Control panel overview

The Control panel (Window > Control) offers quick access to options, commands, and other panels related to the current page item or objects you select. By default, the Control panel is docked to the top of the document window; however, you can dock it to the bottom of the window, convert it to a floating panel, or hide it altogether.

Options displayed in the Control panel vary depending on the type of object you select:

• When you select a frame, the Control panel displays options for resizing, repositioning, skewing, and rotating the frame, or applying an object style.

• When you select text inside a frame, the Control panel displays either character or paragraph options. Click the icons on the left side of the Control panel to determine whether paragraph or character options are displayed. If your monitor size and resolution allows, the Control panel displays additional options. For example, if Character Formatting Controls is selected, all the character options are displayed, and some paragraph options appear on the right of the Control panel. If you click Paragraph Formatting Controls, all paragraph options are displayed, and some character options appear on the right.

• When you select a table cell, the Control panel displays options for adjusting row and column dimensions, merging cells, aligning text, and adding strokes.

As the options in the Control panel change, you can get more information about each option by using tool tips—pop‑up descriptions that appear when you hover over an icon or option label with the pointer.

Control panel with tool tip displayed

Control panel menu

To open dialog boxes associated with Control panel icons, Alt‑click (Windows) or Option‑click (Mac OS) as you click a Control panel icon. For example, when a frame is selected, hold down Alt or Option and click the Rotation Angle icon  to open the Rotate dialog box.

For a video on using the Control panel, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0064.

Control Panel video (adobe.com)

 community help (adobe.com)