How to Make a Book in InDesign CS5

Using Adobe InDesign, you can make your own book, suitable for sending to a printer, printing yourself or saving as a PDF or XML file for creating an e-book. If your book is large, with many chapters and pages, it is important to understand how the Master pages work. These can be used to create templates for each page style in the book, such as pages with numbers, pages without numbers and chapter title pages.

Instructions

1. Layout

   • 1
     Launch InDesign. Press “Ctrl-N” to begin a new document. The New Document window opens. Most of the layout for the book is done in this window.
   • 2
     Click the “Intent” drop-down menu. Click “Print” to create a book for print, or “Web” to create an e-book. Note that the “Facing Pages” option is checked for a print book, but is not for a “Web” e-book. You can deselect this option if your print book will not be bound with facing pages.
   • 3
     Select the “Master Text Frame” option. This will allow you to add the same content to many pages in the book, like page numbers, and to use the same format for pages containing chapter titles.
   • 4
     Select a page size from the “Page Size” menu. Specify whether you want the book to be in “Portrait” or “Landscape” orientation by clicking on the appropriate icon. Alternatively, you can type the “Height” and “Width” of the pages in the text fields.
   • 5
     Type the sizes of the margins in the “Margins” text fields.
   • 6
     Type a number in the “Number of Pages” text field if you have some idea of how large the book will be. Do not add more pages than you will need, as you will have to delete them later.
   • 7
     Review the options you selected and click “OK” to continue.

   Master Pages

   • 1
     Click on the “A” Master page icon in the Pages panel. This will be the master page for normal pages of text in the book. Notice that if you are using “Facing Pages” there are two pages for each Master.
   • 2
     Add a page number if desired by clicking the “Type Tool” in the Toolbox. Drag it across the page in the main window to make a text box in the bottom corner of the page. Click the “Type” menu, then “Insert Special Character,” then “Auto Page Number.” Repeat this step for the facing page if you have facing pages. All pages using this Master will include automatic page numbers.
   • 3
     Click the “New Master” button in the Pages panel to create a new Master page. By default it will be named “B.” Use this master for the first page of each chapter in the book. Select the “B” Master to make it appear in the main window.
   • 4
     Click the “Selection Tool” in the Toolbox and drag top margin down to about halfway down the page. Click the “Type” tool in the Toolbox and create a text box in the top half of the page where you want the chapter title to appear.

   Adding Content

   • 1
     Click the “None” Master page and drag it onto the first page of the book in the Pages panel. This will create a cover page, without a page number.
   • 2
     Click the first page of your book in the Pages panel to make it appear in the main window. Click the “Type” tool and drag it across the page where you want the title to appear. Type the title in the text box and format the text as desired using the format options, such as “Font,” “Font Size,” “Alignment,” etc. Repeat this step for additional introductory pages in the book.
   • 3
     Drag the “B” Master onto the second page of the book to format it as a Chapter page. Click on the second page in the Page panel to make it appear in the main window. Drag the “Type” tool across the blue box indicating where the title will appear. Type the title in the box and format it as desired.
   • 4
     Drag the “Type” tool across the box in the second half of the page so it is within the margins. Type or paste your text into the text box.
   • 5
     Click page “3” in the Pages panel so it appears in the main window. Drag the text tool across the margins to create a text box. Type or paste text into the text box.

   Adding Multiple Pages

   • 1
     Click the “New Page” icon in the Pages panel to add new pages to your book. It will automatically use the Master template of the page before it. Drag any of the “Master” pages onto it to change the template.
   • 2
     Connect the text boxes of several pages to paste several of pages of text into the book at once. When the text box is full, a “+” button appears on the bottom right corner. Click it with the “Selection Tool.” The cursor changes to a text icon. Select the next page from the Pages panel. Move the cursor over that page’s text box. The cursor changes to a “link” icon. Click the text box. The text automatically flows from the first page to the second page. Repeat this as needed until all of the pasted text is visible.
   • 3
     Save your book in InDesign “.indd” format by clicking “Save” in the “File” menu. Export the book as a “.pdf” file clicking “Export” in the “File” menu.