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Scale objects



Scaling an object enlarges or reduces it horizontally (along the x axis), vertically (along the y axis), or both horizontally and vertically, relative to the reference point you specify.

By default, InDesign scales strokes. For example, if you scale a selected object with a 4-point stroke by 200%, the Stroke panel indicates an 8-point stroke and the stroke visibly doubles in size. You can change the default stroke behavior by deselecting Adjust Stroke Weight When Scaling in the Transform or Control panel menu.

Scale an object using the Selection tool

 To scale the content and frame simultaneously, use the Selection tool and hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS). Add the Shift key to resize the object proportionally.

Scale an object using the Scale tool

  1. Select an object to scale. To scale both the frame and its content, use the Selection tool to select the frame. To scale the content without scaling its frame, direct-select the object. To scale a frame without scaling the content, direct-select the frame, and select all the anchor points.
  2. Select the Scale tool .
  3. Position the Scale tool away from the reference point and drag. To scale the x or y axis only, start dragging the Scale tool along one axis only. To scale proportionally, hold down Shift as you drag the Scale tool. For finer control, start dragging farther from the object’s reference point.
    You can also scale by using the Free Transform tool.

Scale an object using the Transform panel

To maintain the original proportions of the object when using the Transform panel, make sure the Constrain Proportions icon  is selected.

  1. Select an object to scale. To scale both the frame and its content, use the Selection tool to select the frame. To scale the content without scaling its frame, direct-select the object. To scale a frame without scaling the content, direct-select the frame, and select all the anchor points.
  2. In the Transform or Control panel, do one of the following:

    • Choose a preset percentage value in the Scale X Percentage  or Scale Y Percentage  pop‑up menu.

    • Type a percentage value (such as 120%), or a specific distance (such as 10p) in the Scale X Percentage or Scale Y Percentage box, and then press Enter or Return.

Scale an object using the Scale command

  1. Select an object to scale. To scale both the frame and its content, use the Selection tool to select the frame. To scale the content without scaling its frame, direct-select the object. To scale a frame without scaling the content, direct-select the frame, and select all the anchor points.
  2. Do one of the following to open the Scale dialog box:

    • Choose Object > Transform > Scale.

    • Double-click the Scale tool .

    • Select the Scale tool and Alt‑click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) on or near the object to select a new reference point.

  3. Type a percentage value in the Scale X or Scale Y box.
    To maintain the original proportions of the object when using the Transform panel, make sure the Constrain Proportions icon  is selected.
  4. Do any of the following:

    • To preview the effect before you apply it, select Preview.

    • To scale the object, click OK.

    • To scale a copy of the object, click Copy.

Determine how scaling is tracked

You can determine how scaling is tracked in the interface. If the Apply To Content preference option is selected in General preferences, scaling values are reset to 100% in the Transform panel after the object is scaled. If Adjust Scaling Percentage is selected, scaling values remain as specified (such as 125%).

With multiple objects selected, the scaling value will always display as 100%. However, you can select objects individually to see the applied effect of the transform (such as 125%) if Adjust Scaling Percentage is selected.

  1. Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
  2. Under When Scaling, select Apply To Content or Adjust Scaling Percentage, and then click OK.
If Adjust Scaling Percentage is selected and you scale an object, you can choose Redefine Scaling As 100% from the Transform or Control panel menu to reset the scaling percentages to 100%.

Adjust stroke weight when objects are scaled

 Select the Adjust Stroke Weight When Scaling option in the Transform or Control panel menu.

For example, if you scale a 4-point stroke by 200% when this option is turned on, the stroke weight becomes 8 points. If you turn off this option, the object doubles in size but its stroke weight remains 4 points.

If this option is turned on and you scale an object disproportionally, InDesign applies the smallest stroke weight to all sides. For example, suppose that you scale a selected object with a 4-point stroke only in the X direction by 200%. Instead of applying an 8-point stroke in the X direction and a 4-point stroke in the Y direction, InDesign applies the smaller value (4 points) to all sides.

Reset scaling value to 100%

In some cases, you may want to reset the Scale X and Scale Y values of an object to 100% without resizing the object. For example, you may have opened a document from a previous version of InDesign that has non-100% scaling values, or you may have scaled an object with the Adjust Scaling Percentage preference setting selected. When you choose this command, the scaling values for all selected frames are reset to 100%. Choosing this command does not change the size or appearance of objects.

  1. Select one or more objects that have non-100% scaling values.

    This command is dimmed if you direct-select an imported image or if an object has 100% scaling values.

  2. Choose Redefine Scaling As 100% from the Transform or Control panel menu.
Note: Choosing this command may result in unexpected behavior with objects in transformed groups.