Create a nested Element

Typefi Elements are one of many building blocks you can use to build a Typefi-ready template in Adobe InDesign. For more intricate layouts, you may want to use nested Elements. A nested Element contains one or more Typefi Elements that are ‘nested’ within other Typefi Elements.

For example, consider a figure that contains an image, caption, and image credit.

All three function together as a unit and should not be separated. You wouldn't want the image on one page and the caption and credit on another page. To design this in a Typefi-ready template, you would create a nested Element.

You might also create nested Elements when designing sidebar boxes containing images (commonly used in travel guides) or step-by-step instructions with a corresponding image.

Step-by-step example

Before creating a nested Element, you should be familiar with creating and applying Inline, Fixed, and Floating Elements.

There are many different ways to create a nested Element, depending on your specific design needs. This step-by-step example will create a nested Element that holds three images and their corresponding captions.

Since these Fixed Elements will be nested within a Floating Element, they must exist on a master page that is not part of a Typefi Section.

Each image is an Element Image Frame, and each caption is an Element Content Frame. The Element Image Frame is grouped with its corresponding Element Content Frame, and a Typefi Element is applied to both. The Element should have the type Fixed.

There is a small Element Content frame in the corner. The small Element Content Frame ensures the Fixed Elements will be placed in the final output.

Then, a container Element contains the three Fixed Elements and the small Element Content Frame. The container Element should have the type Floating.

Elements within the container Element cannot be Floating; they can only be Inline or Fixed.

You can also connect the Element Image Frame and the Element Content Frame with a Typefi AutoFit relationship.

Create the example nested Element

1. Create a master page.

1. Create a master page to build the nested Element.
2. Name it X-Elements. 

2. Create the Typefi Elements.

In the Typefi Elements panel, create four Elements:

1. Create a Fixed Element and name it Figure A.
2. Create a second Fixed Element and name it Figure B.
3. Create a third Fixed Element and name it Figure C.
4. Create a Floating Element and name it Figures A-B-C.

3. Create text and image frames.

1. On the X-Elements master page, use the Rectangle Frame Tool to create an image frame.
2. Below the Element Image Frame, use the Type Tool to create a text frame.

4. Apply Typefi Elements to frames.

1. Apply an Element Image Frame to the image frame you just created (Object →
   Typefi Frame Type → Element Image).
2. Apply an Element Content Frame to the text frame you just created.
3. Select the Element Image Frame and the Element Content Frame and apply Figure A.
   
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for Figures B and C.

5. Apply the Floating Element to the Fixed Elements.

In this last step, we will apply Figures A-B-C to Figures A, B, and C. But before we can do that, we need to create a small Element Content Frame inside the float. Otherwise, the Fixed Elements will not place in the final output.

1. Create a small text frame next to one of the Fixed Elements.
2. Apply an Element Content Frame to the text frame you just created (Object →
   Typefi Frame Type → Element Content).
3. If it's not already, open the Typefi Elements panel.
4. Select Figures A, B, C, and the small Element Content Frame, and apply Figures A-B-C to it.