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Text margins don't change when master pages are applied

Version: InDesign CC2019
Steps to reproduce: Apply a new Master page, with different margins, to a document page with text frame
Expected result: Text frame should resize to fit the new margins of the master page (as before with Layout Adjustment enabled)
Actual result: Page margins change but text frame stays the same. Useless! I have to manually adjust the text block to fit the new margins.

I work in book publishing. When laying out a book, it's often necessary to make changes to the margins of certain pages, either to accommodate the dropped opening of a chapter, or to set a spread a line long or short to avoid unsightly widows. I do this by applying a master page to adjust the margins accordingly. Up until now (assuming Layout Adjustment was enabled), the text frame margins would adjust to match the new master page margins. But in InDesign 2019, Enable Layout Adjustment is gone, and though the page margins change properly, the text frame doesn't change, and I have to manually drag it into shape. This is a big time-waste and a PITA. I've tried fiddling with all the new settings, and nothing restores the old behavior. Someone suggested that creating the document with "Primary Text Frame" enabled would make things work properly, but no luck.

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Erik Rieselbach shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
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FIXED  ·  Abhinav Kaushik responded  · 

Hello All,

Thank you for reporting the issue to us.
We have fixed the issue in the latest version of InDesign, Id 14.0.3

Please upgrade your InDesign application to the latest version to try out the fix.

If you are unable to see the update yet, go to Creative Cloud desktop application, open the menu (three dots) from the top-right corner and click on ‘Check For App Updates’.

If you face any problems with the new update, do let us know in the comments.

You may also follow the below given link for the list of all fixed issues in Id 14.0.3
https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/fixed-issues.html

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  • Siddarth Star commented  ·   ·  Report

    As we approach August 2019, the persistence of this issue is both perplexing and frustrating. While appreciative of the provided workaround script (thanks to Rick Bates), it's important to acknowledge that a diversion remains a diversion. <a href="https://yourtaxistand.com/janavasam/">Janavasam</a>

  • Troy Deckert commented  ·   ·  Report

    The warning for newbies like me is: When starting a document, check the Primary text frame box at first set up. Then, under Layout > Margins and Columns, it will will adust the text frame when you need to, but only if it is a Primary Text Frame. Could the User Manual give us more warning as to how important this is to use a Primary Text Frame?

  • Troy Deckert commented  ·   ·  Report

    The User Manual needs fixing. It is out of date in June 2023.
    Layout Adjustment > Enable Layout Adjustment , which the user manual says to use, is not offered anymore in that wording in InDesign 18.2.1.
    See the User Guide as in the attached screen shot. Oh well.

    As discussed, If I understand this correctly, only with Primary Text Frames, it will provide the same result under Layout > Margins and Columns, then check Adjust.

  • Valerie Bellamy commented  ·   ·  Report

    Like the many people below, I also work on long document layouts and need the feature back, please.

  • Lynn W commented  ·   ·  Report

    Which version of InD is now fixed? I upgraded to 14.0.3, but the main flow text boxes are still hanging outside of the new margins (whether I adjust the current master, or make a new master and apply it to the pages). Or do we have to use a 3rd party script for this (thank you at least for that work-around!).

    I need to adjust the main flow text boxes to be 1/8" lower on all pages, and when I adjust it on the master page, or make a new master and apply it, it doesn't work. The margin changes, but the text just stays where it is. Am I REALLY supposed to manually move the text boxes on hundreds of pages???

  • Maur Grace commented  ·   ·  Report

    Thank you to whoever complained till they fixed this. I also work with book interiors. Whew!

  • Kelly commented  ·   ·  Report

    After applying the master pages to my book, I was able to use the AdjustPageItems script found in Scripts/ Application/Samples to move my text frames into place. The Javascript version didn't work for me but the VBScript worked perfectly. It's a decent workaround in lieu of a proper fix.

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    On Mac inDD 15.0--doesn't work again!!!

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    I spent an hour yesterday messaging with Adobe. The old layout adjustment feature has been deleted from all versions after CC2018 and they have no plans on bringing it back.
    Book designers, like myself, are basically screwed.
    Hopefully someone out there can create a free script that will allow us to do our jobs.
    Adobe isn’t going to help us.

  • Michel Vrana commented  ·   ·  Report

    This seems to still be a bug in InDesign 2020 :(

  • Ricaardo Sáchez D. commented  ·   ·  Report

    The feature dosen't work as the earlier vertion InD 2018 and previous, please bring back the old adjust lay out feature, is more useful than the actual, when you' re working in books and magazines it's the "real tool" =/

  • pdwalker commented  ·   ·  Report

    October 2019, Indesign 14.0.3 on Mac.

    It still doesn't work properly here.

  • Philip Wood commented  ·   ·  Report

    Still doesnt seem to be fixed... I applied the update today 20/09/2019

  • RDO commented  ·   ·  Report

    Is anyone still having issues with text boxes not resizing when you drag a new master page to pages? Is there a way around this?

  • Michel commented  ·   ·  Report

    This works when adjusting margins on a master page, but does not work if applying a different master with different margins (which would work in CC 2018 and earlier)

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    This seems to be working as expected, when applying an new master the things that are snapped to the margins stay with the margins as they did in previous versions of InD. Thanks!

  • Cyrus Wraith Walker commented  ·   ·  Report

    WOW a whole year later you fix it. And after giving me so much grief on the phone that it wasn't broken. So for a year I've had to resize the text frames by hand for all the books I have worked on. Thanks for fixing it, but I really am not impressed.

  • Erik Rieselbach commented  ·   ·  Report

    This seems to work now. Adjust Layout on the Margins & Columns panel works the way Enable Layout Adjustment did before. If you select it, text boxes resize properly when new master pages are applied.

    This is a great relief. It took a long time, but I'm glad it's finally fixed. Hope it will be put into the next non-beta update.

  • RDO commented  ·   ·  Report

    Hi Ravi, has this issue been resolved with the 14.0.3.418 update as Uwe has suggested?

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