Open a document and verify the Pages panel is visible. If not, select Window > Pages.
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Get started
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Settings and preferences
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- Toolbox
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Create and organize pages
- Import and convert file to InDesign
- Create documents
- Create and manage parent pages
- Create and manage book files
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Arrange and order pages
- Add new pages to a document
- Target or select pages or spreads
- Change page and spread display
- Create color labels for page thumbnails
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- Move pages
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- Split a page from the spread
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- Delete a page or spread
- Manage layers
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Layout and grid tools
- Apply layout adjustments
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Grids
- Create and customize layout grids
- Use a baseline grid
- Use a document grid
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- Show or hide frame grid character count
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- Snap objects to grids
- Create and apply named grids to frames
- Edit or delete named grids
- Import grid formats from other documents
- Generative AI features
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Add and manage text
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- Type on a path
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Format and style text
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Text styles
- Create and edit text styles
- Override text styles
- Delete text styles
- Add and manage text styles from CC libraries
- Find and replace text styles
- Map styles to export tags
- Apply sequential text styles to multiple paragraphs
- Break the link between text and its style
- Auto-style text
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- Map Word styles to InDesign text styles
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Tabs, indents, and spacing
- About kerning and tracking
- Adjust kerning between characters
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- Adjust text spacing
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- Set indents
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Text styles
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Language and proofing
- Language settings
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Arabic and Hebrew
- Set up World-Ready composers for Arabic and Hebrew
- Control text direction for Arabic and Hebrew
- Justify Arabic text with automatic Kashida insertion
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- Set digit types for Arabic and Hebrew text
- Copy and paste Arabic and Hebrew text from Microsoft Word
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Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
- About Mojikumi and Yakumono in Japanese layout
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Glyphs, characters, and expressions
- Insert glyphs and special characters
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- Find and replace items using queries
- Hidden character glossary
- View or show hidden characters
- Create and insert math expressions
- Edit math expressions
- Stylize math expressions
- Find and replace with text patterns (GREP)
- Save and manage find and replace queries
- Manage language dictionaries
- Spell check
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Indexes and references
- Add a Table of Contents
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Add graphics and media
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Add and edit graphics
- Generate images with text prompts
- Extend images beyond borders
- Apply effects to text and shapes
- Add images to documents
- Add and manage graphics from CC libraries
- Edit images
- Import Firefly assets
- Import options for Adobe files
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- Create contact sheets
- Manage frames and objects
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Transform and arrange objects
- Move, scale, rotate, shear, and flip objects
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- About anchored objects
- Transform anchored objects
- Create and position anchored objects
- Manage and update anchored objects
- Group and lock objects
- Create hidden and nonprinting objects
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- Manage links
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Add and edit graphics
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Add tables and data
- Create tables
- Format tables
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Interactive elements and forms
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Create lines and shapes
- Drawing tools
- Draw lines and shapes
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- Combine and convert paths
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Apply color
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Define and manage color assets
- Apply color to text, objects, and backgrounds
- Mix and define custom colors
- Organize and reuse color swatches
- Add and manage colors from CC libraries
- Sample colors from placed graphics
- Apply colors to grayscale images
- Find and replace colors
- Swatch types
- Create and define new swatches
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- Create mixed ink swatches and groups
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Advanced color techniques
- Apply opacity and transparency effects
- Transparency effects options and settings
- Change transparency display settings
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- Control blending with isolation and knockouts
- Create and name gradient swatches
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- Apply flattener presets for output
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- Fix transparency flattener preview
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Define and manage color assets
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Collaborate and review
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Share and collaborate
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- Edit InDesign documents with InCopy on the web (beta)
- View custom fonts
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Edit with InCopy
- About assignment files between InDesign and InCopy
- Set user identification
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- Open and update managed content
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Save, export, and publish
- Save and export
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Export to EPUB
- Export to EPUB
- EPUB export options in InDesign
- Accessibility features while exporting to EPUB
- Accessibility enhancements for indexes
- Adjust text resizing for accessibility
- Add ARIA role while exporting to EPUB
- Add ARIA labels to objects
- EPUB export support and limitations
- Create accessible glossaries
- Export to HTML and web
- Publish work online
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Print
- Page setup and printer marks
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Color output and separations
- About color separations
- Prepare documents for color separation
- Create color separations
- Save and print color separations
- Print gradients as separations
- About ink trapping
- Trap a document or a book
- Trap preset options
- Set the trap width for colors next to black
- Print a composite
- Use color management when printing
- Color output options
- Print objects on all color plates
- About overprinting
- Overprint strokes and fills
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Automation and scripting
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App integrations
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Troubleshoot
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File and output issues
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Settings, interface, and feature issues
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Import parent pages
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to bring parent page designs from external files to maintain consistent layouts across documents in Adobe InDesign.
Import parent pages from another InDesign document individually or in groups without rebuilding them. Unique parent names in the destination remain unchanged.
The first import creates a link between documents, preserving relationships between parent pages and overridden items for future imports. If overridden items already exist and no link is established, importing matching parents may detach them, so import parents before creating overrides.
Select the Pages panel menu icon and then select Parent Pages > Load Parent Pages.
Navigate to the InDesign document containing the parent pages you want to import.
Select the document and select Open.
If the loaded parent has the same name as a parent in the current document, select one of the following options in the Load Parent Page Alert dialog box:
- Replace parent pages: Override destination parent pages with matching names.
- Rename parent pages: Assign new prefixes using the next available letters.
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