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Publisher workflow: Using purchased layouts/templates


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I'm designing a one-off magazine for a holiday gift project. I purchased a layout template from Creative Market, and the 50-page .idml file imported perfectly.  

Now I have questions about "What next?" By way of background, when Publisher was in beta I self-published a book, and was an occasional (3x/yr) InDesign user, so I can get around and get work done. But I feel like my questions are so basic I'm not even sure how to ask for help. 

I EXPECTED the workflow to be something like:

  • Purchased .idml files are imported as master pages. 
  • I add document pages or spreads, and select which master page to apply.
  • I build up the magazine, spread by spread, adjusting, re-ordering, etc as I go.

INSTEAD, the .idml file imported as pages, and I'm not sure what the workflow should be...

  • I could just start dropping images into frames and flow text into boxes, but I don't necessarily want their specific sequence of spreads, or this number of spreads, etc. Of course I can re-order the spreads, and add new ones by duplicating existing spreads, but is this the right way to start?
  • I thought, Well, I'll create a new document, and copy pages/spreads from this purchased layout to my new layout, but it doesn't appear that I can copy a page/spread, much less paste it into a different document. 
  • I could leave all the new (template) spreads in place, and "build" the magazine with new pages added at the end of the document, and near the completion of the project delete all the unused blank template spreads. 
  • I could just start hacking at this imported .idml file and if I delete a page/spread I later want just import the .idml file again and delete the other 49 pages I don't need.

None of these seem like the way to go. 

What's the clean, normal way to design a document based on a purchased layout file? I want to use it as a starting point, a collection of pages, as if they're modular elements, that I can apply to my own spreads. I seem to have a conceptual gap about what the normal workflow should be. The question seems so entry-level it's embarrassing to ask!  
 

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  • Staff

Hi Notio,

Welcome to the forums :)

Its difficult to suggest a workflow without seeing the template however from what you have described I would go with your first workflow bullet point " I could just start dropping images into frames and flow text into boxes..."

Thanks

C

Please tag me using @ in your reply so I can be sure to respond ASAP.

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