Baseline grids

The baseline grid is overlaid over your page to help you align text. A baseline grid can be applied to the entire document or individual text frames within it, and will align baselines across linked or completely separate text frames.

The baseline grid's Grid Spacing option overrides the leading value of frame text. Setting the grid spacing to the same size as your body text leading means that your frame text should snap to, and perfectly align with, the baseline grid. The baseline grid is blue by default but can be any color you choose.

You can adjust your baseline grid from the Baseline Grid Manager for a baseline grid spanning across a whole page, or from the Text Frame panel for a baseline grid that has been applied to an individual text frame.

Frame-specific baseline grids are useful for text frames that use a different font sizes (e.g. for caption text, quotes, etc), where the frame text will adopt its own independent baseline grid rules and not those of the document baseline grid. The text frame baseline grid is controlled via the Text Frame panel.

Settings

The following settings can be adjusted from the Baseline Grid Manager:

Use Baseline Grid—ticking this checkbox will enable the baseline grid.
Start Position—specify the offset of the first grid line from the origin at Relative To.
Relative To—specify what the baseline grid's starting position is in relation to. The Top of Page option is used for facing page spreads arranged vertically—you can restart the grid from the top of the second page in the spread.
Grid Spacing—specify how far apart consecutive horizontal grid lines are.
Color—click on the swatch to display a pop-up panel to set the line color. Drag the slider to set the opacity of the line color.
Show Baseline Grids—ticking on this checkbox will show or hide baseline grids (Baseline Grid Manager only).
Display Threshold—adjust the zoom level below which grids will not be displayed (Baseline Grid Manager only). For example, choosing 100% will make the baseline grid visible at a zoom level of 100% or above.

To enable the Baseline Grid:

Do one of the following:
- On the main toolbar, click Show Baseline Grid Manager.
- On the View menu, select the equivalent option.
From the Baseline Grid Manager, check Use Baseline Grid.
Adjust the position and spacing of your baseline grid.

To show (or hide) the baseline grid:

From the Baseline Grid Manager, check/uncheck Show Baseline Grids.

To align text to the baseline grid:

Go to the Paragraph panel.
Click on the Baseline Grid tab.
Ensure that the Align to Baseline Grid checkbox is ticked.

To snap objects to the baseline grid:

From the main toolbar, enable Snapping, then click the Snapping down arrow and ensure Snap to Spread is checked.

To set up a text frame baseline grid:

The baseline grid can be applied to an individual text frame.

On the View menu, select Studio and then choose Text Frame.
Adjust the settings in the Baseline Grid section of the panel.

To ignore the baseline grid:

With a table or text frame selected, on the Table panel or Text Frame panel, check Ignore Baseline Grid. Uncheck to include the baseline grid again.

To preview your page without this design aid:

Do one of the following:

From the Toolbar, ensure Toggle Preview Mode is selected.
From the View menu, select Preview Mode. Other on-screen design aids will also be disabled.

Settings

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