Hi there!
In this video we’ll be talking about the famous ‘Primary Text Frame.’
A primary text frame is a special kind of master page frame, used to control the primary
text flow in a document.
You can create it in two ways.
One while you’re creating the document, and the other, from within the document, so
let’s learn how to do it.
I’m creating this document, and you can find the primary text frame checkbox here,
should you want it applied, just check it, and hit create.
When you go to A-master, you’ll find that both the A-master pages, already have the
text frames sitting on them.
Let me zoom in, on the top left border of the page.
This is the primary text frame icon.
If it was the traditional master frame, it wouldn’t have the tiny arrow on the right.
Let’s move to page 1, and when you click it, you’ll find that even your page has
the primary text frame sitting there.
When a master, with a primary text frame is applied, you don’t have to override the
primary text frame to type, or paste text into the frame.
Also, the story in the primary text frame, automatically flows into the primary text
frame of the new master page.
Let’s fill in some text, so let’s go to file, and then place, and locate the text
file on the computer, and hit open.
Ignore the ‘missing font’ error, and hit skip.
Now since this is a primary text frame, we can click anywhere in the first column, and
the text will flow seamlessly, through the pages.
Let’s go to page 10, and let’s click at the beginning of this paragraph.
What we’re trying to do is, push the text from this paragraph to the following page,
and to do that, let’s go to type, and then insert break character, and select ‘page
break’, and the paragraphs will jump to the next page.
Let’s say my next page, which in this case is page 11, is chapter 2, and I don’t want
it to begin from the top of the page, because I’ll need some space for the heading.
To achieve that, I’m going to take my cursor to the ‘master page’ zone, and right-click,
and select ‘new master’ option.
In the pop-up menu, the prefix will already be selected as ‘B master’, so just hit okay.
Remember!
At this point, we’ve just created a new master, but it does not have any sort of text
frames, so let’s add them now.
Let’s go to our A master, and hit Command A on a Mac, or Ctrl A on a PC, to select both
the frames, and then copy them using Command C on a Mac, or Ctrl C on a PC.
Get back to B master, and paste the text frames here, using Command V on a Mac, or Ctrl V
on a PC.
It might not be aligned, so just click and drag, for it to shake hands with the margins
of the B master.
If you zoom in, you’ll find that the frames in B master have transformed into regular
master frames, and that’s how the regular frame looks, without the arrow that we found
on the primary text frame earlier.
To turn it into a primary text frame, just click the book icon once, and you shall find
the book icon has a companion now, so it is now a primary text frame.
To find if they are linked, you can go to view, and then extras, and select show text
threads, and the thread will be revealed, confirming the route your text will take to flow.
Let’s drag our frames down on both the pages to make them shorter, because like I mentioned
earlier, we don’t really want full pages on B master.
Now click on page 11 thumbnail to select it, and then right-click, and select ‘apply
master to pages’ option.
From the popup menu, change the master to ‘B master’, and hit okay.
You can see how well page 11 received the B master settings.
If you click the text box, you could see how smoothly the text is communicating between
both the masters.
Let’s find out if this is possible using the regular master text frame.
Let’s go to file, and then new, and select ‘document’.
From the new document creation window, let every setting be intact, except the primary
text frame.
Uncheck the primary text frame box, and hit create.
Let’s go to A master, and using the type tool, create a text box covering the entire
page, and before releasing the mouse, hit the right arrow once to split the text box
into two.
You could clearly see that the icon, this time, is of a master text frame, hence is
missing the tiny right arrow in it.
Now copy the text frame and paste it to the right page of the A master.
Since this is the master text frame, the pages will need to be linked.
If you go to view, and then extras, and select show text threads, you’ll find that the
two pages are not linked yet, so click the small square box at the bottom-right of the
page once, and then click the column on the next page, to link it, and it shall be linked instantly.
Let’s move to page 1, and unlike ‘primary text frame’, you’ll find that the master
text frame is not active here.
You’ll have to override it, should you really want to select the text frame on the page
of the document.
We don’t really need that, so let’s go to file, and then place, and locate the image
on the computer, and hit open.
Skip the ‘missing font’ error, and click on the left column, and the text shall auto-flow.
Much like we did earlier with the primary text frame document, let’s go to page 10,
and place the cursor at the same paragraph, and then go to type, and then insert break
character, and select page break, to push the rest of the text to the next page.
Take your cursor to the ‘maser page’ zone, and right-click, and select ‘new master’ option.
In the pop-up menu, the prefix will already be selected as ‘B master’, so just hit okay.
Now go to A master, and copy the frames on both the pages, like we did earlier, and then
paste them on B master.
Let’s also shorten the text boxes on both the pages.
Since my B master is ready, let’s click page 11 to select it, and then right-click
and select ‘apply master to pages’, and from the popup menu, select B master, and
hit okay.
You’ll find that page 11, is not taking effect of the new master applied to it, like
it did with the primary text frame, so that’s one big reason why you should use primary
text frame instead, particularly when you’re composing a book, or a document that has a
lot of pages in it.
Alright guys, that concludes our session, it’s time for a short break, and I shall
see you in just a bit.
Good bye!