InDesign

Position a custom-positioned anchored object

Note the following when using the Anchored Object Options dialog box to position custom-positioned anchored objects.

  • The custom position options include four main options: The two Reference Point proxies and the X and Y Relative To menus. These options all work together to specify the object’s location. For instance, what you choose for X Relative To and Y Relative To determines what the Anchored Position Reference Point represents—it could be a text frame, a text line within a column, or an entire page. The following image represents how you can change the location of the object by choosing a different reference point while leaving the X and Y Relative To options unchanged.

    Changing the location of the anchored object (X Relative To set to Text Frame; Y Relative To set to Line (Baseline))

    A.
    Choosing the lower right point on the Anchored Object proxy and left center point on Anchored Position proxy.

    B.
    Changing Anchored Object proxy point to upper left corner and leaving the Anchored Position proxy point at center left

    C.
    Leaving the Anchored Object proxy at top left and changing Anchored Position proxy point to center right

  • To create an anchored object that maintains its position on the page (such as the top left corner) as text reflows and moves only when the text reflows to another page, anchor the object to the page margins or page edges. For example, set both X Relative To and Y Relative To to Page Margin, click the top left reference point for the object  and the top left reference point for the page item . As the text reflows, the object remains in the top left corner, within the page margins. Only when the text line containing the anchor flows to another page does the object move—to the top left corner of the next page.
    Positioning anchored object to a specific location on the page

    A.
    Position object using use Page Margin or Page Edge for X and Y Relative To

    B.
    When text reflows, object does not follow text until text moves to another page.

  • To keep the object aligned with a specific line of text so that the object stays with that text when it reflows, choose a Line option from the Y Relative To menu.

  • To keep the object within the text frame, but not with a specific line of text when text reflows, choose Text Frame from the X Relative To menu.

  • To align the object relative to the margin (for example, to create a sidebar that stays in the outside margin as the text reflows from page to page), select Relative To Spine.

  1. Select the object and choose Object > Anchored Object > Options.
  2. From the Position menu, choose Custom.
    To see the object move on the page as you specify options, select Preview at the bottom of the dialog box.
  3. To keep the object on the same side of the page, relative to the document spine, select Relative To Spine. For example, select this if you want the object to always appear in the outside margin, no matter what side of the spread it is on.
  4. Click the point on the Anchored Object Reference Point proxy  that represents the point on the object that you want to align to the page.
  5. From the X Relative To menu, choose the page item that you want to use as the horizontal basis for alignment of the object. For example, choose Text Frame to align the object to left, right, or center of the text frame.
  6. From the Y Relative To menu, choose the page item that you want to use as the vertical basis for alignment of the object. For example, if you want the object to align to the baseline of the text to which its anchored, choose Line (Baseline).
  7. Click the point on the Anchored Position Reference Point proxy  that represents where within the page items chosen from the X and Y Relative To menus that you want to align the object.
  8. Specify an X Offset or Y Offset to nudge or move the object away from the alignment point.
  9. To ensure that the object does not extend below or above a column edge as text reflows, select Keep within Top/Bottom Column Boundaries. This option is only available when you select a line option, such as Line (Baseline), from the Y Relative To menu.
  10. Click OK.