Create multi-page layouts

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Interior Design · Level 6

Computer Grapics

Chapter 4: Create multi-page layouts

📚 8 Topics

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⚑ What you will be able to do

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Accurately set up your document according to the specific layout requirements of your project.
Create and apply master pages to keep your design consistent across all pages.
Use grid systems, guides, and alignment tools to neatly arrange all your layout elements.
Create and format text frames that follow typographic standards for easy and clear reading.
Import, place, and scale images and graphics correctly to fit your project perfectly.
Save your work in editable formats so you can make changes anytime.
Export your files properly for both print and digital use.
Design and present multi-page layouts that meet the project brief successfully.

Mastering these skills will help you create professional layouts that look great and work well in real-world design projects!

4.1 Document setup and configuration

Adobe InDesign is a professional page layout program used to design multi-page documents such as brochures, reports, catalogues, portfolios, magazines and presentation booklets by combining text frames, images and graphics on carefully structured pages. Document setup and configuration is the first stage of any InDesign project: choosing the intent, page size, number of pages, orientation, facing pages, columns, margins, bleed and slug, and setting preferences and units. These settings form the framework every page is built on, so getting them right at the start avoids reflowing text and repositioning images later. Example: before designing a 24-page project portfolio for a design studio, a designer sets up an A4 portrait document with facing pages, 15 mm margins, three columns and 3 mm bleed for professional printing.

4.1.1 Document intent

The intent tells InDesign whether the document is meant for print, web or mobile use, which sets suitable default units, colour and page sizes. Choosing the correct intent at the start saves later conversion work. Example: a designer creates a printed catalogue for a kitchen fittings supplier with the Print intent, but uses the Web intent for an on-screen version sent to customers.

Intent	Default units	Default colour	Typical use
Print	Millimetres or points	CMYK	Brochures, reports, portfolios, presentation booklets
Web	Pixels	RGB	On-screen PDFs and digital publications
Mobile	Pixels	RGB	Documents viewed on phones and tablets

4.1.2 New Document settings

The New Document dialog brings together all the settings for the document's structure. Each setting affects how pages are laid out and produced. Example: a designer producing an annual report for a water resources agency sets 40 pages, facing pages and a primary text frame so long text flows automatically.

Setting	Purpose	Typical interior design choice
Width and height	Size of each page	A4 (210 × 297 mm) or A3 for boards
Units	Measurement system	Millimetres for print
Orientation	Portrait or landscape	Portrait for reports, landscape for portfolios
Pages	Number of pages at the start	Estimated page count, more can be added later
Start page number	Number of the first page	1, or an even number to start on a left page
Facing pages	Creates left and right pages as spreads	On for booklets, off for single sheets
Primary text frame	Adds a text frame on the parent page	On for text-heavy documents
Columns and gutter	Number of columns and space between them	2 or 3 columns with a 5 mm gutter
Margins	Space between page edges and content	12 to 20 mm
Bleed	Extra area beyond the trim for edge-to-edge printing	3 mm on all sides
Slug	Area outside the bleed for printer notes	0 to 10 mm when needed

Facing and non-facing pages compared

Feature	Facing pages	Non-facing pages
Page arrangement	Left and right pages shown as spreads	Single pages shown one after another
Margins	Inside and outside margins	Left and right margins
Best for	Brochures, books, magazines, portfolios	Posters, flyers, single sheets, slides
Binding	Allows for gutter at the spine	No binding consideration

Steps for setting up a multi-page document

Open New Document: Choose File, New, Document, or press Ctrl + N.
Choose the intent: Select the Print tab or intent.
Set the page size: Choose A4 or enter a custom width and height.
Set orientation and pages: Choose portrait or landscape and enter the number of pages.
Tick Facing Pages: For booklets and portfolios.
Set columns and gutter: For example 3 columns and a 5 mm gutter.
Set margins: Enter top, bottom, inside and outside margins.
Set bleed and slug: Enter 3 mm bleed on all sides.
Click Create: The document opens with pages ready.

Steps for saving a document preset

Enter all settings: Complete the New Document settings as required.
Click the save preset icon: Located near the preset name.
Name the preset: Use a clear name, such as A4_Portfolio_3col.
Save the preset: Click Save Preset.
Use the preset: Select it from Saved presets for future documents.
Share with the team: Export presets so colleagues use the same settings.

