Using the Book Function

• 1). Create the individual chapters or sections of your document first. Then open your new book using "File > New > Book." On the dialog screen, name your new book, which will have an .indb extension (as opposed to the .indd extension for a standard document). This opens the "Book Palette" with the file name you've chosen. To open an existing book file, double-click on its icon in the "Open File" dialog box.
  
  
• 2). When you create or open a book file, a book palette will appear on your desktop. Associate InDesign documents---such as chapters or sections---with your new book by either adding the document with the plus sign (Add Documents) at the bottom toolbar of the book palette, or by dragging the icon of the chapter or document into the book palette window.
  
  
• 3). Make global changes of format tags such as fonts, paragraph styles, or subhead styles using the book palette. Once you've assigned your documents to the book, set one of the chapters as the style source, and then synchronize all of the chapters to that source document with the "Synchronize" button on the far left of the book palette toolbar. You can also choose "Synchronize Selected Documents" from the fly-out palette menu, which you can open by clicking the small "arrowhead" icon in the upper right-hand corner of the book palette.
  
  
• 4). Use the book function to let multiple people work on a document (assuming everyone has access to InDesign). Place your book.indb file on a network or server, along with the associated files. The book palette will show a small representation of an open book to the right of any file a person has open, and will not allow you to edit that document until the other person saves and closes the file.
  
  
• 5). Use the book palette to automatically track the numbering sequences for your project. Page numbers are assigned depending on the order that your chapter files are added or dragged into the palette. Change the page numbering of your documents by dragging and dropping file names into the book palette; the page numbers will automatically update.