Workspace basics

You create and manipulate your documents and files using various elements, such as panels, bars, and windows. Any arrangement of these elements is called a workspace. The workspaces of the different applications in Adobe Creative Cloud share the same appearance so that you can move between the applications easily. You can also adapt each application to the way you work by selecting from several preset workspaces or by creating one of your own.

The Start workspace in InDesign gives you convenient access to your recently used files, InDesign tutorials, and provides an option to create new document or open existing documents .  

The Start workspace is displayed when:

• InDesign is launched
• No documents are open

Use the Start workspace to:

• open tutorials to help you quickly learn and understand the concept, workflow, tips, and tricks
  
• create a new document or open an existing document
  

The Start workspace has the following tabs and buttons:

Click this tab to view the files that you have recently modified.

Click this tab to open a list of basic and advanced tutorials on InDesign to get started with the application.

Click this button to create a new document. You can create a document by selecting one of the numerous templates and presets available in InDesign. Notice the Start a new file fast banner in the center displays the most popular preset for the mobile, web, and the print categories to help you quickly set up a new document.

Click this button to open an existing document in InDesign.

Create documents

When you create a document in InDesign, instead of beginning with a blank document, you can choose from a wide variety of templates, including templates from Adobe Stock. Templates include assets that you can build on to complete your project. When you open a template in InDesign, you can work with it just as you would work with any other InDesign document.

In addition to templates, you can also create a document by selecting one of the numerous presets available in InDesign.

For more information, see Create documents.

Workspace overview

• The Application frame groups all the workspace elements in a single, integrated window that lets you treat the application as a single unit. When you move or resize the Application frame or any of its elements, all the elements within it respond to each other so none overlap. Panels don’t disappear when you switch applications or when you accidentally click out of the application. If you work with two or more applications, you can position each application side by side on the screen or on multiple monitors. If you are using a Mac and prefer the traditional, free-form user interface, you can turn off the Application frame. Select Window > Application Frame to toggle it on or off.

• The Application bar across the top contains a workspace switcher, menus (Windows only), and other application controls. On Mac, the application bar is available only when Application frame is off. You can toggle it on or off using the Window menu.

• The Tools panel contains tools for creating and editing images, artwork, page elements, and so on. Related tools are grouped.

• The Control panel displays options for the currently selected object.

• The Document window displays the file you’re working on. Document windows can be tabbed and, in certain cases, grouped and docked.

• Panels help you monitor and modify your work. Panels can be grouped, stacked, or docked.
  

Set UX color

You can change the interface to one of the four available color options: Dark, Medium Dark, Medium Light, and Light.

Manage windows and panels

Hide or show all panels

• To hide or show all panels, including the Tools panel and Control panel, press Tab.

• To hide or show all panels except the Tools panel and Control panel, press Shift+Tab.

Display panel options

• Click the panel menu icon in the upper-right corner of the panel.

Adjust panel brightness

• In Interface preferences, you can customize the interface to sport one of the four available color themes designed for optimal user experience: Dark, Medium Dark, Medium Light, and Light.

Reconfigure the Tools panel

You can display the tools in the Tools panel in a single column, or side by side in two columns.

• Click the double arrow at the top of the Tools panel.

Rearrange, dock, or float document windows

When you open more than one file, the Document windows are tabbed.

• To rearrange the order of tabbed Document windows, drag a window’s tab to a new location in the group.
• To undock (float or untab) a Document window from a group of windows, drag the window’s tab out of the group.

• To dock a Document window to a separate group of Document windows, drag the window into the group.

• To create groups of stacked or tiled documents, drag the window to one of the drop zones along the top, bottom, or sides of another window. You can also select a layout for the group by using the Layout button on the Application bar.

• To switch to another document in a tabbed group when dragging a selection, drag the selection over the document’s tab for a moment.

Dock and undock panels

A dock is a collection of panels or panel groups displayed together, generally in a vertical orientation. You dock and undock panels by moving them into and out of a dock.

• To dock a panel, drag it by its tab into the dock, at the top, bottom, or in between other panels.

• To dock a panel group, drag it by its title bar (the solid empty bar above the tabs) into the dock.

• To remove a panel or panel group, drag it out of the dock by its tab or title bar. You can drag it into another dock or make it free-floating.

