Mailbag Answers Posts

Transform a Frame Into a Grid of Frames

September 1 2008 • 1:50 PM

Splitting a frame into a grid of smaller frames isn’t that hard… once you know the secret!

Making a Vertical Bar in a Table (without using tables)

August 20 2008 • 3:08 PM

Making a vertical line in a table without using tables requires some tricky text maneuvering

Print Blank Pages Messes Up Print Booklet

August 18 2008 • 1:54 PM

What do you do when Print Booklet starts unexpectedly adding pages?

Adjusting the Position of Gradients

August 9 2008 • 11:04 AM

Blends are one of InDesign’s least intuitive features, but they’re not hard to control once you’ve used the Gradient tool

How Can I Align Double Digits in a Numbered List?

July 26 2008 • 8:10 PM

Question: What is the secret of getting numbers to align correctly in  numbered lists in CS3? If you want numbers to align on the decimal or  align right, simply choosing “Align right” in the Bullet or Number  Position area seldom does the job. It takes a lot of fiddling. Is there any logic  going on [...]

Nested versus Next

July 25 2008 • 7:32 PM

Question:
I am creating nested style-sheets for a magazine. The problem is that, after a hard return, it won’t properly apply to the paragraph (see examples). Is there a fix for this?
Answer:
Great idea, but you’ve confused Nested Styles with InDesign’s Next Style feature. Despite the slight similarity in names, these function quite differently.
Nested Styles allow you [...]

Break Up a Data Merge Document into Many Files

July 22 2008 • 3:55 PM

David explores an obscure Data Merge feature that can make a big impact

Getting a History Palette in InDesign

July 22 2008 • 8:36 AM

Wish you had Photoshop’s History panel inside InDeisgn? Now you can have one!

Create Spread Numbers

July 14 2008 • 1:31 PM

I frequently get asked how to create automatic spread numbers–as opposed to automatic page numbers–in an InDesign layout. Some users need page 1 to be numbered “1″ (first spread), page 3 to be numbered “2″ (second spread), page 5 numbered “3,” page 7 numbered “4″ and so on. I’ve never actually seen a publication numbered [...]

Building an Index Using Character Styles or External Word List

July 14 2008 • 9:16 AM

Two scripts that solve age-old indexing problems