How to Use the File Menu in InPage

The File menu is where every InPage project truly begins and ends. From creating a fresh page to saving your work and sending it off for printing, almost every important command lives here. In this module I will walk you through the File menu in simple steps, using the same routine I follow each day when preparing real publishing work.

I have spent years opening, saving, exporting, and printing thousands of InPage files for books, newspapers, and design jobs. Along the way I learned which settings matter and which small habits quietly prevent big problems. Once you master this one menu, you will rarely lose your work or waste time, so let us go through each option slowly and clearly.

Table of Content:
How to Use the File Menu in InPage

An Overview of the File Menu in InPage

When you click “File” at the top-left corner of the screen, a drop-down list appears. This single menu controls the whole life of your document, from the first page to the final printout. Here are the main jobs it handles:

  1. Creating brand-new documents from scratch.
  2. Opening files you saved earlier.
  3. Saving your current work safely.
  4. Collecting everything your file needs into one folder.
  5. Exporting your pages to PDF, text, and image formats.
  6. Printing your finished pages on paper.

Once you understand these six jobs, the rest of InPage becomes far less confusing. Think of the File menu as the front door to all your work.

Creating a New File in InPage

Starting a new document is the first thing you will do, and InPage gives you several useful choices in a single window.

  1. Click File, then New, or simply press Ctrl + N on your keyboard.
  2. A “New Document” window opens, showing all your page setup options together.
  3. Choose your settings carefully here, because a good start saves editing time later.

Selecting Page Size

Pick the size that matches your final printout. For most book and office work I choose A4, while smaller jobs like cards may need A5 or a custom size. You can type your own width and height whenever your project needs an unusual shape.

Creating Multiple Pages for a New File

If you are making a booklet or a book, you do not have to add pages one by one. In the same window, enter the number of pages you need, and InPage will create them all at once. This single option is a real time-saver for longer documents.

Direction of Writing

Because InPage is built for Urdu, Arabic, and similar languages, you can set the writing direction to right-to-left. For English-only pages you would choose left-to-right instead. Setting this correctly from the very start keeps your text flowing the way it should and prevents confusing layout problems.

Number of Columns

Newspapers, magazines, and many books use columns. In the New Document window you can tell InPage how many columns you want, and it will divide the page neatly for you. I rely on this often when building newspaper-style layouts.

Save as Default

Once you have set the page size, direction, and columns the way you like, click “Save as Default.” After this, every new file will open with these same settings, so you never have to repeat the setup. This is a small click that saves me a great deal of time.

Key Points to Know About the File Menu in InPage

  1. Always confirm your page size before typing, because changing it later can shift your whole design.
  2. Set the writing direction first, especially for Urdu work.
  3. Use the multiple-pages option for any document longer than two pages.
  4. Saving your settings as default is perfect when you create similar files daily.

Opening and Closing a File

Returning to your earlier work is simple and quick.

  1. Click File, then Open, or press Ctrl + O.
  2. Find your saved InPage file, which usually ends with the “.inp” extension.
  3. Select it and click Open to continue exactly where you left off.
  4. To close a document, click File, then Close, and always save first if InPage asks you.

Save and Save-As in File Menu in InPage

Saving is the habit that protects all your hard work, and I cannot stress this enough.
  1. Click File, then Save, or press Ctrl + S, to save changes to your current file.
  2. Use “Save As” when you want to keep the original and create a new copy with a different name.
  3. Save every few minutes while working, since power cuts and sudden crashes can happen without warning.
Over the years, this one simple habit has saved me from losing entire days of work more than once.

Collect for Output

This is a feature many beginners miss, but printers love it. “Collect for Output” gathers your InPage file along with all its linked images and fonts into a single folder.

  1. Click File, then Collect for Output.
  2. Choose a folder where everything will be saved together.
  3. Share that complete folder with your press or designer.

This way, nothing goes missing when your file moves to another computer, and your design looks exactly as you intended.

Converting and Exporting InPage Files

InPage lets you turn your work into other formats so you can share it almost anywhere. Here are the most common conversions you will use.

  1. Convert to PDF. Use the export or save-as option and choose PDF. This is the best format for printing and sending finished documents, because the layout, fonts, and design never change on another device. In some older versions you may need a PDF printer to do the same job.
  2. Convert to TXT. Export your text as a plain text or Unicode file when you only need the words, not the design. If you already have Unicode Urdu text from somewhere else and want it inside InPage, our free Unicode to InPage converter tool turns it into editable InPage text in seconds and saves you from retyping everything by hand.
  3. Convert to GIF. Export a page as a GIF image when you want a clean picture of your design for the web, WhatsApp, or social media.

Printing an InPage File

Once your document looks perfect, printing is the final step.

  1. Click File, then Print, or press Ctrl + P.
  2. Choose your printer and set the number of copies.
  3. Check the page range so you only print the pages you actually need.
  4. Press Print and collect your pages.

I always recommend exporting to PDF first and checking that preview before printing. This habit helps you catch small mistakes early and saves a lot of paper and ink.

 

We are nearly completely our learning journey in the next lession we will cover the: Edit Menu in InPage