Master Page functions - what am i missing?

[peaceablegarden]

I don't usually do this sort of thing for clients but with the way the
economy is I'll do just about anything, so I don't usually use MS Pub for
this kind of set up.

The major issue is that once I have set up my Master Page with two columns
(margin outline is there), no matter how I paste in the text, it keeps it in
a whole page text box rather than in two columns per page. I've tried
copying from a two column document as well as creating two separate column
text boxes within the page.This will end up being close to a 200 page
document so to try to edit every single page into two columns will be too
time consuming.

My hope is to cut and paste using auto flow to create new pages with two
columns. Not sure where I'm going wrong but any help would be GREATLY
APPRECIATED!

 

[Mary Sauer]

Draw the text box, right-click, format text box, Text Box tab, Columns button.

Insert, Page, check Duplicate all objects on Page 1. Linking the text boxes is a
manual thing, you will have to link each box, it is not automatic unless you
insert a text file from another source. If that is the case, you need to only
create the first text box, Publisher will automatically create boxes and pages.

You need to put your text boxes on the Publication page, otherwise you will have
to create 200 different master pages.

Long documents are best done in Word.

 

[peaceablegarden]

Thanks for the help Mary. I definately see what you're doing. I am
inserting text from another source so it does autoflow but only into a single
text box. I think what I'm trying to do is to have two separate text boxes
per page (from what you describe I need to do this manually on each page?).
It seems that having two text boxes on each page would help when I begin to
insert graphics rather than having the text in one text box set for two
columns. There will be 'chapters' of sorts like a book. See my dilemna?

 

[Mary Sauer]

An image will span both columns and wrap correctly. If you want to have uneven
text, do a ctrl+shift+enter, this will put you on the top of the next column.

I don't think you have a dilemma. Just hard work. You can setup default text
boxes for your publication.
Set defaults for new text boxes in a publication
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/HP010220171033.aspx

When you tackle a project as large as you are undertaking, you have to do some
pre-planning. Publisher is not easy to work with when you have to create text
boxes for each page; you are compounding the task when you create two boxes per
page. If you do all the text, then insert images you will have other formatting
issues.

There are great tutorial articles available on the Office web site.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/FX100649111033.aspx