Indesign Header – Running Title Overlap

This has been a feature that’s been on the wish list for a while. To my knowledge it’s still not possible since text variables cannot wrap to a second line. There’s a plugin from In-tools that does it but is not free: https://in-tools.com/article/power-headers/power-headers-20-released/

That’s why I use a character style for my running heads. And I set it up to end at an end nested command.

I work on a lot of books where the running heads are too long. Usually when there is a colon it in, and they decide not to make it a chapter sub title. So in the instances where one is too long, I insert a end nested command before the colon.

I’ve also found using a character style much easier than paragraph style, especially if I have multiple style sheets for chapter titles (such as CT, CT2, CT3, etc.), which have different spacing below for even lines. Instead of creating three master pages for those elements, I can use one because of the running head character style.

What I do is apply a Character Style through the Paragraph Style in the Nested Style Section.

Create as many character styles as necessary – start by selecting None – and then create new – don’t select anything, just name it RH Line 1 or something.

Then in the Paragraph Style in “Nested Style” section, make the first 4 words “Line 1”, then then next 4 words “Line 2” etc.

In the Running Heads Text Variable section – setup 2 or 3 running head variables, base them on character styles, and choose the Line 1, Line 2 etc.

Insert the Running in heads as so

<<Line 1>>
<<Line 2>>

This means that the first 4 words will be picked up and the next 4 words will be picked up.

Giving you the running heads that work for you.

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There’s a plugin available called PowerHeaders – it’s not free – but it might better for you https://in-tools.com/products/plugins/power-headers/

Thanks for the help Eugene. Your method works great.

Hi Eugene and Dwayne

I’ve been trying to get this to work with Nested LINE Styles … and I’m finding that the Running Header won’t pickup a Character Tag that has been applied using a Nested Line Style. Too bad … cuz this would have been great: just being able to say “apply ‘abc’ to Line 1, and ‘xyz’ to Line 2 … and then have the Running Head pickup each line.

Curious to know if there’s a way to make this work with Nested Line Styles, rather than have to know ‘how many’ words to set the ‘normal’ nested styles to look for.

Thanks

Allan

Thanks for your tip, Eugene !

Works great… except for short titles (up to 4 words) : the second line in the header will be the one from the last more-than-4-words title !

Don’t have a clue how to work around this…

Allan : too bad Nested Line Styles don’t work… tried as well.

I thought I found a workaround : a text box with two spaces with <<Line 1>> and <<Line 2>> style that I put in master page before the actual title box.

So, they should reset the last <<Line 1>> and <<Line 2>> text used to ” “.

But it doesn’t work…