Select File > Document Setup.
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to modify page size, orientation, and layout settings to adapt existing Adobe InDesign documents to new requirements.
You can adjust the fundamental structure of an existing InDesign document—such as changing from single pages to facing pages, modifying page dimensions, or reconfiguring margin and column layouts. Changes made through Document Setup affect every page in the document, while margin and column adjustments can target specific pages, spreads, or parent pages.
Adjust document setup
Modify the page size by selecting a preset from the Page Size drop-down menu or entering custom Width and Height values.
Change the page orientation by selecting the Portrait icon or the Landscape icon.
Toggle Facing Pages to switch between single-page and spread layouts.
Adjust Number of Pages if you need to add or remove pages from your document. For multi-page documents with existing content, select File > Adjust Layout and make the required changes to reposition the objects automatically.
Select OK.
Modify margins and columns for pages or spreads
Changes to margins and columns can target individual pages, entire spreads, or parent pages. When you adjust settings on a parent page, all document pages that use it inherit those changes. Modifying regular pages affects only the pages you selected.
Select Window > Pages.
Select the spread or pages you want to modify.
Select Layout > Margins And Columns.
Enter values for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins to set the distance between margin guides and each page edge. If you selected Facing Pages in Document Setup, the Left and Right margin options change to Inside and Outside, letting you specify additional inside margin space for binding.
Specify the Number of columns you want for the page layout.
Enter a Gutter value to control the space between columns.
Select OK.
Create unequal column widths
InDesign allows you to create custom column layouts with varying widths by manually adjusting column guides on individual pages or spreads. This technique is useful for creating asymmetric layouts or specialty column arrangements.
Navigate to the page or spread where you want unequal columns.
Select View > Grids & Guides and deselect Lock Column Guides.
Drag a column guide to a new position using the Selection tool. Column guides appear in pairs that move together to maintain the gutter width you specified. You cannot drag a guide past an adjacent column guide or beyond the page edge.
Customize pasteboard and guides
You can customize guide colors for margins, columns, bleed, and slug areas, and change the preview background color to better distinguish Normal and Preview modes. InDesign also lets you adjust snap distance, control whether guides appear in front of or behind objects, and set the pasteboard size.
Select Edit > Preferences > Guides & Pasteboard (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Guides & Pasteboard (macOS).
Under Color, select colors from the drop-down menus, or select Custom for each drop-down menu, to choose a custom color:
- Margins: Sets a color for the page margins.
- Columns: Sets a color for the column guides of the page.
- Bleed: Sets the color for the bleed area (defined in the Document Setup dialog box).
- Slug: Sets the color for the slug area (defined in the Document Setup dialog box).
- Preview Background: Sets the color of the pasteboard when in Preview mode. Or select Match to Theme Color to sync the color with your chosen theme.
- Smart Guides: Sets the color of the temporary alignment lines that appear when moving objects.
Tip
You can change the on-screen paper color by double-clicking the Paper color in the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches) with no objects selected.
Under Guide Options, set the options:
- Snap to Zone: Enter a value in pixels to set the snap distance (higher values create a larger snap range).
- Guides in Back: Select to display guides behind objects instead of in front.
Under Pasteboard Options, enter values in pixels for Horizontal Margins and Vertical Margins. These values specify how far the pasteboard extends beyond the page edges or defined bleed and slug areas.
Select OK.
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