Flex Layout conflicts

In a Flex Layout, a parent container and its child objects follow rules for how content flows, sizes, and wraps. In some cases, container and child element settings can conflict. InDesign uses logic to resolve these situations, so the layout remains predictable.

How conflicts are resolved

When Flex Layout rules cannot align a container and its child elements in mixed sizing modes, InDesign applies automatic resolutions to prevent unpredictable layouts.

• If a container size is set to Fixed but contains child elements set to Fill Space, and you change the layout to Auto, InDesign will set those child elements to Fixed size to maintain the structure.
• If a container layout is set to Auto and contains child elements set to Fixed, and you change one of the child elements to Fill Space, InDesign detects a conflict. It switches the parent container size to Fixed so the layout can stabilize.
• When Wrap Content is turned on, and a child element is set to Fill Space, InDesign turns off wrapping because fill-space items occupy all available space along an axis.

Special content considerations

• Flex Layouts don't support auto-sizing text frames. If you place auto-sizing text in a Flex Layout, auto-sizing will turn off. To control text sizes within Flex Layout, manually set the text frame size or use the Fill or Auto child sizing options.
• When a graphic frame within a Flex Layout is set to Fill Space, it uses the frame's existing Fitting settings, ensuring the image scales appropriately within the container.