Adobe FrameMaker: Automatically Assigning Custom Master Pages

We talked last week about custom master pages. I use them in my FrameMaker documents to suppress page numbers on the opening page of a chapter or anytime I need a layout that differs from those of the default left and right master pages.

Once you have set up your master pages, you can assign them manually by choosing Format > Page Layout > Master Page Usage. That's great, but is there a better way to apply a master page to a document page? Absolutely.

In one of my publications, each new chapter starts on the next blank page (and not on the next right page, like so many others). I use a custom master to set the opening look for each chapter, but I need one for right page opening pages, and one for the left page open pages. Years and years ago, I had to do this manually, and inevitably missed a few during last minute edits.

What's a developer to do? How about setting up a Reference Page table to do the work for you? By setting up the MasterPageMap table, you can assign master pages to body pages that contain specified paragraph tags. I learned pretty quickly that if I delegated the master page assignments to FrameMaker, I'd never again make the mistake of not applying a master page.

Here's how you can automatically assign a custom master page to a document  page:

1. Create a custom Master page. I created two called FirstRight and FirstLeft. (If you aren't sure how to create a custom Master page, feel free to click here and read last week's column.)
2. Navigate to Body Page 1 and click on your chapter title format.
3. Jot down the exact spelling of the format. If you use the default FrameMaker paragraph formats, this will probably be called "Title."
4. Choose View > Reference Pages.
5. Click the Next Page button until the five-column UnstructMasterPageMaps table appears. If you don't see the table below, move on to step 6. If you find the table below, skip to step 7.

   

6. If the mapping table does not appear in the reference pages, choose Format > Page Layout > Apply Master Pages.

   

   Click OK to proceed and then click OK to create the new table on the reference pages.

   

7. For Book Update (Yes or No), type Yes or No to determine whether the specified master page will be applied when you choose Apply Master Pages from a book.

   

8. Under the Paragraph Tag Name column heading, type the name of the paragraph tag to which you want the master page to be applied.

   In my example, I am using Title. You must spell the paragraph tag name correctly, using the same capitalization that the paragraph tag uses.

9. In the second column, type in the custom Master page for all right pages that have a Title tag.

   In my example, I'm applying FirstRight.

   If necessary, do the same thing for the left pages, but use the left opening page.

10. Under the Range Indicator column heading, type Single to apply the master page only to the Body page on which each paragraph tag appears. (Type Span pages to apply the master page to the entire span of pages to which the paragraph tag is applied; or type Until changed to apply the master page to all pages, until the next Body page with a different paragraph tag listed in the mapping table is encountered.)
11. Optionally, add notes to the Comments column.

    Text you type in this column does not affect how master pages are applied in any way.

12. When you are done, choose View > Body Pages.

Ready for the magic?

1. Open your Book window.
2. Import the mapping table to the other files in your book.
3. Update your book. (Be sure to select Apply Master Pages before you click update.)

   

If you are new to FrameMaker and need some training, I've got an instructor-led, online Introduction to Adobe FrameMaker 9 class on December 2-3. Too elementary for your skill level? How about the Advanced FrameMaker 9 class on December 9-10? Hope to "see" you there.