Gutter, any tips on how to add to existing document?

[nsomnius]

I'm using Publisher 1.8.3 and wonder how to set up gutter for a single or two page spread. This is an imported Word doc that has been extensively edited in Publisher. I probably should have thought of this at the outset but I hope that despite no 'gutter' document option that it won't be too hard to implement. Open to any suggestions or best practices. 

[walt.farrell]

I can think of at least two meanings for gutter in the context of your question. Can you explain a bit more about what you mean?

 

[nsomnius]

Sorry, I mean the gutter that accounts for the amount of visible page that is eaten up by the book binding process.

- Mirrored, full content offset towards the out edge of each printed page. 

[walt.farrell]

Thanks.

When you create a document, you control that via the Margins you specify. For a Facing Page document you would want (I think) a smaller right margin on the left-hand page, and a smaller left margin on the right-hand page. (Unless I have that backward.)

If you already have the document created, you control the margins via File > Spread Setup.

[lacerto]

(...)

[nsomnius]

Fantastic workaround you have there!  I have an imported Word document to start from, the author is most comfortable in Word and far be it from me to try and change that.

My approach, which I'm only half way through finding out the variables of, is to create Master pages for Left and Right, which have the gutter in place, as well as a pair of Left and Right Master pages where there is no page enumeration desired, to account for those. Then I switch the document set up to facing pages and apply after selecting all of the desired Lefts and applying Master C, and then the same for applying to the Right facing pages, it's respective Master. This avoids reformatting all pages, some of which do not need page numbers and it keeps the enumeration as intended. 

Two things I've noticed that could be 'fixed'. One, even after centering the content on the page originally, after applying a Master with page gutter, the centering relative to the margins is disregarded and I have to use the center alignment tools to redo that, for each page. This is one area where things could be improved upon. Retaining relationships to the page margins as they are changed and Master pages applied. 

The second thing I noticed is that by default, upon opening a Word doc, text frames do not collapse to fit the text, image captions, for example, imported from Word (this author can't be the only one doing so) do not fit right when centered. The additional space within the text frames causes an offset to one or another side when attempting to apply centered formatting. For every text frame I have to select and then double click the border and collapse it to fit the line of characters and only then apply center alignment to page margins. 

Small consolation that this is just a photo book with 56 pages and captions. I am learning a lot in the process but all of this time I'm spending is lost to me and could be better spent if so much manual labor weren't involved. 

One would think that page gutter is a very basic necessity and that existing formatting would be respected as it was updated/changed. Yes, I'm asking for better Word support more than Publisher development, but again, I can't be alone in the need for gutter assignment ability to documents that are imported/opened into Publisher. 

Many thanks, Lagarto, for the detailed and extremely thoughtful and generous response. It is not lost on me. I also think it will be of great use to others as this program is developing and the need for other features arise. 

 

[lacerto]

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[nsomnius]

Agreed. I'm glad to have found Affinity Publisher and I think Affinity's future is a bright one. I see it playing out even now, with attracting users who take it seriously, such as yourself. 

Edited April 9, 2020 by nsomnius