I was working on 400 page book and each lesson consisted of at least 2 files. For a book with 35 lessons, that's around 75 files. That's a lot of InDesign files and completely ridiculous. I then decided that I needed to learn how to merge Indesign documents together and it turned out to be way simpler than I thought.

Like Photoshop, you can drag layers and objects, even an entire file to other documents. What I didn't know about InDesign before was that I can drag pages from the pages panel to another document. It's brilliant, I don't know why I didn't think of looking for this feature before.

I added the files consecutively from beginning to end making those 75 into just 6 files.

First, open a new document, rename the master so it doesn't get confused with the incoming master pages.

Next, open the first document. Go to the Pages and select all of the pages. Then drag and drop them into the new document. When you do, you will get a dialog box asking where you want to insert the incoming pages.

Specify where you want the incoming pages to be placed—after page, before page, at start of document, at end of document.

Delete blank pages at the beginning of the new document once you have part of the first document in the new document. Add as many files as you need to, save, and there you go—a new combined file.


If the first document is using the facing Pages feature and is in spreads, i recommend making sure to have 2 pages in your new document in order to prevent shifting. 

 I did this piece last summer for a funeral. Yes, I said a funeral. A friend of mine died as a result of an accidental drowning while on a trip to Costa Rica. Today, he would have been 23 years old.

Matt, a lover of God, people and music, held a place in the hearts of almost every person he met. The impact he had at such an age continues to astound me. Upon meeting him, you would have found him to be intriguing to say the least. He loved conversing and could hold up his end of an argument whether he agreed with his own argument or not. He enjoyed making people feel welcome and often shared a certain joy.

Matt was by no means perfect, but he aspired to make an impact in the lives of the people around him. It still encourages me to remember his journey. When we were children, I remember him as a mischievous little blond-haired boy. Upon growing into a young man, he was still mischievous, but with a twist.

If Matt was such an ordinary guy, how then did he make such an impact on the people he met? Simple, he knew God. He allowed God to change and mold his character. Believe me, that's easier said than done, I know. Following God takes perseverance and dedication, on both I usually falter (and humanly so), but somehow God continues to more than make up for my short comings. That's the beauty of how God works. We don't work alone. He gives us strength. He doesn't let us go alone.

I'm sure Matt didn't have a clue how many people he actually reached or impacted. He just walked forward and did what he felt God wanted him to do.

Matt has left us a challenge: Make an Impact.