Issue with Linked Text Boxes in Pages template

Question

Issue with Linked Text Boxes in Pages template

I am using the "Photo Card Vertical" template. Instead of a photo card, I want to make a 4-page (when folded) "brochure" containing the table of contents of a book. So of course I remove the photo card elements (graphics).

I have some text I want to put into a set a text boxes. The text is too much to fit in a single box, such as the one provided in the template.

I am familiar with the concept of linked text boxes, and when I paste The text into the first box, I do see the + at the bottom of the text box, meaning there is more text than can fit.

When you click this + in a document with linked text boxes, the cursor is supposed to change into a different kind, indicating that the remainder of the text can be "poured" into the next text box. However, I do not see that special cursor when I click on the +.

As a workaround, I can just create four text boxes and then just paste as much text as will fit in each box, but it would be a bit easier using linked text boxes.

Apple Pages v 14.1

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Mac mini, macOS 13.3

Posted on Mar 22, 2025 1:35 PM

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Answer 1

VikingOSX

Level 10

119,465 points

Mar 23, 2025 5:07 AM in response to Timothy Arends1

You understanding of linked Text boxes is flawed. You do not click the overflow symbol [+] at all. You click the top circle on the next Text box, that circle becomes 2⃝ , and overflowed text will spill into that Text box. With multiple Text boxes, you can click that circle, and an arrow will appear next to it, and you will see a menu item indicating Layout Order to change the overflow order.

See: Link text boxes in Pages on Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Mar 26, 2025 12:48 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks, I have gotten linking to work. However, the problem is that the text boxes are not in the right order. For imposition to work, for a four "page" booklet printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper, the right side should have text box number 1 and the left side should have text box number 4. This is so that, when the sheet is folded, page 1 will appear at the front of the folder and page 4 will appear in the back. Then on the inside, the boxes should be arranged as page 2 on the left and 3 on the right.

However, as shown in the attached screenshot, the boxes are not flowing in the right order. When I click the little circle, an arrow does appear next to it with a menu item indicating Layout Order. However, it does not allow me to choose 4 for the fourth text box. See screenshot.

So I thought a workaround might be to simply drag the text boxes around in the right order, but when I drag a text box where box 4 should be, its number changes as shown in the other screenshot. Therefore, flowing is still not in the right order.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

119,465 points

Mar 26, 2025 12:56 PM in response to Timothy Arends1

I can't help you with imposition issues. Text boxes in Pages can have their content order resequenced but whether it will play nice with imposition, or Apple has finally implemented reverse linking (which was missing for several years) is a big question mark.

You may also be exceeding the limits of user control in Pages and may need a more professional layout tool like the powerful Affinity Publisher application. It cannot import Pages content, yet is non-subscription, inexpensive, and a free trial is available.

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Issue with Linked Text Boxes in Pages template