Move panels

As you move panels, you see blue highlighted drop zones, areas where you can move the panel. For example, you can move a panel up or down in a dock by dragging it to the narrow blue drop zone above or below another panel. If you drag to an area that is not a drop zone, the panel floats freely in the workspace.

• To move a panel, drag it by its tab.

• To move a panel group, drag the title bar.

Add and remove panels

If you remove all panels from a dock, the dock disappears. You can create a dock by moving panels to the right edge of the workspace until a drop zone appears.

• To remove a panel, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) its tab and then select Close, or deselect it from the Window menu.

• To add a panel, select it from the Window menu and dock it wherever you want.

Manipulate panel groups

• To move a panel into a group, drag the panel’s tab to the highlighted drop zone in the group.

• To rearrange panels in a group, drag a panel’s tab to a new location in the group.

• To remove a panel from a group so that it floats freely, drag the panel by its tab outside the group.

• To move a group, drag the title bar (the area above the tabs).

Stack floating panels

When you drag a panel out of its dock but not into a drop zone, the panel floats freely. The floating panel allows you to position it anywhere in the workspace. You can stack floating panels or panel groups so that they move as a unit when you drag the topmost title bar.

• To stack floating panels, drag a panel by its tab to the drop zone at the bottom of another panel.

• To change the stacking order, drag a panel up or down by its tab.

• To remove a panel or panel group from the stack, so that it floats by itself, drag it out by its tab or title bar.

Resize panels

• To minimize or maximize a panel, panel group, or stack of panels, double-click a tab. You can also double-click the tab area (the empty space next to the tabs).

• To resize a panel, drag any side of the panel. Some panels, such as the Color panel in Photoshop, cannot be resized by dragging.

Collapse and expand panel icons

You can collapse panels to icons to reduce clutter on the workspace. In some cases, panels are collapsed to icons in the default workspace.

• To collapse or expand all panel icons in a column, click the double arrow at the top of the dock.
• To expand a single panel icon, click it.
• To resize panel icons so that you see only the icons (and not the labels), adjust the width of the dock until the text disappears. To display the icon text again, make the dock wider.
• To collapse an expanded panel back to its icon, click its tab, its icon, or the double arrow in the panel’s title bar.

• To add a floating panel or panel group to an icon dock, drag it in by its tab or title bar. (Panels are automatically collapsed to icons when added to an icon dock.)

• To move a panel icon (or panel icon group), drag the icon. You can drag panel icons up and down in the dock, into other docks (where they appear in the panel style of that dock), or outside the dock (where they appear as floating icons).

Use panel menus

Access the panel menus using the icon on the upper-right corner of the panel.

Save and switch workspaces

By saving the current size and position of panels as a named workspace, you can restore that workspace even if you move or close a panel. The names of saved workspaces appear in the workspace switcher in the Application bar.

Save a custom workspace

Display or switch workspaces

• Select a workspace from the workspace switcher in the Application bar.

Delete a custom workspace

• Select Delete Workspace from the workspace switcher, select the workspace, and then click Delete.

• Choose Window > Workspace >Delete Workspace, select the workspace, and then click Delete.

Restore the default workspace

• Select Window > Workspace > Reset [Workspace Name].

About screen modes

You can change the visibility of the document window using the Mode buttons at the bottom of the toolbox or by choosing commands from the View > Screen Mode menu. When the toolbox is displayed in a single column, you can select view modes by clicking the current mode button and selecting a different mode from the menu that appears.

Displays artwork in a standard window with all visible grids and guides showing, non-printing objects showing, and a white pasteboard.

Displays artwork as if it were output, with all non-printing elements suppressed (grids, guides, non-printing objects), and the pasteboard set to the preview background color defined in Preferences.

Displays artwork as if it were output, with all non-printing elements suppressed (grids, guides, non-printing objects), the pasteboard set to the preview background color defined in Preferences, and any printing elements within the document's bleed area (defined in Document Setup) showing.

Displays artwork as if it were output, with all non-printing elements suppressed (grids, guides, non-printing objects), the pasteboard set to the preview background color defined in Preferences, and any printing elements within the document's slug area (defined inDocument Setup) showing.

Displays artwork as if it were a slideshow presentation, with no menus, panels, or tools displayed. See Use Presentation Mode.

