InDesign master pages are basic page designs which act as a blueprint for the creation of document pages. Any content placed on a master page will also appear on all document pages based on that master. Master pages will typically feature headers, footers, page numbers and corporate graphics. Additionally, any guides placed on a master will be inherited by associated document pages. The two key benefits of using master pages are, firstly, that this saves you the trouble of recreating the same elements on several pages and, secondly, that they offer a mechanism for modifying and updating several document pages. Each time you make changes to a master, all document pages based on that master will also be updated.

InDesign allows you to create as many master pages as you want within the same document and you can also nest master pages by basing a new master page on an existing master. Even if you do not make use of master pages, every InDesign already contains a default master named “A-Master”. For documents with only a few pages or a single page, you will probably simply ignore the default master. However, for documents with more than a few pages, it is probably worth considering the use of master pages.

If the layout of your document is the same througout, then any master items you may need can probably be placed on the default master. To edit the default master, double-click its icon in the Pages panel (Window – Pages). Create the items you wish to appear on all pages, for example, a title at the top of the page and a page number at the bottom.

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