Design the page layout

Design the page layout, design text formats, standardizing formats, set up numbering, define special text in FrameMaker.

  1. Create a document. You can start with either a custom new document or a copy of an existing document you plan to modify.

    Tip: To see how facing pages look as you design the page layout, display them side by side. Choose View > Options, and then choose Facing Pages from the Page Scrolling drop-down list. Make the document window larger and zoom out, if necessary, to fit both pages in the window.
  2. Define the column layout. If you started with a custom document, you have already specified the margins and the number of columns. If you’re modifying an existing document, you may want to change the column layout.

  3. Add and name any custom master pages you will need.

  4. Enter background text and graphics on the master pages, including headers and footers.

    If a running header or footer shows the text or an autonumber of a document paragraph, such as a chapter or section title, it contains a Running H/F variable that refers to the paragraph. To set this up, determine the style for that paragraph.

  5. Define the custom document properties, such as numbering and text options, and specify the view options.