Expert: Wayne Johnson - 10/8/2010

Question
Hi Wayne,
I've tried to solve this problem for two weeks and it's maddening. Frame keeps adding blank pages to documents in a book. It seems to usually occur when the last page that contains content is a Right master page, although there's a document whose last page has content AND is a Right page, yet the blank page doesn't appear in this file.

I've tried everything on the help forums, such as: 1) Selecting Special > Delete pages 2) Re-applied Master pages by selecting Format > Page Layout > Master page usage and then re-applying the Master pages to all pages. 3) Deleted blank pages by selecting Format > Page Layout > Pagination and selecting Delete Empty Pages in Before saving and printing frame. 4)I also tried #3 at the Book level, as opposed to the document level (in the Book's Format menu).

If I follow these steps, the blank pages will disappear, but once I click Update book and and generate lists and indexes, the blank pages re-appear. One thing I noticed: when I go to Format > Page Layout > Pagination and select Delete empty pages, I get a message saying "a new column layout in [filename] seems to ovelap other objects on  left and right master pages. Are you sure you want to do this? I click "yes" and when I do this, I can be assured that the blank page will appear again.

How can I get rid of these pesky blank pages once and for all?

-Thanks
Charles

Answer
Charles
The error message you are getting "a new column layout in [filename] seems to ovelap other objects on  left and right master pages" could be causing the problem. I would try the following:
1. Make a copy of the file that is giving you the problem.
2. Delete all of the text.
3. Delete all pages except the first page.
4. Go to the Master Page and then go back to the body page and make sure you do not get the error message, (you want the body page text frame to be an exact duplicate of the master page).
5. Close the file and reopen it and see if you still have just 1 page.
6. If you have just 1 page - then I would open your original file, copy the text and then paste it into your new document and see what you get.

If you still have a problem - then send me a copy of the document that is giving you the problem.
Be sure you save it as a Frame 7 or mif file.
Email is:
waynejohnson2@comcast.net
Be sure you put Framemaker in the subject area.

Regards, Wayne