Indesign problem: stroke on box and paragraph rules

Forum|Forum|10 months ago
April 4, 2025
4 replies
2695 views

Hi everyone, I'm asking for help with a problem involving a text box with a stroke and inside I have text with paragraph lines in Indesign.
The problem is that the paragraph line is below the edge of the text box, and not above as I would like.

If I apply a fill to the text box, the paragraph line covers it, but the same thing doesn't happen for the text box line.

Basically I would like the paragraph line to cover the text box line, and avoid using two objects, like a text box and a rectangle.
Can anyone help me?

How to

Correct answer jmlevy

Hi @Alex32252670s8p0

See my sample_2 file.

I used 2 (threaded) frames. The the title frame is above the text frame and it hides the top text frame stroke, and the 2 frames are grouped. Using this alternative method avoids you to use paragraph borders on the body text.

B

beno41599860

Known Participant

Not sure if I understand the issue correctly, but at a glance from your "expectation vs. reality" image, you'd simply open Layers panel, and move the pink rectangle shape and the TITLE text box to their own layer, then move that layer down in the list so it's below (further down the list) than the big text box with the stroke border. In Layers, up is "in front" visually in your layout, and below is behind.

A

Alex32252670s8p0Author

Inspiring

Hi beno41599860, the thing is I have only one text box, so I can't move elements up or down. When I have text I prefer to have only one box for practical reasons (and maybe also for personal whim)

jmlevy

Correct answer

Community Expert

Hi @Alex32252670s8p0

See my sample_2 file.

I used 2 (threaded) frames. The the title frame is above the text frame and it hides the top text frame stroke, and the 2 frames are grouped. Using this alternative method avoids you to use paragraph borders on the body text.

SAMPLE_2.zip

D

Dirk Becker

Legend

I used TOP (Type On Path), baseline shift, then an extra tall underline for the background.

T selected to show the baseline shift.

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Alex32252670s8p0Author

Inspiring

Hi Dirk...thanks to you too. I just tried your solution, but it's not very comfortable. My intent is to have a single text box where I can apply multiple paragraph styles to texts. A single box also allows me to quickly select text.
jmlevy's proposal is the one that comes closest to what I was looking for

A

Alex32252670s8p0Author

Inspiring

Maybe I found a solution, maybe not so scientific...
I hope it can help someone. If someone knows a better method, I appreciate it.

I don't know how good it is but for now it seems to work.
I assign a blending mode of overlap to the text box, or rather to the text box stroke. In this case, the paragraph rule is not hidden by the text box stroke