Left and right margin values switched

[Aleksandar Kovač]

Modifying margins, I got this. Left and right margin values are swapped. Here, left input box controls right margin and vice versa, as you can see on the image. E.g. left margin should be 14mm, but instead, right margin is 14pt.

I cannot say exactly how this happens but I think I get this sometimes when starting a document as facing pages document and changing to single pages afterwards.

Sometimes I would switch from 'facing pages' document to single pages document and still see 'inside' and 'outside' margin input boxes.

[thomaso]

As you assumed it occurs when creating a single master page in a facing page document.

In my experience the right value in your screenshot will become the inner value if such a single master gets applied in the facing document pages:
Applied to a document page such a single master gets its margin moved according to the position in the page flow: means, the margins switch their side automatically.
– But different to the master page objects, which do not switch sides !!!

p.s.: I guess it is simply an issue in the UI > labels of the "Left"/"Right" margin fields which might in such a case be named with "Inner"/"Outer" for instance. In my experience switching in this options window by using the "Single" and "Facing" button appears to react inconsistent, sometimes it labels "left", sometimes "inner" for the first field.

[Aleksandar Kovač]

@thomaso Thanks for replying!

I am familiar with inner and outer margins. But here, something else is happening. In a document where 'facing pages' is off and the document is consisted exclusively of single pages (let's say a booklet with verso only printing) margins behave as if there are facing pages.

I am sending you an example of, what I believe to be an error. In the file, there is one master single page. If I try duplicating it, it will be duplicated as one master single page but with margins switched! In single-page layout that is not expected, I'd say.

margins copy.afpub

* "single page layout" - being non-facing-pages layout. As opposed to a file with one page.

[thomaso]

Yes, there are oddities in the way master pages behave.

In my experience any switching between "single" and "facing" confuses the document (and app) + generates such bugs.

I experience the same margin switch from left to right when copying master A.
But also I experience that this duplicated master is named as A, too.

Both issues do not occur to me if I start a new document and do not switch from single to facing and vice versa once the document got created. But if I switch, then I can even get an occurrence like that, where the page orientation is vertically though it is set to horizontally. It can be reproduced just by applying those settings and changing them afterwards a few times. Obviously the document and the app are not up to date at every involved piece of code which generates what I see.

Possible it also might be important whether does Save the document or may be Save-As between those switches. In my trials I have not saved at all.

Yes, I agree there is a bug – but also I think it is easy to avoid if I simply do not change the layout setting of a created document in "Document Setup...".

[Aleksandar Kovač]

Oh, yes! You have been exploring this much deeper. Indeed, strange things happen when changing one's mind from single to facing pages (and the other way around).

[Jon P]

I've reproduced getting a document in a similar state to the one you have attached, you are correct that having margins set on a facing page document and then switching it to non facing page can cause the document to get a bit "confused", as thomaso highlights it also shouldn't be duplicating a master and giving it the name "Master A", it should be giving it the name "Master B".

I've logged this, thanks for reporting it.

[TheOtherRoland]

I just struggled with this same issue for the last 20 minutes - at least I hope it's the same one. I'm on a Mac using Sierra, btw, and APub 1.73.

I had several single page masters set up and was making some margin adjustments to each for a printing job. When I got to one particular Recto master page, it made the adjustment, but in reverse. That is, instead of giving me more white space to the left hand margin, it gave me more on the right.

What are the constitutional ramifications of the margin switching sides? Should I expect an impeachment hearing soon?

My fix came via deleting the original and the copy of the Recto Master and then creating a new one with the inherited margins (I guess it's locked into memory).

That worked. So it seems that one master (Recto) might be influencing the other edited Recto to be treated as a Verso. And that becomes the starting point for the margins. So even if it looks correct on screen, underneath it's actually reversed. Spooky.

[thomaso]

@TheOtherRoland, unfortunately the switch of left/right (or inner/outer) margins, or just their labels, appears to be intentionally and so-called "by design". Although with the previous beta (v502) came improvements for the behavior within the pages panel this left/right issue still exists in the current beta v518 in the way it has been answered already earlier:

User: Does that mean a single master in a facing document always is treated as a left page?
Serif: For now, yes that is the case. It's just the way it's been designed.

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/78148-master-page-margins/&do=findComment&comment=529943

 

[TheOtherRoland]

Thanks, thomaso. I've posted in the other thread just to add to the voices of discontent. I wasn't expecting a problem with APub for something so basic.

[Patrick Connor]

We have made fixes/improvements to this area (Facing page to non facing page documents with margins can become invalid) of the program in the latest Affinity Publisher beta. If you would like to try these changes the beta software is available in the forum posts listed below. Once Affinity Publisher has been through a full beta process the change will be released in a future free 1.8.0 update to all customers.

The 1.8.0 builds are in links at the top of these beta forum posts

• Affinity Publisher 1.8.0.523 for Windows
• Affinity Publisher 1.8.0.523 for macOS

[TheOtherRoland]

Going to give it a try. Thanks.

[thomaso]

On 12/13/2019 at 1:42 PM, Patrick Connor said:

We have made fixes/improvements to this area (Facing page to non facing page documents with margins can become invalid)

v523: I don't experience any change or improvement. – When creating a single master the margin label still says left/right, but on re-opening this spread property it says inner/outer. That makes the right margin as outer and this single master still as a left page.

It still gets confusing when adding such a single page as a right page:
Since its position as odd/even page affects its margins position, it's master's objects still stay fixed and don't get re-placed according to the page and alternating margin position:

[TheOtherRoland]

Just to report back, I have not used the Beta to format master pages. Instead, it crashed on me twice as I was trying to create a new document, so I'm back on 1.73 for now.