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Correct answer Derek Cross

When setting up your new document you start with the Trimmed Page Size (TPS) for example 210 x 297mm (A4). To this you add bleed, usually 3mm, (which is added to the outside of the TPS). The margins and columns (if you want columns) are within the TPS, and may vary, such as a larger margin at the bottom of the page. Normally the text and images, at least those images that are not bleeding are kept within the margins, but they don't have to be, it depends on your design. When setting up your new document you also need to select (tick) Facing Pages for a book or booklet or untick if your document is a single page, such as a poster.

3 replies

JonathanArias
JonathanArias
Legend
October 10, 2018

Margins allow you to set up a column grid. as in modular design for magazine or newspaper design

here are some sites to help you:

InDesign #101 – A Beginners Guide to Modular Grids - mark-anthony.ca

https://www.creativebloq.com/computer-arts/mastering-grids-indesign-cc-71412235

and if you really want to master this subject i recommend this:

Typography: Working with Grids

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 10, 2018

Hi sundaymorning:

It's a great question. I identify them as "visual aids to help with alignment" in my Intro to InDesign classes. We normally start with creating margins and columns—which most of my students already understand from their experience with Word.

Then we learn how to drag guides out of the rulers, to help align multiple objects:

From there, we learn how to use guides to define a grid to help organize the layout:

Here is an example of margin guides, column guides and ruler guides in use to align the various objects. (This is actually one of the files we build from scratch on the first day of class.)

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Derek Cross
Community Expert
Derek CrossCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 10, 2018

Margins are the spaces around a page (or within in the case of columns) in which you place the text and images.

You can drag vertical and horizontal guides out from the rulers to help with the alignment of page elements.

In addition there's the Baseline Grid to ensure text aligns.

And Grids which some like to use,

sundaymorning
sundaymorningAuthor
Participating Frequently
October 10, 2018

but bleed is added to the page, not margin? and when an image goes over the margin and to the bleed..will all of it print?

or does everything absolutely have to be inside the margin lines?

Derek Cross
Community Expert
Derek CrossCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
October 10, 2018

When setting up your new document you start with the Trimmed Page Size (TPS) for example 210 x 297mm (A4). To this you add bleed, usually 3mm, (which is added to the outside of the TPS). The margins and columns (if you want columns) are within the TPS, and may vary, such as a larger margin at the bottom of the page. Normally the text and images, at least those images that are not bleeding are kept within the margins, but they don't have to be, it depends on your design. When setting up your new document you also need to select (tick) Facing Pages for a book or booklet or untick if your document is a single page, such as a poster.

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