What is causing this vertical spacing problem?

[tturiano]

Hello, does anyone have any idea why the left page text is not going to the top of the text frame like the right page is? (pls see screenshot) Their text frame settings are identical.

[tturiano]

The little number symbol (not sure what that means) in the left page is not in the same place as it is in the right page. On the left page, the number symbol is about 1/3 of the page from the left edge of the text box. On the right page, the number symbol is flush with the left edge of the text box. Could that have something to do with it? I don't know how to move the number symbol.

[Barb Binder]

Hi @tturiano:

You have cropped off the left side of the left frame so we can't see what's going on at the beginning, and that is likely where the problem is. The hashtags that you referred to in your second post are likely in a frame that is above or below the frame with the text. The hashtag is an end of story marker. I think you have overlapping frames. It's a problem, but not what you are asking about. 

It appears you have the baseline grid enabled. Look for something at the beginning of the first line on the left side that's pushing the text down to the next baseline. Perhaps there's a space above command that is slightly larger than the baseline value. Or an empty ¶.

If you are new to InDesign and this isn't making sense, I'm happy to look at your file. You can put it on dropbox and put a link either here (public), or you can message me the link directly (private) by clicking on my avatar above this post. Then choose Message.

~Barb

[tturiano]

Thanks Barb...sorry, here's the full width screenshot. I checked my layers, and there is no other frame underneath or overtop the problem text frame. The horizontal rule and page header "Select Peaks of Greater Yellowstone" are part of the page template that every page uses, so that can't be the issue, otherwise every text frame would be messed up. Only a few are.

[tturiano]

Barb...no space command or hidden symbols pushing the text down.

[tturiano]

Here's a screenshot showing the text threads and the pages just before the problem text frame. Hence, those hashtag number symbols are very strange to be appearing there, as there is no other text frame there. Those hashtag number symbols appear at the top left of almost every page in the book. Not sure why they are are on some (most) pages, and not on others.

[Mike Witherell]

It sure seems like there is another textframe there. Have you examined master pages and layers to see if something is actually there, empty, and likely possessing textwrap?

[rob day]

Hi @tturiano , Also make sure the Y coordinates for the two frames match–it looks like the frame on the left side is slightly lower than the one on the right. And check that the two frames’ First Baseline setting is set the same in Text Frame Options—with Align to Baseline Grid turned on, the Offset you choose might push the text down to the next baseline.

[rob day]

If the Offset is set to Leading you can see the affect of a .01" difference in the Y position when aligning to the grid:

[tturiano]

sorry...I realize that I didn't address your suggestion. Offset is set to Ascent on all pages...by object style.

[tturiano]

Thanks Rob...I checked and triple checked the text frame options dialog boxes for both frames. They are identical.

[rob day]

Can you share the file? You should be able to attach it to a reply.

[tturiano]

Rob...you got it. It was the Y coordinates. The left frame was placed just a pixel or two lower than the one on the right, and the result was that it bumped it one text space down. Thanks!

[tturiano]

Rob, your discovery led me to the discovery of another apparent problem, which is the true source of the original problem. I have the blue line style set up to align the stroke of the blue line to the middle of the line. However, I just realized that the style instructions are not getting passed on correctly. See the two screen shots below. One shows you the stroke alignment style of the blue line. And the other shows what's actually happening: the blue line is aligning on the outside of the stroke, despite the center-aligned setting in Stroke dialog box. What could be causing this? I have checked and there is no extra-style setting overriding it.

[tturiano]

sorry...I meant that the blue line is incorrectly aligning on the inside of the stroke line, when it should be aligning in the center. These few pixels of error are causing some pages to bump the text down one space.

[rob day]

I think we need to see the ID file

[tturiano]

sent to you via PM

[rob day]

I meant that the blue line is incorrectly aligning on the inside of the stroke line

I think you are misinterpreting the selection as the text frame edge—when you use the black Selection tool, the selection includes the stroke. If you zoom in you can see the light blue frame edge is centered:

If you Direct Select the frame, the selection will be the frame without the stroke:

So, if you are using Align to Baseline Grid, the frame’s Y coordinate affects the first baseline.

The frame with the story marker is on the A-Master/Parent—you are not using the text frames on the parent pages:

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Also, look at the First Baseline Min you have set in Text Frame Options. That’s the reason such a slight change in the frame’s Y coordinate is pushing the first baseline down. If I turn off Align to Baseline Grid you can see the minimum setting is pushing the firstline just over the baseline grid line on the right side frame, so with Align to Baseline Grid turned on the line has to go to the next baseline:

If I set the Min to something like .25", which allows for more Y difference in the text frames, the alignment problem is fixed:

[tturiano]

wow Rob...this is super helpful and instructive. Lots of tools that I didn't know existed or how to use until now. Thanks. I think I'll keep the baseline min low and just be better about drawing my rectangle precisely.

[rob day]

You might look at the Master/Parent page Primary Text frame feature—your body text frames could be included on the parent pages:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/can-someone-help-demystify-how-primary-text-fram...

The helpx page:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/creating-text-text-frames.html