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Work with Flex Layout in Adobe InDesign

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  1. InDesign User Guide
  2. Get to know InDesign
    1. Introduction to InDesign
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    3. Generative AI (Not available in mainland China)
      1. Text to Image
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  3. Create and layout documents
    1. Documents and pages
      1. Create documents
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    2. Grids
      1. Grids
      2. Format grids
    3. Flex Layout
      1. Work with Flex Layout
      2. Flex Layout panel overview
      3. Create a team page using Flex Layout
      4. Apply Flex Layout properties using object style
      5. Apply Flex Layout in an existing document
      6. Auto-detect Flex Layout in InDesign
      7. Manage Flex Layout conflicts
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      4. Apply line (stroke) settings 
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      10. Align and distribute objects
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      12. Integrate AEM assets
    11. Color and transparency
      1. Apply color
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      3. Work with swatches
      4. Mix inks
      5. Tints
      6. Understand spot and process colors
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  5. Find and replace
    1. Find and replace text
    2. Find and replace fonts
    3. Find and replace glyphs
    4. Find and replace using GREP expressions and queries
    5. Find and replace objects
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  8. Extend InDesign
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  9. Troubleshooting
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    3. Crash on launch
    4. Improve InDesign performance
    5. Preference folder read-only issue
    6. Troubleshoot file issues
    7. Unable to export InDesign file to PDF
    8. InDesign document recovery

Learn how to use Flex Layout to make your designs dynamic and effortlessly adaptable to content changes.

Adobe InDesign deeplink-gen-fill

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Work with a sample file and learn how to work with Flex Layout.

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What is Flex layout?

Flex Layout is a feature that enables you to create containers that adapt automatically as content changes. Items in the container are positioned using direction, spacing, padding, and alignment. When content is added, removed, or resized, the layout adjusts itself, which eliminates the need for manual adjustments.

Access Flex Layout options

Select an object/group/multiple objects in your document and do one of the following to access Flex Layout options:

  • Go to Object > Flex Layout.
  • Right-click the object to access Flex Layout.
  • Go to Window > Flex Layout panel.
InDesign Object menu showing Flex Layout options including Add, Convert, Remove, and Show Flex Controls.
Explore Flex Layout options in InDesign

Add to Flex Layout

Adds selected objects to a Flex Layout.

Convert to Flex Layout

Converts an object (rectangle frame, rectangle shape, or group) to a Flex Layout.

Remove Flex Layout

Removes the Flex Layout from selection. If the Flex Layout had multiple objects, a group is created. If it had one object, the object remains.

Show Flex Controls

Opens the Flex Layout panel (alternative to the Properties panel).

Create a Flex layout

  1. Select multiple objects in your document.

  2. Select the Flex layout   icon from the Properties panel. The selected objects are added to a Flex Container.

  3. Drag and drop objects into the container. The container items adjust automatically based on the Flex Container settings - direction, alignment, justification, and spacing.

Note
  • Flex Layout is scriptable.
  • Use the Esc key to move the selection from a child object to the parent object inside a Flex Layout.

Limitations

  • Custom transformations don't work for Flex Layouts.
  • Automatic resizing of text frames isn't supported within the Flex Layout.
  • Objects that are anchored outside the bounds of a Flex Layout container are clipped.

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