How to Stack Master Pages in Affinity Publisher: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Learn how to make magic with multiple Master Pages in Affinity Publisher. Even complex documents become easy to update and you’ll save a ton of time while doing it!

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to manage stacking orders, apply Master Pages correctly, and ensure that elements like planner rings appear where they should, on top of your content.

Step 1: Import the Planner Pages

1. The weekly spreads were pages from an Affinity Publisher Data Merge saved in PDF format
2. To use them in this new file select File > Place from the menu and select your PDF file
3. Once loaded, click to place a copy of the PDF file on your canvas
4. Resize the PDF to fit your design and show the inside planner cover by reducing its width from 420mm to 410mm
5. Copy and paste the resized layout across multiple spreads, ensuring each spread shows the correct week by choosing the required pages from the Spread drop down on the context sensitive toolbar
   

Step 2: Apply the Inside Cover Master Page

1. Right-click on the Inside Cover Master Page and choose Apply Master to Pages
2. Ensure all pages are selected in the drop-down in the dialog box
3. The "Replace Existing Content" doesn't matter at this stage as there are no Master Pages applied yet
4. Click OK
   

Step 3: Fix Pages Two and Three with the White Pages Master

1. Right-click on Pages 2 and 3 and select Apply Master
2. Choose White Pages Master from the dropdown
3. Ensure that "Replace Existing Content" is NOT selected, then click OK
   

Step 4: Apply the Planner Rings

1. Right-click on the Planner Rings Master Page and choose Apply Master to Pages
2. Make sure all pages are selected
3. Ensure the "Replace Existing Content" option is NOT selected, and click OK
   

Step 5: Adjust the Stacking Order of the Planner Rings Master Page

1. Go to the Layers Panel and locate the Planner Rings Master Page
2. Right-click on the Master Page and select Edit Linked.
3. A green stripe will appear indicating you're editing Linked content
4. Select Layer > Arrange > Move to Front from the menu to bring the rings to the top layer - this MUST be done from the menu as dragging and dropping in the Layers Panel doesn't give the same result
5. Click Finish to apply the changes
   

Step 6: Check Your Spreads

1. Zoom in on your design to ensure that the rings are now in the correct place
2. If needed, adjust the stacking order for any other elements - this shouldn't be necessary at this stage!
3. Verify that all pages have the correct layering with the rings on top and content properly positioned
   

Step 7: Optional - Change the Inside Cover

1. Navigate to the Inside Cover Master Page in the Layers Panel
2. In addition to the solid colour background I had a texture available in the Layers Panel of the Inside Cover Master Page
3. Turn off the current solid background colour
4. Turn on the leather texture layer to apply it as the new background for all pages automatically
   

Conclusion

This workflow enables you to have complete control over the layering and stacking order of multiple Master Pages in Affinity Publisher. Whether working with PDFs, native artwork, or complex layouts, this technique ensures that all elements display correctly without manual adjustments on each page.

If you enjoyed this tutorial and want more tips and tricks, be sure to check out my free training at ElaineGiles.com/VIP. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss a new tutorial.

If you have any specific tutorial requests, feel free to reach out - I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading and watching, and see you next time!