Pages Template question...

[SooTyLaD]

Hey guys,

I,ve been having a play with Pages '08 (had my mac for a few months but have only just got around to trying to learn iWork)...

I can't seem to get templates to behave properly... and have a few questions to clarify what i'm doing...

1) i started with one of the default templates, but switched the image at the top left for my company logo, i then changed the text in the left margin which was basically contact information, then made sure both of these were moved to the "selection master" - now i assumed this would mean they would appear on every successive page, but this isn't the case, when i get to the next page, it all reverts to the original design despite bits of that being deleted and changed... i did notice however that if i insert a section break, my proper design becomes the template for that next page...

i know there must be something i'm doing wrong... anyone know what it is?

2) is there anyway to resize the main text box in the middle? i want it to go only about 2/3 down the page as i have inserted a permanent fixture text box in the bottom portion...

3) i have noticed some words are kinda fixed... if i click on some words the whole thing gets highlighted like an object and individual letters cannot be changed, meaning the only thing you can do to edit it is delete the whole word... what is going on there? i can see it would be useful for templates but i would like to be able to set my own "locked words" - anyone know how to do this?

right well thats all the questions on my mind can anyone help me out?

(preferring it a lot to word by the way )

 

[Mac In School]

Are you using a word processing or page layout template? Which one?

1. If word processing mode: Try putting your logo in as a header, rather than in the page body.

1. If page layout mode: Clicking the +Pages button in the top-left corner will add a new page from the same template set.

I'm not sure if either of those are the ones you're after though. Generally speaking the images are meant to be unique each time, especially in page layout mode. Basically, anything not in the header aren't meant to carry over.

2. Just single-click on the textbox and resize using the little boxes in the corners. Of course, if it's just a letter (or something else in word processing mode) you're using, it's probably not a text box. You could adjust the margins, or delete the free-flowing text and create a textbox.

3. To lock something, select the words, then choose "Lock" from the "Arrange" menu. If it's already locked, selected "Unlock" from the "Arrange" menu.

 

[Mitou]

If you want to duplicate the page with the logo you could select the page and hit command+D you will have the exact same page you will only have to edit the central text.
Not a perfect solution but it might help until someone has a better one.

 

[Virgil-TB2]

... I can't seem to get templates to behave properly...

1) i started with one of the default templates, but switched the image at the top left for my company logo, i then changed the text in the left margin which was basically contact information, then made sure both of these were moved to the "selection master" - now i assumed this would mean they would appear on every successive page, but this isn't the case, when i get to the next page, it all reverts to the original design despite bits of that being deleted and changed... i did notice however that if i insert a section break, my proper design becomes the template for that next page...

I would start over and make a template. That is, do what you did here, but then stop and save it as a template. You can also just start with a blank template, and spend a bit of time modifying it, then save it as a template that you can pick from the template selector next time you want a document of that type.

... 2) is there anyway to resize the main text box in the middle? i want it to go only about 2/3 down the page as i have inserted a permanent fixture text box in the bottom portion...

It's hard to describe here exactly how to do this. Pages works quite differently from other programs and it took me quite a while to find all this stuff. This can be changed though, it's on the somewhat less than intuitive "Inspector Palette."

... 3) i have noticed some words are kinda fixed... if i click on some words the whole thing gets highlighted like an object and individual letters cannot be changed, meaning the only thing you can do to edit it is delete the whole word... what is going on there? i can see it would be useful for templates but i would like to be able to set my own "locked words" - anyone know how to do this?

This is another Apple "feature." Because they want the new user to be able to click once and then start typing to replace the text, the very first time you click on a text box in a template the behaviour is to select all the text. I have never found a way to stop it doing that, but the good news is the second time you select the same text box, it allows you to edit individual words and letters.

I am working on making templates myself. It's very tedious trying to learn all this stuff but after about three two hours sessions I have pretty much figured most of it out. It's even possible to make your own templates that have sections that can be added from the drop down menu, complete with icons etc.

Cheer up! You will make it, and yes once you get over the hump it is a great deal easier than learning Word.

 

[desenso]

3) i have noticed some words are kinda fixed... if i click on some words the whole thing gets highlighted like an object and individual letters cannot be changed, meaning the only thing you can do to edit it is delete the whole word... what is going on there? i can see it would be useful for templates but i would like to be able to set my own "locked words" - anyone know how to do this?

It's a feature called "Placeholder Text" which you can uncheck. I attached a screenshot to show where it is in the menus.