aligning text boxes

[COGordonW]

Is there a way to align text boxes so that the alignment is based on the type and not bounding box?

[Jeff Witchel, ACI · Accepted solution]

You can start by closing up the Text Frame to the type. Double-click the center-bottom bounding box point. This will automatically close up the Text Frame to the baseline of the last line of type. You can also use the center-side bounding box points to close up the width of the Frame. (This can do odd things like re-breaking your lines of type. If it does, try using No Break [Options menu of Character panel] on the longest line.)

Then use the Align panel (Window > Object & Layout > Align) to Align or Space the Frames.

[Barb Binder]

Hi COGordonW:

The alignment commands are based on the frame reference points (corner handles, side handles, center point).

Jeff's idea is a good one—something else you might play around with is to define a baseline grid and snap the text to it, and use consistent frame sizes.

~Barb

[Laubender]

Hi COGordonW ,

I'm not exactly clear what you like to do. Something like this perhaps:

Two text frames next to each other not aligned to the first baseline:

Aligned:

Below an ad-hoc script ( ExtendScript / JavaScript ) that will do this.

First select the text frame you want to align the other one to and then add the other frames to the selection.

Then run the script.

( function()
{
app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.INTERACT_WITH_ALL;
app.doScript
    (
    alignFirstBaselinesOfSelectedTextframes ,
    ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT,
    [],
    UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT,
    "Align first baseline of selected text frame to other selected frames | SCRIPT"
    );

function alignFirstBaselinesOfSelectedTextframes()
{
    if( app.documents.length == 0 ){ return };
    if( app.selection.length == 0 ){ return };

    if( app.selection[0].constructor.name != "TextFrame" ){ return };
    if( app.selection[0].texts[0].insertionPoints < 2 ){ return };

    var sourceFrame = app.selection[0];
    var sourceFrameBaseLine = sourceFrame.texts[0].characters[0].baseline;

    for(var n=1; n < app.selection.length ; n++)
    {
        if( app.selection.constructor.name != "TextFrame" ){ continue };
        if( app.selection.texts[0].insertionPoints < 2 ){ continue };

        app.selection.move( undefined , [ 0 , sourceFrameBaseLine - app.selection.texts[0].characters[0].baseline ] );
    }
};
}() )

Regards,
Uwe