Is there a way to only show the grid on the document itself not the pasteboard?

Hi @Swandive stream , you could make the grid lines the same color as the pasteboard. Here I have my Interface Theme set to Medium Light with Match Pasteboard to Theme checked and a Custom Document Grid color set to 73% Brightness:

I think you're already doing the best that can be expected; set high contrast for the pasteboard, and use the difference in color between the white page and the dark pasteboard to clearly define your page edges.

But as far as a toggle switch that'd let you define design grids on just the pages, as others have said, that doesn't exist.

Sorry I don't have better news for you,

Randy

You can change the guide and grid colors so that there's better contrast. See Preferences | Guides.

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No, but depending on the application this might be a workaround. 

Add a ruler guide at the top of the page, step and repeat until it fills the page. Add a ruler guide at the far left. Step and repeat until it fills the page. I'm incrementing them at 0.125" to match the default document grid values.

~Barb

I know of no way to contain the document grid to just the document itself. Will be curious to see if anyone else comes up with a solution!