Designers often have to add columns to existing documents or templates to make page layouts clearer. In addition, columns can also help balance the overall design of the page. If you want to add columns in Adobe InDesign, follow the steps outlined in this wikiHow.
Step
Step 1. Add columns to a new document
You can change the number of columns in a new document to make it easier to work on the page design.
- Create a document by clicking " File " and selecting the " New " option.
- Select a new page from the " Page " menu.
- Open the "New Document" menu. Find the " Columns " window and type in the number of columns you want to include.
- Change the width of the gutter on each column for a more dynamic design. InDesign will automatically change the width of the column in the textbox to match the width of the center border.
Step 2. Use InDesign to add columns to an existing document
Designers often have to change the number of columns in an existing document. This process is similar to adding columns to a new document.
- Go to the " Pages " menu and double-click the page you want to open.
- Select the text box you want to add the column to.
- Open the "Layout" menu. Find (drop-down) "Margins and Columns" in the "Layout" drop-down menu.
- In the " Columns " window, enter the number of columns you want.
- You can also add columns in the " Object " menu. Open that menu and find the option "Text Frame Options." After that, the option " Margins and Columns " will appear on the screen.
- You can also open the " Margins and Columns " menu by clicking the " Ctrl " + "B" keys on Windows and the " Command " + "b" keys on a Mac.
Step 3. Create a column with overset text
Overset text is a text box that is too small to display the entire text. You can use it to add columns to a document.
- Columns that have text overset will display a red "+" at the bottom right of the text box.
- Create a new text box next to the first column.
- Select the first text box with the " Selection " tool.
- Click the "+" symbol in this text box. After that, the cursor can move the overset text.
- Place the cursor in front of an empty text box. After that, the cursor shape will change.
- Click the text box and the text will go into a new column.
- You can also create another column when the cursor loads overset text without having to create an empty text box first. Click and drag the cursor over an empty area of the document and the text will fill that area.
Step 4. Change the fields on the " master " or " spread " page
Designers sometimes want to change the format of the columns on a " master " or " spread " page to maintain column consistency on the page.
- Open the "Pages" menu.
- Click once on the page icon. After that, click the page number under the page spread icon.
- Double click the page icon to select the page spread. After that, the spread page will appear in the document window.
- Make sure the textbox is highlighted. After that, open the "Layout" menu and search for "Margins and Columns."
- Enter the desired numbers for the number of columns and the width of the center line. Press the "OK" button.
- To create columns of unequal width for a more dynamic page layout, place the cursor in front of the column grid and drag to where you want it. The width of the center plate will remain the same when you drag the column.
