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I clicked Create Alternate Layout in my InDesign CS6 document without really understanding what it was for, to try and fix a margin problem I was having trouble with.

Now the document has been split into three parts, A4, A4 V2 and A4 V.

Undo did not remove this partitioning, and I cannot get it back to how it was before. The document was separated into three groups, with each page being in only one of them.

So they are not duplicated, as I understand it they should have been. So the original pages 1-14 are in one layout, 15-31 are in another, and 32 in it's own.

What are the consequences of having alternate layouts, and how can I get back to a single one?

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  • View pages vertically as suggested above doesn't work as the random page numbering still sticks :/ – user21250 Mar 31 '14 at 4:59
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In the Pages Panel, simply choose Delete Alternate Layout from the menu above the layout.

pages

This should have no effect on the primary layout.

Seems you really want to merge the layouts, not simply delete them.

  1. Highlight all the pages in the Pages panel for an alternate layout.
  2. Click-drag the pages to the layout you want them in.
  3. Repeat as needed.

Now go back and delete the other two layouts.

You may need to choose "Allow Document Pages to Shuffle" in the Pages Panel menu to complete this.

An easier method

  1. Got to the first page of the alternate layout.
  2. Then choose Numbering & Sections from the Pages Panel menu.
  3. Uncheck "Start Section".

Alternate layouts are really simply sections within the existing document.

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  • Unfortunately, that also removes the pages within that layout. The document was separated into three groups, with each page being in one. So they are not duplicated, as I understand it they should have been. So the original pages 1-14 are in one layout, 15-31 are in another, and 32 in it's own. – carlpett Sep 23 '12 at 18:06
  • I edited the answer. There's no immediate way to merge the alternate layouts. Oh wait.. you've edited even more. You should include all that information in your original question. – Scott Sep 23 '12 at 18:12
  • The drag and drop behaves really strange (pages being reordered, seemingly random which layout was left when dragging from one to the other), but after a while I got it to work, thanks a lot! – carlpett Sep 23 '12 at 18:28
  • Yeah it's still not a fully mature feature which isn't ideal. There really should be a "Merge Layout" command somewhere which just removed the sectioning. While it can be helpful, it's still, in my opinion, a recipe for problems. One file goes bad... all your layouts are hosed. – Scott Sep 23 '12 at 18:44
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Right Click the panel where the alternative pages appear and select View Pages > Vertical. It should go back to normal.

Here is Adobe's Explanation of Alternate Layouts in CS6 & CC for further reference.

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