How to Create an Adobe FrameMaker Custom Document

When you begin to create a new document in Adobe FrameMaker, FM offers 3 format options:

  1. Portrait
  2. Landscape
  3. Custom

The first two FrameMaker format options are self-explanatory. In this post we’ll study the third option by creating a Custom Document.
1) Select File > New from the menu (or click the Document option under the Create New group on the Starter screen) to display the New dialog box:
(Click on images to enlarge them)

Adobe FrameMaker 9 New Dialog Box

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2) Click the Custom button to display the Custom Blank Paper dialog box:

Adobe FrameMaker 9 Custom Blank Paper Dialog Box

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You can select one of the built-in page sizes from the Page Size drop-down list including:

  • Custom
  • U.S. Letter (8.5″ x 11″)
  • U.S. Legal (8.5″ x 14″)
  • Tabloid (11″ x 17″)
  • A3 Tabloid [European] (29.7 cm x  42.0 cm)
  • A4 Letter [European] (21.0 cm x 29.7 cm)
  • A5 Letter [European] (14.8 cm x 21.0 cm)
  • B5 Letter [European] (17.6 cm x 25.0 com)

3) Select Custom for Page Size. We’ll create a 6″ x 9″ document for a small pocket-size manual.
4) Enter 6″ for Width for and 9″ for Height.
5) Enter 0.5″ for all 4 margins (Top, Bottom, Left, Right) since this will be a small document.
6) Enter 2 for Number of Columns and 0.1″ for the Gap between the columns.
7) In the Pagination group, select the Double-Sided option button which automatically creates a Right and Left master page behind the scenes. Leave “Right 1st Page” option as is. Leave the Units as Inch.
8] Click Create to create the 6″ x 9″ custom document:

Adobe FrameMaker 9 6-9 Custom Document

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9) To toggle the borders on and off, select/unselect View > Borders from the menu or press ESC + v + b.
10) To toggle the text symbols on and off, select/unselect View > Text Symbols from the menu or press ESC + v + t.