Inspiring

Answered

What is a quick way of matching text frames to margins?

Forum|Forum|23 days ago
March 12, 2026
3 replies
78 views

I am using the latest version of Adobe InDesign which I believe is 21.2 and my operating system is Windows 11 latest version. I have a 200 page book (In three sections) and the client has asked for the top margin to be changed. I've done that but I now have 200 text frames that were exactly matching the margins but are now a few millimeters too tall. Is there a straightforward way to select all the pages and snap text frames to margins? Or do I have to do it manually, page by page?

Correct answer Peter Spier

If you reset the margins to match the frames, you can then use Layout > Margins and Columns… again and this time check the box the Adjust Layout when you change the margins. Leave the type size adjustments unchecked.

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Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

If all the text frames were the same size at the start and throughout, then you can go to Find/Change and search for object, insert the height of the text frame exactly, and then in the change options put in the new height, and change all and it should find all objects that were that height and adjust them.

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Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Well that’s egg on my face - the width is there but not the height… ???
I change the width all the time with this method, but didn’t realise the height is not a reference …

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

Maybe just search for textframes in general, without being that specific.

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

Find/Change all the textframes applying an Object Style (that you make) that defines both the size of the frame and the position.

Mike Witherell

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m5heathAuthor

Inspiring

But I have 200 pages and I would have to apply that particular object style 200 times in order that it will find them all. I can't see a way around that.

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m5heathAuthor

Inspiring

By the way, when I look at the Find Object Format Options, the basic attributes does not include ‘size and position options’. Has InDesign dropped this and moved it to another choice?

Peter Spier

Correct answer

Community Expert

If you reset the margins to match the frames, you can then use Layout > Margins and Columns… again and this time check the box the Adjust Layout when you change the margins. Leave the type size adjustments unchecked.

M

m5heathAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks for the response. Not sure I fully understand you.I have set correct margins and they show in the margins and columns dialog box as well as on the page. But when I click the box to ‘adjust layout’ the text boxes remain the same size.

Peter Spier

Community Expert

If the text frames are snapped to the margins, and the Adjust Layout box is checked, the frames should remain snapped to the new margins when you make a change and click OK.

This means that you need to reset the margins to to match the text frames first, WITHOUT Adjust layout active, then reopen the dialog, check the box and set the margins to the new size, then click OK.

If you have used Primary Text Frames for your text, you should make these adjustments on the Parent Pages to have it affect all the document pages to which the Parent Page is applied

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