How can I combine the layouts from two different files?

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No more pile of files

Ever had the need to combine layouts from two or more individuals files, but there was no simple way to do it? You can Select All > Copy a layout from the original file, add pages to the destination file and then Paste in Place (the same as Power Paste in Adobe PageMaker). However, that's tedious and cumbersome.

InDesign gives you a quick and easy way to combine layouts from different files into one file. This technique is especially helpful for schools indexing a book greater than 200 pages. InDesign CS and CS2 limits the indexing Book list to just 100 individual files. Assuming each file is a two-page spread, you would be limited to indexing 200 pages. By combining several individual two-page files into larger multiple-page files, you can work around this limitation. This combining process will work best on completed pages you have archived for indexing after sending the originals to the plant.

dot 1 Open your first file (destination file). In our example, we've opened the file for pages 102-103.

 

dot 2 Open your second file (originating file). In our example, we've opened the file for pages 104-105. We want to add the layout for pages 104-105 (originating file) to the file with the layout for pages 102-103 (destination file.)

dot 3To view both layouts on the screen at the same time, go to Window > Arrange > Tile. In CS3 go to Window > Arrange > Tile Horizontally or Tile Vertically.

 

dot 4 Open the Pages palette for the originating file.
 In our example, the Pages palette for 104-105 is opened.

 

dot 5Click, hold and drag the icon(s) in the Pages palette for originating page(s) onto the destination pages.

  • InDesign CS4 & CS3 only: An Insert Pages dialog box will open with the option to insert the pages:
    •  After a page
    • Before a page
    • At the start of document
    • At the end of document
  • Click OK after making a selection.

Insert pages dialog

dot 6 The originating pages have now been duplicated and added in the location you chose in the Insert Pages dialog box in InDesign CS4 and CS3 or as the last pages in the destination file in InDesign CS and CS2.

step 7

dot 7 It is important to remember that in InDesign CS and CS2 pages added to the destination file are always added as new pages at the end of the page list.

  • You may need to rearrange the order of the page icons within the Pages palette to have your page numbering correct.
  • You may also need to go to Layout > Numbering & Section Options to renumber the originating pages if they are not sequential with the destination pages.

Step 6

Submitted by Kara Peterson
Herff Jones Sales Representative, VA

Discoveries Vol. 10 No. 2