Vellum Help
Using Multiple Heading Backgrounds
In some books, you may wish to include different heading backgrounds across your elements.
You can accomplish this by creating multiple custom Heading Background images and then changing how they are applied. Below, we’ll demonstrate two different ways to use multiple backgrounds.
Heading Backgrounds only apply to your print edition
Watch the Video
You see how to work with multiple backgrounds in this video:
Title Page and Chapter Backgrounds
In this example, our book will use one background for Chapters and another for the Title Page.
The first Heading Background will apply to All Chapters in the book:
Adding the Title Page Background
To add another heading background for the Title Page, press the Add Background or Border button. You’ll be prompted to choose what type of decoration to add:
Choose Heading Background, then press Next.
Make sure In front or back matter is selected, then press Add.
Configuring the Title Page Background
Configure this background using a second image. Give this second background a descriptive name to help distinguish it from the first.
You can use the button bar at the top of the editor to switch between backgrounds.
Assigning to the Title Page
To assign your new background to your Title Page, select the Title Page in Vellum’s Navigator, and click on its gear menu in the Text Editor:
Use the Heading Background menu to choose the second background.
Now, your Title Page will use one background, and all of your Chapters will use another.
Alternating Chapter Backgrounds
You may want to use multiple heading backgrounds in your Chapters. For instance, if you write books featuring multiple POVs, you could use a heading background that corresponds to each character.
In this example, we’ll switch between two characters: a cowboy and a city slicker.
Start by adding a custom Heading Background for your first character:
Adding the Second Background
Press Add Background or Border to add your next background:
Choose Heading Background, then press Next.
For this example, select As an alternate Chapter background and press Add.
Since you already have a background that applies to All Chapters, Vellum will:
- Change your first background to apply to Individual Elements
- Assign that first background to each Chapter element
Configuring the Second Background
Configure this background using a second image. Give this second background a descriptive name to help distinguish it from the first.
Once you’ve named both backgrounds, you can toggle between them using the buttons at the top:
Assigning to Chapters
You are ready to assign your second background to the appropriate chapters. In Vellum’s Navigator, select the first Chapter you want to change, then hold down the Command key (⌘) and click on other Chapters to select them.
Use the Heading Background item located in the Chapter main menu to change the background for every selected element.
And that’s it! You now have heading background images for each POV.