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peterp91611794
peterp91611794
Participant
October 18, 2022
Question

Columns are restricted to 40 in Indesign

  • October 18, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 1305 views

Hello - any idea why columns are restricted to 40 in Indesign - I need to insert 360 columns for each day of the year

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

E
Community Expert
Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 19, 2022

So it can be done with a trick

 

No limit on the amount of rows

 

 

So you can create a table with 365 rows and 52 columns

Rotate your Text Frame holding the table

 

Then set the Text Rotation within the Cell to be rotated to read the correct way.

 

It all comes with caveats - the width is now the height - and vice versa

And you probably wouldn't be able to use Table Headers. 

And remember your orientation. 

 

Can it be done - yes - is it perfect - not by a long shot 

 

 

    Barb Binder
    Community Expert
    Barb BinderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 18, 2022

    Those are column guides. Columns are restricted to 216, and with the gutter set to 0, will function the same way as guides. But I agree that you should set this up as a table. 

     

    ~Barb

     

    ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
    peterp91611794
    peterp91611794Author
    Participant
    October 18, 2022

    thanks Barb

      E
      Community Expert
      Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 19, 2022

      Set it up as guides perhaps - drag a guide from the Ruler on the left and the top 

      View>Show Ruler

       

      Document say 297mm 

      And you want 365

      297/365=.81

       

      Select the Guide

      In the X co ordinates set it to 0 or to the page margin 

      With it still selected beside 0 type in +.81mm
      And hold down ALT and press enter - which copys the guide

       

      Then press and hold CTRL ALT 4 (or CMD ALT 4 on Mac)

       

      This redoes the previous action

       

      And then fill the page with the guides for every day.

      Basically hold it down for 365 times

      Takes a minute... 

       

      Not elegant at all 

      Gets a result though

       

       

       

      Steve Werner
      Community Expert
      Steve WernerCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 18, 2022

      I agree with Derek. Tables would be better. InDesign has always been limited to 40 columns.

      peterp91611794
      peterp91611794Author
      Participant
      October 18, 2022

      thank you Derek and Steve - interesting to know the limited columns - when I went to create the tables this also limited to 200? 

      Barb Binder
      Community Expert
      Barb BinderCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 18, 2022

      Well, yes. InDesign is capping the number of columns in a table at 200. The only workarounds I can think of are to put two tables side-by-side, or do this in Excel, save as a PDF and place the PDF into InDesign. I think I would chose the latter option.

       

      ~Barb

      ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
      Derek Cross
      Community Expert
      Derek CrossCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 18, 2022

      Why not create a Table?

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