Edit text in grouped elements

Question

Level 1

26 points

Edit text in grouped elements

In Pages 14.1 (Sonoma) I have a group of elements: an image and 2 textboxes. I want to paste them in the header as a fixed element that is repeated on every page.

However, I can’t seem to edit the text once the elements are grouped.

In Pages 4.3 (Pages ’09, High Sierra) I had no problem in editing a grouped text box, albeit pasted into the header.

Further, when paste this group of elements in a new page, after a section break, I need to format the group with Object Placement: Move with text; and Text Wrap: Inline with text; in order to have it moving with the previous and following text.

Nevertheless, I have to give many enters in order to have the group of elements on top of the page, otherwise it is placed in the previous page with the lower part visible on the actual page where I want to put it.

I can’t get used to these unexpected behaviours I notice since switching to Pages 14.1.

Thanks in advance.

MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)

Posted on Sep 10, 2024 9:14 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Sep 10, 2024 10:37 AM in response to MacEs

Pages v14.1 and all versions of Pages since v5 (Oct 2013) are not based on Pages '09 source code and the documents are not directly interchangeable either. Entirely different applications and on Pages v14.1, one cannot edit grouped text box content.

Instead of pasting your group into the document header, drag it where you want that group to appear and then choose Arrange menu > Section Layouts > Move Objects to Section Layout. This will be behind the header and any text you enter into the header and will appear on every page of that section. When you enter a new section, and you want that same grouped "stamp" to appear, you visit the Documents > Section panel and ensure that the Match previous section is selected. That will perpetuate your group treatment from the first section into the next section.

If you need to edit that original group, visit Arrange menu > Section Layouts > Make Layout Objects Selectable. Then ungroup, make your Text box change, reselect these group items, and press option+cmd+G to group them again. Next, you click Make Layout Objects Selectable once more to undo that feature and return the group to its previous Layout status.

Reply