The layout tools in the Design and Pages ribbons help you to build your publications with as professional an appearance as possible. These tools help you to optimize the use of your editing view; showing the grid, showing rulers, or changing the display settings. They also help you to position your content items on each page of the publication, using guidelines shown on your canvas, or by aligning or distributing groups of items.
View Tools
The View layout tools are on the Design ribbon:
Display
The Display option (yellow arrow) sets your view of the canvas when you are using the app:
- Fit to page: Shows the whole canvas in the available area.
- Fit to width: Shows the canvas so that its width fits into the available area. You might need to scroll vertically to see some content that is off-page.
- Actual size: Shows the canvas at its actual size. You might need to scroll vertically or horizontally to see some content that is off-page.
Note: This option does not change the size of your publication's pages; it changes your view in the editor! If you want to change your canvas size, see Page Size and Page Orientation in Publish Pro.
Guides and Rulers
You can add vertical and horizontal rulers along the top and left sides of the canvas, and create your own guidelines (shown only at design time) that help you to position assets consistently. Both of these features help you when you are laying out the items in your publication.
- For more information, see Guides and Rulers in Publish Pro
Canvas Grid
You can use the grid on your canvas to help you position your content on each page.
Show and hide grid
You can show and hide the grid by clicking the Grid option (purple arrow).
Snap to grid
If you want complete control of the placement of your items (you do not want your dropped items to snap to the grid), de-select the Snap to Grid option in the overhead ribbon (blue arrow, above).
When you want to return to "snapping to grid," simply select the Snap to Grid option again.
Configure the grid
Adjust the default size of the grid by opening the Snap to Grid drop-down and selecting your required grid size.
Arrange items
The layout tools that control the arrangement of your items are accessed from Publish Pro's Page ribbon:
Set stacking order (Bring to Front, Send to Back)
When you add content items to your canvas, they are added as if they were being placed on a "stack." The most recently added items end up at the top of the stack on top of any items that were added in the same position previously. If your items overlap, you may want to change the order in which they are stacked; perhaps sending a shape to the back so that it becomes the background picture or bringing an image to the front so there's nothing obscuring it.
Tip: Where you have at least one item or group selected on the canvas, the stacking order can be changed using either the Order options on the ribbon or using the same options on the right-click context menu.
- For more information, see Stacking Order (Send to Front or Back) in Publish Pro
Align and distribute items
Once you have added your items to your canvas, you can drag them around to appropriate locations and then, if necessary, make use of the Alignment and Distribute options to space those objects evenly either with reference to the canvas itself or, where you have multiple objects selected, with reference to one another. The "snapping" functionality and the align and distribute options help you to create a professional look-and-feel by positioning items precisely.
Tip: Alignment options are available on the ribbon (yellow arrow, above) or on the right-click menu. Distribute options (green arrow) are only available where three or more items are selected on the canvas.
- For more information, see Align and Distribute Items in Publish Pro
Group items
Where two or more items are selected on the canvas, they can be "grouped" and the group can then be resized, aligned, moved, copied, cut, or pasted as if it were one item. This is useful where you are applying styling changes throughout or have items that make sense together, such as an info icon (shape) and the info text (text field) that it relates to.
Tip: The Group option is only available on the right-click context menu where two or more items are selected on the canvas.
- For more information, see Grouping and Ungrouping Items in Publish Pro.