PDF (adobe.com)

Change text frame properties



Use Text Frame Options to change settings such as the number of columns in the frame, the vertical alignment of text within the frame, or the inset spacing, which is the distance of the margins between the text and the frame.

Before (left) and after (right) setting inset and creating two columns in a text frame

If you need to use the same text frame properties for multiple text frames, create an object style that you can apply to your text frames.
  1. Using the Selection tool , select a frame, or using the Type tool , click inside the text frame or select text.
  2. Choose Object > Text Frame Options, or hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and then double-click the text frame using a selection tool.
  3. Change text frame options, and then click OK.

These text frame options are available when you’re defining an object style for text boxes.

Add columns to a text frame

You can create columns within a text frame by using the Text Frame Options dialog box.

You cannot create columns of unequal width in a text frame. To create columns of unequal width or height, add threaded text frames side-by-side on either a layout page or a master page.
  1. Using the Selection tool, select a frame, or using the Type tool, click inside the text frame or select text.
  2. Choose Object > Text Frame Options.
  3. Specify the number of columns, the width of each column, and the spacing between each column (gutter) for the text frame.
  4. (Optional) Select Fixed Column Width to maintain column width when you resize the frame. If this option is selected, resizing the frame can change the number of columns, but not their width.
    Fixed column width

    A.
    Original 2‑column text frame

    B.
    Resized with Fixed Column Width deselected (still 2 columns)

    C.
    Resized with Fixed Column Width selected (4 columns)

Change text frame inset spacing (margins)

  1. Using the Selection tool, select a frame, or using the Type tool, click inside the text frame or select text.
  2. Choose Object > Text Frame Options.
  3. In the Inset Spacing section on the General tab, type the offset distances you want for Top, Left, Bottom, and Right. (Click the Make All Settings The Same icon  to use the same spacing on all sides.)

If the frame you’ve selected has a non-rectangular shape, the Top, Left, Bottom, and Right options are dimmed, and an Inset option is available instead.

First baseline offset options

To change the first baseline options of a selected text frame, choose Object > Text Frame Options, and click the Baseline Options tab. The following options appear in the Offset menu under First Baseline:

Ascent
The height of the “d” character in the font falls below the top inset of the text frame.

Cap Height
The top of uppercase letters touch the top inset of the text frame.

Leading
Use the text’s leading value as the distance between the baseline of the first line of text and the top inset of the frame.

X Height
The height of the “x” character in the font falls below the top inset of the frame.

Fixed
Specify the distance between the baseline of the first line of text and the top inset of the frame.

Min
Select a minimum value for the baseline offset. For example, if Leading is selected and you specify a minimum value of 1p, InDesign uses the leading value only when it’s greater than 1 pica.

If you want to snap the top of the text frame to a grid, choose either Leading or Fixed so that you can control the location of the first baseline of text in text frames.

Set baseline grids for a text frame

In some cases, you might want to use a baseline grid for a frame rather than for the entire document. Use the Text Frame Options dialog box to apply a baseline grid to a text frame. When you set up a baseline grid for a text frame, note the following:

  • The document baseline grid doesn’t appear behind or in front of text frames that use their own baseline grids.

  • If Grids In Back is selected in Grids Preferences, then the following is the baseline drawing order: frame-based baseline grids, frame grids, document-based baseline grids, and layout grids. If Grids In Back is not selected, then the following is the baseline drawing order: document-based baseline grids, layout grids, frame-based baseline grids, and frame grids.

  1. Choose View > Grids & Guides > Show Baseline Grid to display all baseline grids, including those in a text frame.
  2. Select the text frame or place the insertion in a text frame, and then choose Object > Text Frame Options.

    If you want the baseline grid to apply to all frames in a thread (even if one or more threaded frames do not include text), place the insertion point in text, choose Edit > Select All, and then apply the baseline grid settings in the Text Frame Options dialog box.

  3. Click the Baseline Options tab.
  4. Under Baseline Grid, select Use Custom Baseline Grid, and do any of the following:
    Start
    Type a value to offset the grid from the top of the page, the top margin of the page, the top of the frame, or the top inset of the frame, depending on what you choose from the Relative To menu.

    Relative To
    Specify whether you want the baseline grid to begin relative to the top of the page, the top margin of the page, the top of the text frame, or the top of the text frame inset.

    Increment Every
    Type a value for the spacing between grid lines. In most cases, type a value that equals your body text leading, so that lines of text align perfectly to the grid.

    Color
    Select a color for the grid lines, or choose (Layer Color) to use the same color as the layer on which the text frame appears.

If you can’t see the baseline grid in a text frame, choose View > Grids & Guides > Show Baseline Grid to make sure that baseline grids aren’t hidden. If the baseline grid still doesn’t appear, check the threshold for viewing baseline grids in the Grids section of the Preferences dialog box. To see the grid, you might need to zoom in on the frame or reduce the threshold level.