom, pull the bottom of the box down into the margin. Then drag a rectangle the color of the background (white I assume) across the bottom of the page aligning the top or it with your margin line.

Send the border to the back and bring the text to the front.

The text will now show in that area (if necessary) and the boarder won’t.

Do the opposite at the top of the next page.

Mike

 

[eugenetyson]

Or you could use the line tool and draw in the lines

 

[LuAnnL]

Thank you. I have used all three of these methods (table cells, "masking" one border, line tools)

My job is to design the templates and styles and let the secretaries do the actual input of text. (An "average" document has about 300 pages) The secretaries have had very little training with InDesign, so I try to avoid multi-step processes whenever possible. (The IDEAL situation would involve a re-design of these documents, but my bosses prefer to maintain the status quo!)

I was hoping for a fast, precise, simple method... AND I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed something basic here!

I think I'll opt for a "drawn" three-sided box and save it as a snippet... unless some other suggestion comes up later.

This forum has been SO helpful. Someday I hope I'll be on the "answering" side!

 

[eugenetyson]

Put it on a master page. The other people won't be able to edit it or move it. actually put anything that doesn't contain text on the masters.