4.1.3 Configuring the document after setup

Settings can be adjusted after creating a document through Document Setup and Margins and Columns, and preferences control units, display and behaviour. Example: a designer working on a property brochure for a real estate developer increases the bleed after the printer requests 5 mm, using Document Setup.

Configuration options

Document Setup (File, Document Setup): Change page size, orientation, pages, facing pages, bleed and slug.
Margins and Columns (Layout, Margins and Columns): Change margins and columns for selected pages.
Adjust Layout: Automatically reposition content when page size or margins change.
Preferences, Units and Increments: Set rulers to millimetres and text to points.
Preferences, Guides and Pasteboard: Set guide colours and pasteboard size.
Swatches and colour settings: Load project or brand colours.
Page numbering and sections: Set numbering style and starting numbers.

Worked example: column width

Column width = (page width − inside margin − outside margin − (number of columns − 1) × gutter) ÷ number of columns

An A4 page is 210 mm wide with 20 mm inside and 15 mm outside margins, 3 columns and a 5 mm gutter.

Column width = (210 − 20 − 15 − (3 − 1) × 5) ÷ 3

Column width = (175 − 10) ÷ 3

Column width = 165 ÷ 3 = 55 mm

Worked example: page count for saddle-stitched booklets

Saddle-stitched booklets need page counts that are multiples of 4.

Pages needed = next multiple of 4 at or above the content pages

A portfolio has 22 pages of content.

22 ÷ 4 = 5.5, rounded up to 6

Pages needed = 6 × 4 = 24 pages, so 2 extra pages are added

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🔒4.2 Creation and application master pages

A master page, called a parent page in recent versions of InDesign, is a template page whose content appears automatically on every document page it is applied to. Items such as page numbers, headers, footers, logos, background colours, margin guides and stand…

🔒4.3 Application of grid systems, guides and alignment tools

A grid system is an invisible framework of columns, rows, margins and gutters that organises text and images on a page, while guides are the non-printing lines that make the grid visible in InDesign, and alignment tools line up and space objects precisely. Tog…

🔒4.4 Creation and formatting of text frames

A text frame in InDesign is a container that holds text on a page. Frames can be drawn, resized, moved and linked so that long text flows from one frame to the next across columns and pages, a process called threading. Text frames are formatted with columns, i…

🔒4.5 Import and edit images

Importing images in InDesign means placing photographs, renderings, plans and graphics into frames on the page, while editing images means adjusting how they are cropped, scaled, fitted, positioned and styled within those frames. InDesign links placed images t…

🔒4.6 Save files in editable formats

Saving InDesign work in an editable format keeps the layout's pages, master pages, frames, threaded text, styles, swatches, linked images and settings available for future changes. The native INDD format is the main working format, INDT stores reusable templat…

🔒4.7 Files exportation.

Exporting in InDesign produces finished output files from a layout, such as print-ready PDFs for printers, interactive or smaller PDFs for email and screen viewing, JPEG or PNG images of pages for social media and websites, and EPUB or online publications for…

🔒4.8 Multi-page layout presentation.

Multi-page layout presentation is the way a finished multi-page InDesign document, such as a design proposal, portfolio, catalogue or report, is organised, reviewed and shown to its audience. It covers the structure of the document, its sequence of pages and s…

Am I competent?

At the start of this chapter we promised you would be able to:

Accurately set up your document according to the specific layout requirements of your project.
Create and apply master pages to keep your design consistent across all pages.
Use grid systems, guides, and alignment tools to neatly arrange all your layout elements.
Create and format text frames that follow typographic standards for easy and clear reading.
Import, place, and scale images and graphics correctly to fit your project perfectly.
Save your work in editable formats so you can make changes anytime.
Export your files properly for both print and digital use.
Design and present multi-page layouts that meet the project brief successfully.

Tick each one you can genuinely do.

So, are you there yet?

You're competent when you can confidently do 50% or more of what this chapter promised.

← Ch 3: Create and edit vector graphics Ch 5: Apply typography to projects →