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In a book I'm working on in InDesign CS6 every chapter starts on the next odd page. Every page with the 'Chapter Title' paragraph style has its own background color (the whole page is filled with this color).

Whenever new pages are inserted before any chapter, the text reflows as is should, but the background color (it's really a rectangle filled with a color) stays in place and I have to manually move it and send it to the back all the time. I tried to anchor the background-color object to the chapter title; the anchoring works but now the rectangle covers all the text on the page. Apparently there's no way to place anchored object behind the text.

Any thoughts?

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    Correct. Anchored objects are always on top. I wish they weren't, but they are.
    – Scott
    Apr 17, 2015 at 17:51
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    @Scott Oh. Maybe in the next InDesign version then. I got it to work by using a paragraph rule above with a weight of the page height (240 mm), offset to the negative value of the page height minus the height of the chapter title (-200 mm), and left and right indent whatever negative value needed to fill the page. Admittedly hackish, but that should not be a stranger to most InDesign users, heh :)
    – Hib Jwem
    Apr 17, 2015 at 18:25
  • Good thinking. That paragraph rule trick does come in handy at times. I'd have not thought of it for an entire page though. Nice work!
    – Scott
    Apr 17, 2015 at 18:27

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Not sure I understand all of your question exactly (and the math/hack in your comment made my head spin), but couldn't you solve this problem by using layers on some --or all-- of your master pages? i.e., the background color on the bottom-most layer, and the Chapter title text on a layer above...?

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    The math becomes pretty straightforward if you open the Paragraph Rule panel and start tinkering. About using a master page with the background as the bottom-most layer: isn't this just trading my problem for another very similar? Whenever the chapter title is moved to a new page I'd still have to reapply the master page to the new page location (let's say page 16) and remove it from the old location (page 14). From what I can tell, there's no way to conditionally set the master page based on paragraph styles.
    – Hib Jwem
    Apr 17, 2015 at 18:37
  • I see what you mean. Like I said, I didn't really understand your question completely. :) Sometimes a good hack is the best/only way to roll.
    – DLev
    Apr 17, 2015 at 18:46
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There's a "paragraph shading" option in the paragraph styles definition box. Play with the "offset" values until you get what you need.

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    Can you add an screenshot please? "Play with" is not a very good explanation, I think ...
    – Mensch
    Sep 15, 2015 at 12:20
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Yes, it's possible !

You have to anchor the object to a text block 1 which will itself be anchored to the text block 2 on which you want to anchor the object. Here is the process.

  1. Create a second block of text (2) that you will anchor above the text under which you want to place your image. Choose the position "Above the line". in the "space after" field, enter a negative value equal to the height of your block.

  2. Anchor to your text block 2 the shape you want to place under the text. Choose the "Custom" position. You now have an image anchored below your text.

[This answer was translated from French using Google translate.]

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