Skip to main content
dublove
Legend
March 15, 2025
Question

I just realized a boring alignment: alignment to the page does not include bleed 3mm?

  • March 15, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 930 views

Sudden realization:

Align to page, align across pages are only aligned to the position that does not contain the bleed (you call it margin?). 

 

I'm speechless. What kind of special hobby is this?
Alignment to this position shouldn't be the primary need.

 

What's the point of aligning to this? 

Who makes books without bleed? 

What was Adobe thinking?

 

How do you align to the bleed (far left or far right)?

Could it be that you have to enter -3mm coordinates to do this?

 

2 replies

Frans v.d. Geest
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 16, 2025

Simply use an Object Style fot position, works perfectly. For an example look here:

https://creativepro.com/how-to-align-objects-in-indesign-using-object-styles/

Community Expert
March 16, 2025

I didn't get how this resolved the issue 

Frans v.d. Geest
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 17, 2025

You set the alignment, you set it to page margins, you include bleed. If the bleed changes, so does the alignment. Aplly that Object style to all the objects that need the same alignment. I understood it as what to OP needs to do.

Community Expert
March 15, 2025

You're shocked that Align to Page aligns to the page? 

 

Granted, align to bleed could be useful - but you can adjust for bleed anyway. 

And so could align to slug. 

 

I don't really know how to help you here - it's not a wonderment about how a feature, it's just a reaction to something that's expected behaviour. 

 

If you want to make a difference and suggest improvement the correct channel is here

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests

 

You'll already find others there
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/31242319-new-alignment-option-to-bleed

 

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/42751931-add-an-align-to-bleed-in-the-align-panel-options

 

It's already in request - add your vote and your voice. 

 

It could probably be scripted.



Something like this

function alignToBleed() {
    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    if (!doc) {
        alert("No document is open.");
        return;
    }
    
    var sel = app.selection;
    if (!sel.length) {
        alert("No objects selected.");
        return;
    }
    
    var dp = doc.documentPreferences;
    var bleedBounds = {
        left: -dp.documentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset,
        top: -dp.documentBleedTopOffset,
        right: dp.pageWidth + dp.documentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset,
        bottom: dp.pageHeight + dp.documentBleedBottomOffset
    };
    
    var dialog = app.dialogs.add({name: "Align to Bleed"});
    with (dialog.dialogColumns.add()) {
        var alignLeft = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel: "Align Left", checkedState: false});
        var alignTop = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel: "Align Top", checkedState: false});
        var alignRight = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel: "Align Right", checkedState: false});
        var alignBottom = checkboxControls.add({staticLabel: "Align Bottom", checkedState: false});
    }
    
    if (dialog.show() == true) {
        for (var i = 0; i < sel.length; i++) {
            var obj = sel[i];
            var gb = obj.geometricBounds; // [top, left, bottom, right]
            
            if (alignLeft.checkedState) {
                obj.move(undefined, [bleedBounds.left - gb[1], 0]);
            }
            if (alignTop.checkedState) {
                obj.move(undefined, [0, bleedBounds.top - gb[0]]);
            }
            if (alignRight.checkedState) {
                obj.move(undefined, [bleedBounds.right - gb[3], 0]);
            }
            if (alignBottom.checkedState) {
                obj.move(undefined, [0, bleedBounds.bottom - gb[2]]);
            }
        }
        dialog.destroy();
    } else {
        dialog.destroy();
    }
}

alignToBleed();

 

Community Expert
March 15, 2025

Just to add - not all things done in InDesign go to bleed - interactive or online or digital publications don't need bleed, so aligning to page is essential. 

 

Same for book printing, aligning to the page towards the spine is essential. 

 

What were they thinking? Probably people need to be able to align to the page.

Trifold brochures or multipage folded leaflets etc.