Dictionary style layout in Frame
Kenneth C. Benson
kbenson at pegtype.com
Fri Oct 5 13:26:14 PDT 2007
Tina Ricks wrote:
> When I go from G to H in a dictionary, for
> example, there is a horizontal separator across both columns and a great big
> letter H, and then the H words start. I can't do this with master pages,
> because the separator needs to "flow" with the text. Does that make any
> sense? If this was Word, I'd think of it like a floating section break. But
> it needs to go across two columns.
Art's method is going to work great if you want each letter to start a
new page, but I think what you want is for text to flow from the top of
the left column down to the middle of the left column, jump to the top
of the right column down to the middle of the right column, back to the
left column in the middle, span both columns with a letter break, then
continue with text in the left column under the break filling the
remainder of the left and right columns.
The only way I know to do this in Frame is by using two text frames, one
for the top two columns, and a second one for the letter break and the
bottom two columns. Since the letter break is not likely to end up in
the same vertical position for every letter, this is not something you
could accomplish with one master page, although you could certainly do
it with 26 (one for each letter). But I'm not sure of the benefit of
making 26 master pages, each of which would have to be adjusted every
time the text reflowed. Probably just as easy and maintainable to use
one master page with two text boxes and adjust each usage of that page
locally.
If you have any control over the design, starting each letter on a new
page and following Art's instructions will make life a lot simpler.
Kenneth Benson
Pegasus Type, Inc.
www.pegtype.com
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