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Move objects



You can move objects by cutting them from one spot and pasting them into another, by entering new horizontal and vertical coordinates, or by dragging them. Dragging also allows you to move a copy of an object or to copy objects between software applications.

The Smart Guides feature makes it easy to move objects to precise locations in your layout. As you drag or create an object, temporary guides appear, indicating that the object you’re moving is aligned with an edge or center of the page or with another page item.

Move objects

Use the Selection tool to move both the frame and its content; use the Direct Selection tool to move either the frame or its content.

Note: For best results, use the Selection tool to move multiple objects. If you use the Direct Selection tool to select multiple objects or paths, dragging moves only the selected graphic, path, or anchor points.
  1. Select an object to move. To move both the frame and its content, use the Selection tool to select the frame. To move the content without moving its frame, direct-select the object. To move a frame without moving the content, direct-select the frame, and select all the anchor points.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • To paste the object (or a copy of it) in a new location, choose Edit > Cut or Edit > Copy. Target the destination spread, and choose Edit > Paste. The objects appear in the center of the target spread.

    • To paste a copy at the same position as the original, choose Edit > Copy. Then, choose Edit > Paste In Place. (To offset the copy from the original, nudge it using the arrow keys.)

      If you want an object to appear in the same position on many pages, consider creating a master page and paste the object on it.

    • To move an object to a specific numeric location, type a value for each of the X (horizontal) or Y (vertical) position options in the Transform or Control panel. Then press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).

    • To nudge an object slightly in one direction, press or hold an arrow key; to nudge an object ten times as far, hold down Shift as you press an arrow key.

    • To move an object by dragging, drag the object to a new position. Shift-drag to constrain the movement of the object horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (in multiples of 45°).

Move objects by a precise amount

You can use the Move command to move an object by a specific amount. This command also lets you move a copy of the selected object, leaving the original in place.

  1. Select an object to move. To move both the frame and its content, use the Selection tool to select the frame. To move the content without moving its frame, direct-select the object. To move a frame without moving the content, direct-select the frame, and select all the anchor points.
  2. Choose Object > Transform > Move, or double-click the icon for the Selection or Direct Selection tool in the toolbox.
  3. In the Move dialog box, do one of the following:

    • Enter the horizontal and vertical distances that you want the object to move. Positive values move the object down and to the right of the x axis; negative values move the object up and to the left.

    • To move an object a precise distance and angle, enter the distance and angle for the move. The angle you enter is calculated in degrees from the x axis. Positive angles specify a counterclockwise move; negative angles specify a clockwise move. You can also enter values between 180° and 360°; these values are converted to their corresponding negative values (for example, a value of 270° is converted to –90°).

  4. Do any of the following:

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

    • To move the object, click OK.

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

Move objects to a precise location

  1. Select an object to move.
  2. If you want to use a different reference point for the move, click where you want the reference point to appear.

    For example, if you want to move the object to the upper-left corner of the page, select the upper-left reference point.

  3. In the X and Y fields on the Transform panel, enter the coordinates where you want the selection to be moved.

Specify the distance objects move when nudged

  1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Units & Increments (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Units & Increments (Mac OS).
  2. For Cursor Key, specify the distance you want each press of an arrow key to move selected objects, and then click OK.
If you hold down Shift while moving a selection, the selection moves ten times the distance you specify here.