Master Pages

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Why Master Pages?

As soon as you consider using many objects (common headers, logos, background, page numbers etc.) in the same places throughout your document, you will be well advised to use master pages. You'll avoid some unnecessary drudgery and spare much time this way.

If you think of a page as a transparent foil, a master page is an underlay with some fixed elements. You can place and arrange many items on the foil, but you can't change the underlay. These elements can be both items which will print, such as headers or page numbers, and those which will not, such as guides and margins.

Below you see a master page for an exhibition catalogue. It contains a page header and placeholders for page numbers (page numbers will always be displayed with #-characters on master pages). The page also uses guides. All of it will appear on each page that uses this master page, but it can't be “touched” on a normal page.

Creating and Editing Master Pages

To create or edit a master page, you have to use Edit > Master Pages. This will turn Scribus into the editing mode for master pages. You'll recognize the editing mode by the displayed editing dialog for master pages:

Image:Masterp1.png

In the dialog you see the default master page “Normal”. It is created when you create a new document. It's always present and cannot be deleted – the delete button will be disabled if the master page “Normal” is selected. “Normal” can be edited, even though it's better to leave it empty to be able to insert new empty pages.

The editing dialog for master pages provides four buttons. Their function is (from left to right):

  • Add a new master page
  • Duplicate an existing master page
  • Import master pages from another document
  • Delete the selected master page

If you click on the button for the creation of a new master page, another dialog is displayed. You have to enter a name for the page. Other options depend on the type of the document:

  • In single page documents, there are no further options available.
  • In double-sided documents, you have to decide whether you want to create a master page for a left or a right page.
  • In 3-folded documents, you have to decide whether you want to create a master page for a left, a middle or a right page.
  • In 4-folded documents, you have to decide whether you want to create a master page for a left, a middle left, a middle right or a right page.

Image:Masterp2.png

If you find that you need a master page similar to an existing one, click on “Duplicate” to clone the selected master page rather than starting a new one from scratch. In our example above, the text in the headers had to be changed for each section of the exhibition, thus, copying the original master pages was a real time-saver.

The dialog for duplicating a master page is almost identical to the one for new master pages. The only difference is the default name of the new page:

Image:Masterp3.png

Another way to create a new master page is to convert an existing page into a master page. To create a master page from a normal page, click on the page (to select it), then use Page > Convert to Master Page. The dialog that will be displayed is almost identical to the ones described above, except that the default name for the new page is “New Master Page”.

Image:Pages7.png

You can also import a master page from another document by clicking on Import Master Pages from Another Document button, which opens an import dialog:

Image:Masterp4.png

Next, click on the button “Change...” to select a document containing the master page you would like to import. Choose a master page from the drop-down list and click the Import button.

Applying Master Pages

To apply an existing master page to a page or a range of pages, use Page > Apply Master Page... or Apply Master Page... from the context menu (right-click on the page). This brings up a multifunctional dialog:

Image:Pages6.png

In the drop-down list in the upper right you can select a master page. Now you can apply the master page to the:

  • Current page
  • Even pages
  • Odd pages
  • All pages
  • and you may apply to a range of pages


Perhaps not surprisingly, the option “Even pages” can only be selected when the document has more than one page. Also, applying to a range of pages only applies when you have selected “All pages”.

Another way to apply a master page (especially to single pages) exists in the Arrange Pages dialog. If you open Windows > Arrange Pages, Scribus shows all available master pages in the upper field. You can switch on a thumbnail preview for those pages if you click with the right mouse button on one of the entries.

To apply a master page to a particular page, drag the style with the mouse over a page symbol.

Image:Arrange-pages.png

When you insert a new page (Page > Insert), you open up a dialog, in which you can choose to add one or more pages, choose the place of insertion, and in addition decide whether these new pages will contain master pages. Depending on the type of the document, you can apply different styles to different page types, for instance left and right pages:

Image:Pages1.png

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