Issues with Pages, Images and TOC

[Mork]

I have a document where I have pasted in some images around the document's text.

But, when I go and generate a TOC at the top of the document, these images are no longer in the correct place. They're all over the place.

I've tried switching between image properties "Stay on Page" vs "Move with Text" to see if that would help keep the images with the text I pasted them with. Nope.

I also tried creating a section break to see if that would help, but as soon as I create a TOC, all the images seem to stay where they were which is now mixed in the TOC itself. Nope, didn't help.

I'm really trying to give Pages a try, but not able to find easy solutions to (simple?) problems like this.

I'm assuming there's a trick, but the "lock" option for the image is grayed out. Not sure what else to try.

Thanks

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Hack option: create the TOC as a SEPARATE page in a separate document, then merge it into the PDF after the rest is finished. In other words, print the Pages doc to PDF, print the TOC doc to PDF and then add the TOC PDF page to the Pages doc PDF in "preview" app.

Or if you intend to PRINT this document, put TOC at the end, print and then bring the last page to the first (or early) page.

I usually create documents in Page's Page Layout Mode in which I just lock images to pages. I leave a page or two up front blank to fill in as TOC as the rest of the document comes together and is polished. I suspect you are in Word Processor mode. You might try Page Layout mode instead... though that will involve having to put text in text boxes and images back where you want them again.

I think you are probably dealing with (images set to) "move with text" issues. Another option is to click each image and switch it from that to "stay on page." Then put them back where they belong and all should be OK. The catch with this option is that if you are continuing to evolve the text, images may end up too far away from the text (as originally intended). So then you have to go in and re-align images.

If you prefer Word Processor mode, the best option is to save image insertion until you have the text polished and perfected and/or don't wrap text around images but put images "inline with text" so that there is text over image over more text. That will generally work well in WP mode.

 

[Mork]

Thanks for your reply!

The hack option won't work after the first paste since more items will be added (dynamically by pages) to the TOC as the document expands. I can't put the TOC at the end of the document but that would be a good hack if the client would allow it.

As I wrote initially, the "Stay on Page" is something I've tried, but I've now spent about six hours just trying to keep the images with the text they go with.

Honestly, none of this image craziness happens in either Word or in LibreOffice, but I assumed I just didn't know Pages well enough.

I think my pages experiment has failed. Back to Word or LibreOffice I guess.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Clarifying Hack option: if you give the document a blank page (or two if lengthy document) for TOC and then lay out the rest, you will be able to dynamically fill in the TOC on the (now) blank page(s) as the document grows. Image placements, etc. will stay where they should stay (you just have to delete the new lines that will be created on the NEXT page (after TOC) as you add TOC content to pull subsequent content back to where it should be... UNLESS, you are editing document content with images also placed. If this, I strongly suggest creating a new Page Layout document and creating this document that way. Then you will have total control of content on every page and you can include a TOC, even insert new pages between existing pages.

Pages is quite a great (simple) DTP app in Page Layout mode. For more complicated documents, Page Layout mode is the way to go IMO.

But yes, apps like Word can create content as if it is just one long page vs. Pages which is basically treating it more like individual pages already exist.

Tip: If you can revert to the document BEFORE you added the TOC (so it is laid out as you want it), you may be able to Export to Word and then carry on in Word... including creating the TOC in Word. That may save you some steps.

If the efforts to create TOC has "destroyed" the formatting but you have a Time Machine backup, you can probably recover the last version BEFORE you tried adding the TOC and then Export that to Word.

 

[sahnert]

I've tried switching between image properties "Stay on Page" vs "Move with Text" to see if that would help keep the images with the text I pasted them with. Nope.

I hope I'm understanding your issue correctly. It sounds like you are adding the TOC at the beginning of the document after you have already created the text of the document, and when you do the text moves down to accommodate the new TOC, but the images don't move so they are no longer aligned with the text. Is that right?

For this use you definitely want "Move with Text" which will keep the images at whatever insert point you place them with the text.

If you use "Stay on Page" the images will not stay with the text when the text shifts around (when you add text or TOC to beginning of document for example).

This works correctly for me in a sample document using lorem ipsum text and sample images.

 

[Mork]

I hope I'm understanding your issue correctly. It sounds like you are adding the TOC at the beginning of the document after you have already created the text of the document, and when you do the text moves down to accommodate the new TOC, but the images don't move so they are no longer aligned with the text. Is that right?

For this use you definitely want "Move with Text" which will keep the images at whatever insert point you place them with the text.

If you use "Stay on Page" the images will not stay with the text when the text shifts around (when you add text or TOC to beginning of document for example).

This works correctly for me in a sample document using lorem ipsum text and sample images.

Thanks much!

Yes, this did in fact seem to be the problem. I thought I had all the graphics set with "Move with Text", but perhaps I missed one. In any case, it seems to be working as expected now.

Thank you for your excellent and helpful reply.

 

[Mork]

When I go to the TOC view on the left side of Pages and click, to include, all the "Caption" options shown (to include them in the TOC) and then generate the TOC, the captions are not included in the TOC.

I've added captions beneath screenshots so it would be very helpful for these to be in the TOC also.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[kirbyrun]

When I go to the TOC view on the left side of Pages and click, to include, all the "Caption" options shown (to include them in the TOC) and then generate the TOC, the captions are not included in the TOC.

I've added captions beneath screenshots so it would be very helpful for these to be in the TOC also.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Silly question, perhaps, but... Did you use the Caption paragraph style in your document?

 

[Mork]

Silly question, perhaps, but... Did you use the Caption paragraph style in your document?

Yes, I think so. I highlighted the text and tried all the "Captions" options in the Style picker.

None worked for me.

Can you get it to work?

Thanks

 

[kirbyrun]

Yes, I think so. I highlighted the text and tried all the "Captions" options in the Style picker.

None worked for me.

Can you get it to work?

Thanks

Seems to be working for me. Selected "Caption" in the Style picker, then over in the TOC sidebar, I selected "Edit" and checked off "Caption." Boom. Works.

 

[Mork]

Seems to be working for me. Selected "Caption" in the Style picker, then over in the TOC sidebar, I selected "Edit" and checked off "Caption." Boom. Works.

Maybe the problem I'm having is because I clicked add caption for the image itself. In that case, even changing the style item to any kind of caption is not included in the TOC.