Understanding Baseline Options in Text Frame Settings: Why Is It Usually Unchecked?

[rsbisa]

Just a general learning question: What is the purpose of the ...Baseline Options in the Text Frame Options panel? Does it have to defualt to unchecked? Why is that the preferred state? 

I working on a Digital Publishing project and have been frustrated with textboxes when trying to nudge them in to proper relative position on the document. The text jumps around inside its box when I move it. Thanks to help here, I found that checking the Baseline Options box cures this condition. But what is this feature for? Why is it preferred loose and uncontrollable? There must be a reason you pros prefer this state. 

Thanks. 

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[James Gifford—NitroPress · Accepted solution]

Having text snap to a document baseline may seem like a very basic and obvious thing, but it's really an advanced layout technique that needs a pretty fair mastery of ID and layout to use well. It gets even more complex when you start overriding a document-wide setting with ones specific to an individual text frame, which is why those options are not enabled by default.

It doesn't/shouldn't have anything to do with positioning non-text elements — frames, graphic elements, etc. — on a page. That 'snap' is controlled by the guides, a document grid if you have it enabled, and selective enabling of 'snap to' settings. (Some users don't like the interface grabbing and trying to position everything, which is why it's not an integral function.)

you might want to start with this: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/ruler-guides.html. There are other topics on grids, guides, snap, etc. that can fill out the details.

And then you can look into the wonders of baseline grids. 🙂

[rsbisa]

Excellent! Thank you for taking the time to explain and share the resource.