Making an APM Template step-by-step from an InDesign page

In this chapter you will learn how to create an APM page template library object, based on an original page, made in InDesign.

To perform the listed steps, you need to have InDesign CS6 or newer installed on your computer.

About fonts

It is also recommended that you install all the necessary fonts. This will help you to see the WYSIWYG of the page. You can create the APM page template library objects also if you do not have the original fonts available. In such case InDesign will use the similar replacement fonts that will change the appearance of the page, but not the typographical reading.

About this example

For this example, we chose a page in a NCE edition and News section, with two articles and a bottom ad, as per the screenshot on the left. The left article is a photo news, and the right article is a small side article, that however has a byline and the intro paragraph.

The right article is slightly off-grid.

Locate the original file

Understanding INSTRUCTIONS.TXT

Open the original file

Adjust the InDesign view

Adjust Fred color profile

Adjust the InDesign measurement

Decide where the page content starts

Move the zero-point on the InDesign page

Ulock and ngrop InDesign objects before measurement

Open a page in the appropriate APM edition

Create a GN4 article from InDesign's one

Get the object's position and dimensions

What about special cases?

Create ad placeholder

Get the editorial hole dimensions

Create top rules in Fred

How to compare the original and Fred objects?

Create image placeholder for the left article

How to read InDesign Control palette for text?

About format naming

Create and format headline for the left article

Create and format body text for the left article

Considerations about body text flow

Create a logical group for the left article

Apply content position on left article layout

Copy top rules for the right article

Create and format headline for the right article

Create and format body for the right article

Create required styles for the right article

Apply format on body and test it

Create a logical group for the right article

Apply content position on the right article layout

Apply styles on the first body frame

Create APM object library

Create APM template library object from page