Use the status bar

The status bar at the lower left of a document window shows information about the status of a file and lets you turn to a different page. Click the status bar menu to do any of the following:

• Show the current file in the file system by choosing Reveal In Explorer (Windows) or Reveal In Finder (macOS).

• Show the current file in Adobe Bridge by choosing Reveal in Bridge.

Control panel overview

The Control panel (Window > Control) offers quick access to options, commands, and other panels related to the current page item or objects you select. By default, the Control panel is docked to the top of the document window; however, you can dock it to the bottom of the window, convert it to a floating panel, or hide it altogether.

Options displayed in the Control panel vary depending on the type of object or tool you select:

• When you select a frame, the Control panel displays options for resizing, repositioning, skewing, and rotating the frame, or applying an object style.

• When you select text inside a frame, the Control panel displays either character or paragraph options. Click the paragraph and character icons on the left side of the Control panel to determine whether paragraph or character options are displayed. If your monitor size and resolution allows, the Control panel displays additional options. For example, if the character icon is selected, all the character options are displayed, and some paragraph options appear on the right of the Control panel. If you click the paragraph icon, all paragraph options are displayed, and some character options appear on the right.

• When you select a table cell, the Control panel displays options for adjusting row and column dimensions, merging cells, aligning text, and adding strokes.

As the options in the Control panel change, you can get more information about each option by using tool tips—pop‑up descriptions that appear when you hover over an icon or option label with the pointer.

To open dialog boxes associated with Control panel icons, Alt‑click (Windows) or Option‑click (Mac OS) as you click a Control panel icon. For example, when a frame is selected, hold down Alt or Option and click the Rotation Angle icon  to open the Rotate dialog box.

Dock or float the Control panel

Customize the Control panel

Use context menus

Unlike the menus that appear at the top of your screen, context-sensitive menus display commands related to the active tool or selection. You can use context menus as a quick way to choose commonly used commands.

Change Interface preferences

Select the color theme for InDesign interface. Choose from Dark, Medium Dark, Medium Light, or Light Color Theme.

Select this option to match pasteboard color with the theme color of interface.

Tool tips appear when you hold the pointer over interface items such as tools in the toolbar and options in the Control panel. Choose None to turn off tool tips.

When you place a graphic, a thumbnail of the image appears in the loaded graphics cursor. Similarly, a thumbnail of the first few lines of text appears in the loaded text cursor. Deselect this option if you don’t want thumbnails to appear when placing graphics or text.

When you’re creating, sizing, or rotating an object, the cursor displays the [x,y] coordinates, width and height, or rotation information.

Select this option to allow Windows and Mac OS multi-touch mouse gestures to work in InDesign. For example, when you use the Magic Mouse in Mac OS, the swipe gesture scrolls up or down or moves to the previous or next page or spread, and the rotate gesture rotates the spread.

Select this option to highlight the frame edges of objects when the direct selection tool is moved over it.

Specify whether the toolbar appears as a single column, double column, or single row.

When this option is selected, clicking the document window closes the open panel automatically.

When you hide panels by pressing Tab, holding the pointer over the side of the document window temporarily reveals the panels if this option is selected. If this option is not selected, you must press Tab again to display panels.

When this option is deselected, documents you create or open appear as floating windows rather than tabbed windows.

If this option is selected, you can dock floating documents with each other as tabbed windows. If this option is deselected, floating document windows aren’t docked with other document windows, unless you hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) while dragging.

Select this option to increase the height of panel and document tabs.

To control whether to greek text and images when you scroll a document, drag the Hand Tool slider to the desired level of performance versus quality.

Select an option to determine whether the image redraws as you drag an object. If Immediate is selected, the image redraws while you drag. If Never is selected, dragging an image moves only the frame, and then image is moved when you release the mouse button. If Delayed is selected, the image redraws only if you pause before dragging. Delayed offers the same behavior as in InDesign CS4.

Integrate Adobe Asset Link

You can directly access the content stored in AEM Assets without the need to log in to AEM Assets. Adobe Asset Link is installed as an extension in the InDesign application. Your IT admin has to configure and deploy the panel. Once installed and configured, you can do the following to open the panel:

• Choose Window > Extensions > Adobe Asset Link.

For easy access, you can configure your workspace to include the Adobe Asset Link panel. For more information, see the following links:

• Adobe Asset Link Landing page
• Manage assets using Adobe Asset Link