Switching from PageMaker to InDesign CS2
Threading and unthreading text frames
PageMaker is like InDesign CS2 in that the text in a frame can be independent of other frames,
or it can be part of a linked sequence of frames. Linked frames can be on the same page or spread,
or on any other page in the document. In both programs, the process of flowing text through
multiple frames is called
threading text.
In InDesign CS2, each text frame contains an in port and an out port, which are used to make
connections to other text frames. An empty in port or out port indicates the beginning or end of
a story, respectively. An arrow in a port indicates that the frame is linked to another frame. A red
plus sign (+) in an out port indicates that there is more text in the story but no more frames in
which to place it. This remaining unseen text is called
overset text.
When you choose Show Text Threads (View menu), InDesign CS2 shows how threaded text frames are connected.
Creating threaded text frames
When you add or remove text in a threaded story, the text flows through existing frames as nec-
essary. You may need to resize the last frame or create a new frame so that all of the text is visible.
When working with text threads, keep the following in mind:
• You can show text threads by selecting View > Show Text Threads and by using the Selection or
Direct Selection tool to select any threaded text frame. If you want to see threads from different
stories at the same time, use Shift+click to select a frame in each story. To turn off display of
text threads, choose View > Hide Text Threads.
• When the loaded text icon is active, you can perform many actions, including navigating to a
different page, creating new pages, and zooming in and out.
• If you start to thread two frames and change your mind, you can cancel the thread by clicking
any tool in the toolbox. No text is lost.
• You can thread text frames whether or not they contain text. You can also add automatic
“continued on” or “continued from” lines that track threaded stories as they jump from frame
to frame.
You have several options for adding text frames to threads.
•
Connecting existing frames.
To connect two frames, click the out port of the frame you want
to be first in the thread, and then click within the second frame.
•
Adding a new frame to a thread.
To create a new frame and add it to a thread, choose the
Selection tool, select a text frame, and then click the in port or out port to load a text icon.
Clicking the in port lets you add a frame before the selected frame; clicking the out port lets
you add a frame after the selected frame. Position the loaded text icon where you want a new
text frame to appear, and then click or drag to create a new text frame.
