How to Set Up a FrameMaker Template?

A FrameMaker template consists of a set of Master Pages.

Select File > New > Document from the top menu.

Select Portrait and create a new document.

Select View > Master Pages to switch to the master page editing screen.

The default FrameMaker document comes with a single master page named RIGHT (check the status bar at the bottom of your screen), complete with a default HEADER and a default FOOTER. In between is the default TEXT FRAME.

To modify the dimensions of the text frame, select Graphics > Tools to reveal the TOOLBOX. Select the arrow on the TOP RIGHT square, the SELECT OBJECT tool.

Click on and select the text frame. Six handles will appear on the dotted-line borders of the text frame.

Select Graphics > Object Properties.

In the dialog box, enter the WIDTH and HEIGHT of the text frame, its distance from TOP and LEFT of the page, the NUMBER OF COLUMNS you need on the page, and whether you need a ROOM FOR SIDE HEAD for your sidebar (check the check-box and then enter the WIDTH of the sidebar and the SIDE it should be on).

You are basically done. If you need a certain text to appear on the HEADER or FOOTER of every page, enter those as well.

To enter a page number, place your cursor where you want the page number to appear and then select Format > Headers & Footers > Insert Page #.

If you want a “Page X of Y” type of page number designation, do the above, enter a single space, and then select Format > Headers & Footers > Insert Page Count.

To clone a LEFT master page from your RIGHT page, select Format > Page Layout > New Master Page.

In the dialog box, give it the name LEFT, and leave the radio-button “Create from Master Page Right” as is, selected.

Click Add and voila! You have a new LEFT master page looking just like your RIGHT page.

So what’s the point?

Now you can change the positioning of the HEADER and FOOTER elements, for example, so that page numbers and Chapter headings can appear away from the “gutter” and towards the open ends of the pages.

I usually also clone one more master page from the RIGHT -- the FIRST page since the first pages of all chapters always look a little different.

Once you have your three basic master pages, your rudimentary chapter template is done.

Save and return to your body pages by selecting View > Body Pages.