Setting Exact Space Between Objects in InDesign

Need to set an exact amount of space between two objects? One way is to use a lesser-known feature in the Align panel, Distribute Spacing: Use Spacing.
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Why is it lesser-known? For starters, you won’t even see this feature unless you have expanded the Align panel (choose Show Options in the panel menu).

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To set the exact space betwen objects, click Use Spacing, and set the value you want.
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Then click the button for either Distribute Horizontal Space or Distribute Vertical Space.
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If you want to set the spacing between more than two objects, Distribute Spacing might not give you the results you want. If that’s the case, try grouping some of the objects to make them stay positioned in relation to each other before using Distribute Spacing.

You can also use the Gap tool to set exact spacing. With the Gap tool, just position your cursor so that you see the correct gap highlighted.

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Then hold Command+Option (Mac) or Ctrl+Alt (Windows) while you drag. Both objects will move and the size of the gap shows up next to your cursor.

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Nice doggie!

Peter says:

November 10, 2015 at 5:28 am

I’ve always found it a strange omission that you can’t just click to select one or more gaps with the Gap tool and then use the Transform panel or the Options Bar to set exact absolute or relative values, including support for the anchor point selector. I hope we’ll see that in a future release at some point.