Artiom wrote:
In QuarkXPress we change the page size from the top left corner of the document. In InDesign it is made from the center of the page. Is it possible to change the page size from the top left corner of the page in InDesign too?
Sometimes my favorite answers to mailbag questions are those to which I can simply reply “no.” Saying “no” is so elegant, so simple. Unfortunately, just before I type that little word, my brain kicks in and starts saying, “ummm… well, you could… maybe….”
So, the quick answer is: No. The real answer is: There is always a workaround. Typically when you resize a page with File > Document Setup, the objects on the page all appear to move. The page isn’t really expanding from the center, as you mentioned. Rather, it sort of moves from the spine out (at least it does in CS3).
I say “sort of” because I’ve been analyzing it for a while over my early morning coffee and I can’t make out exactly how it works. In some cases, objects appear to move up and in others they appear to move down. The only thing I can say for sure is that it’s baffling.
So how to get those objects to stick to the upper-left corner? That is, how to get something that is 15 mm from the left and 20 mm down from the top to remain in that position in the new page size? Workaround!
- Draw an object on every page, such as a small empty frame.
- In the Control panel, set the upper left corner of this object (using the reference point proxy and the X and Y fields) to zero, zero — so that it’s snug in the upper left corner of the page.
- Resize the document with Document Setup.
- On each page, select all (Command/Ctrl-A), press Command/Ctrl-6 to jump to the first field of the Control panel, press zero, tab, zero, enter. That resets the “dummy” object — and all the other objects with it — to the correct position.
- Delete the new dummy frame.
Sound like fun? No! But hey, my brain hate saying “no.”
Another option would be to use a plug-in such as Page Control from dtptools.com, which gives you some control over how pages are resized. (Page Control is that cool plug-in that lets you change the page size of each page in a document separately, so you can have a business card-sized page next to an envelope-sized-page, etc.
Another plug-in option is Gluon’s ProScale. I haven’t used this in years, but I remember it being great because you can actually scale everything in the document proprotionally (or disproportionally) along with the page.
There must be other options for resizing your page sizes. Feel free to chime in with your favorite options for controlling where objects land on your page when you resize the document.
This article was last modified on December 18, 2021
This article was first published on November 27, 2007
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This is an old thread but just a shout out and thanks because it just saved my life (or, tons of time and a major headache really). Appreciate it!!
I must be missing something because all ‘layout adjustment’ adjusts in my file is the overall page size: it is not adjusting graphics, type boxes, type size: am I missing something?
Thanks, Paula
Hi, my first comment over here. First of all: Great site! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I just tried this:
Create a dummy object in that corner you want to scale from. Be sure to snap it to the border.
Group everything on the page (including the dummy).
Activate “Layout Adjustment”.
Scale your page size.
>Layout Adjustment can cause great things to happen? or terrible things!
I know, that’s why all options are off. But as I recall just grouping helped in CS2 but CS3 needs Layout adjustment on (or it may be I just remember it wrong).
The ‘grouping’ answer works to keep things on the X.Y values – indeed a question that keeps popping up in classrooms with ‘old Quarkies’ learning InDesign when changing pagesize…
Wa, okay, but you do bring up a very important point about changing your page size: Layout Adjustment can cause great things to happen… or terrible things! It all depends on what you’re trying to do.
Oh wait, I misread! I thought you were talking about keeping items at the left upper position when changing pages size. But… you were not! :-(
Your example is different, I replied to soon (and read not carefuly, sorry!)
Or, you GROUP all items on the page(s) and set proxy to upper left. Turn on ‘Layout > Adjust layout Turn of the scale item option. Change page size, then ungroup. Voila!