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how to use parent pages in indesign

HeyBraza points at the renamed parent page in the pages panel and shows you the exact drag-to-apply move.

parent pages (renamed from master pages) let you design a header, footer, or background once and have it repeat on every page. the confusing part is the rename and where to drag them. here's how to build one and apply it across your document.

or do it yourself

  1. 1open the pages panel (window > pages) - parent pages sit in the top section, document pages below.
  2. 2double-click the 'a-parent' page to edit it, then add the elements you want on every page (logo, header, footer).
  3. 3to apply it, drag the parent page thumbnail down onto a document page - or right-click a page and choose 'apply parent to pages'.
  4. 4to remove a parent from a page, drag the '[none]' parent onto that page instead.
  5. 5note: parent-page items are locked on document pages - shift+ctrl+click (shift+cmd+click on mac) to override and edit one.

let HeyBraza do this with you

HeyBraza is a tiny on-screen guide that points at the right buttons and talks you through it, on windows and mac.

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common questions

what happened to master pages in indesign?

adobe renamed master pages to 'parent pages' - same feature, same place in the pages panel, just a new name since the 2021 release.

why can't i select something from my parent page?

parent-page items are locked on document pages by design - hold shift+ctrl (shift+cmd on mac) and click to override and edit just that item.

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