How do I place my copy into columns in Adobe® InDesign®?

Add columns to a page or spread

• To add columns to one page, highlight that page in the Pages palette.
• To add columns to a spread, highlight both pages in the Pages palette.
• To add columns to every page in your file:
  • Open the Master pages in the Pages palette.
  • Highlight both pages.
• Go to Layout>Margins and Columns.
• In the Columns section, choose the number of columns needed.
• Click Preview to see the columns added to the layout.
• Click OK.

Add columns to a text frame
Your text is in one text frame so just add columns to that text frame.

• Draw a text frame and type or place your text.
• Click somewhere inside the text.
• Go to Object>Text Frame Options (Ctrl+B-Win, Command+B-Mac)
• In the Columns section:
  • Change the Number to the number of columns needed
  • Columns are created with 1 pica between them.
• Click Preview to see the copy in columns.
• Click OK.

InDesign CS5, CS4 & CS3

InDesign CS2 & CS

• To change the Alignment, open the Paragraph palette and choose the alignment option.
• The options can be adjusted at any time.

Threaded text framesFrames can be threaded before or after text is created or imported into the frames.

Thread empty text frames

• Use the Frame tool to create text frames. Use Column Guides to create consistent frames.
  • Click inside the first frame with the Text tool to convert it to a Text Frame.
• Or use the Type tool to create empty text blocks.
• Click on the first frame with the Selection tool.
• Click the Out port on the first frame, the cursor changes to a loaded text icon .
• Position the cursor over the second frame and click.
• Go to View>Show Text Threads to see the threads.
• If there are more frames, repeat the steps.
  • Click the Out port of the second frame, then click in the third frame.
• Import your text into the first text frame.

Thread frames with text already in the first frame

• Click on the frame containing text with the Selection tool.
• Click the Out port.
• If another frame has been created, position the loaded text icon over it and click.
• If another frame has not been created:
  • Use the loaded text icon to draw another text frame.
• Follow the same steps to add another frame.
  • Click the Out port on the second text frame
  • Draw a text frame with the loaded text icon.

Note: A red plus sign in the Out port of a text frame means there is more text in the frame that has not been placed. Either link to another text frame, expand the text frame or reformat the text.

To unthread text frames

• Click in the In port or Out port of the frame you want to unthread.
  • If there are two frames and you want to unthread the second frame, click in the In port of the second frame or Out port of the first frame.
• Either:
  • Place the loaded text icon over the frame you want to unthread, the cursor changes to an unthread icon , and click.
  • Or, double click the In port of the frame you want to unthread.

Example:

• To unthread the third frame,
• click in the In port of the third frame,
• then click in the second frame.

To delete a frame from a thread

• Select the frame you want to delete with the Selection tool.
• Select Edit>Cut.
• The Frame disappears and the text reflows into the remaining frames.