When you apply a master page to a document page, all objects on the master, called master items, appear on the document page. Sometimes you want a specific page to be only slightly different from a master. In this situation you don’t need to re-create the master layout on the page or create a new master. You can override or detach the master item, and other master items on the document page will continue to update with the master.

Note the difference between overriding and detaching master items on a document page:

Override master item attributes

Overriding a master item puts a copy of it on the document page without breaking its association with the master page. Once the item itself is overridden, you can selectively override one or more attributes of the item to customize it. For example, you can change the fill color of the local copy. After that, changes to the fill color on the master page itself will not update to the local copy. However, other attributes, such as size, will continue to update because they have not been overridden on the local copy. Overrides can be removed later to make the object match the master.

Attributes you can override for a master page object include strokes, fills, contents of a frame, and any transformations (such as rotating, scaling, shearing or resizing), corner options, text frame options, lock state, transparency, and object effects.

Detach items from their master

On a document page, you can detach (disassociate) a master item from its master. The item must be overridden on the document page, creating a local copy, before you can detach it. A detached item does not update with the master because its association with the master page is broken.