Printing Document Grid.

[JRC_User]

Hello all,

I am trying to print and export a PDF version of my Adobe InDesign document with the document gride included in it. I have tried multiple alternatives but so far haven't succeeded. Does anyone know how I can make the document grid appear on the exported PDF and also on the printed copy of my InDesign document?

Thank you in advance.

[Randy Hagan]

The only way I know to place a "grid" and print in with InDesign is to create a graphic of the "grid" in, say, Adobe Illustrator, then place it at 100% actual size within your InDesign document and arrange it the way you desire to simulate the non-printing document grid.

As contrary as it seems, sometimes the workaround is the most direct way to get past your issue.

Hope this helps,

Randy

[JRC_User]

Randy,

Thank you for your reply and suggestion. Short of having to draw line by line using InDesign, is there an automated or semi-automated way of accomplishing this task? I am not very familiar with Illustrator as it is probably the one Adobe app I have used the least in the past. 

Thank you to all who have answered my post and shared recommendations.

[Randy Hagan · Accepted solution]

Actually, I think you'd find it easier to do in Illustrator than you think:

Create an "artboard" (what you and I would call a page in InDesign) the same size as the area you want to place in the background with InDesign. If you just want to covcer the page, do the same size. If you want to include bleed area, take that into account for your "artboard" before you start your work.

1. Draw a vertical line along the left edge of the artboard. Make it the thickness and color you want it to be.
2. Place a guide to the right by the distance you want for the grid, then Alt/Opt (depending on if you're working on a Windows PC or a Mac system, respectively)+Shift+drag a copy of the line to the guide you created. Alt/Opt makes the copy, Shift constrains the line to move perfectly horizontal to the first line. This creates a second line that lines up vertically by precisely the distance of your intended grid.
3. Now comes the easy part: Press Ctrl/Cmd+D to repeat another line. The menu command would be Object>Transform>Transform Again. Lather-Rinse-Repeat with the Ctrl/Cmd+D thing until it steps and repeats perfectly across the artboard.
4. Now draw a perfectly horizontal line across the top of the artboard. Adapt steps 2 and 3 as appropriate to apply the cross-hatching for your intended grid.
5. Save the file. Place it in InDesign. Then marvel at your handiwork.

It's really pretty easy. And it should work for you just fine.

Good luck,

Randy

[JRC_User]

Randy,

I have been able to do it and, just as you said, it was quite easy to do it in Illustrator. I actually used the rectangular grid tool and it created the entire grid in just one action. The only problem I had was the fact that, u like grid paper used for drawings or blueprints, this grid was entirely made of lines all with the same value or thickness. Grids used for drawings usually have a thicker line, for instance, at every inch marking or some other unit of measurement. I kept trying to do it but every time I selected the grid it was selected as one single unit. Then I remember the group/ungroup command under the Object menu. Once I selected the grid and then the ungroup command each of the lines that make up the grid became available for individual selection. I selected all the lines that mark inch measurements and made them slightly thicker. 

It now looks like a perfect grid and I can adjust the thickness so I can get it to print exactly the way I want.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Geоrge]

>> In the export to PDF options, there's a checkbox called "Visible Guides and Baseline Grids" in the "Include"

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/grids-in-exported-file-indesign/td-p/10094176?page=1

Is this not works?

[vladan saveljic]

yes it works for "Visible Guides" and for "Baseline Grids" but doesn't work for "Document grid"

Also "vinny38" in his answer has written "Please note Document grid won't show"

Regards

[Laubender]

Hi together,

even if it would work with the Document Grid, the grid lines in the PDF would be very thin.

If I recall this right, the default value of the stroke weight is exactly 1 dot.

It would require an extra step in Acrobat Pro to change the stroke weight so it can be printed visibly. Especially on highres office printers. With a 1200 dpi printer 1 dot stroke weight is too thin to make it visible on printed paper. Even on a 600 dpi machine this would be difficult.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Geоrge]

Aaah, yes. I'm forget it. 

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/31263979-cannot-print-t...- add you voice here.

Now, you can only do this grid manually as Randy already says.

[Emils5E68]

You can use the shape tool and build shapes over the grid, combine and group them together and you could colour the boxes to look similar to the grid

[Brenda21905003fjcb]

Here's how I created a grid in InDesign that I could print if I wanted. Simply use the table function and set the rows and columns accordingly. For my 8.5 X 11 document, I went to Table > create table and chose 22 rows and 17 columns. Now drag the cursor to cover your entire 8.5 X 11 doc to place the table. To change your row height and column height, you must select your Text tool and drag and select all the cells of the table until it looks all black. Now go to Table > Cell options > Rows and Columns. For my document, I set Row height: exactly 0.5 inches. Then I set my column width to 0.5 inches (these need to be the same if you want a square grid. I you want a tighter grid, you can double the amount, such as 44 rows and 34 columns for a tighter grid and change your row height to exactly 0.25 inches and column width to 0.25 inches. You can go to Table > Cell options > Strokes and fills to change the stroke color and width. I chose either 0.25 or 0.4 for my stroke width and light grey for the color.  Remember that you can always go back and change your rows and columns to accommodate the row height and column width you choose. Make sure you put your grid is on a separate layer and lock it. Now you can turn the eye (visibility) on or off for your grid. Turn it on and you can print your grid!