Columns

Specifies the number of columns and the column layout for a page style, frame, or section.

To access this command...

Choose Format - Page Style - Columns tab.

Choose View - Styles - Page Styles - open context menu for selected page style - Modify/New - Columns tab.

Choose Insert - Frame - Frame - Columns tab.

Choose Format - Frame and Object - Properties - Columns tab.

Choose Insert - Section - Columns tab.

Choose Format - Section - Options button - Columns tab.

You can select from predefined column layouts, or create your own. When you apply a layout to a page style, all pages that use the style are updated. Similarly, when you apply a column layout to a frame style, all frames that use that style are updated. You can also change the column layout for a single frame.

Settings

Columns

Enter the number of columns that you want in the page, frame, or section.

Selection fields

You can also select one of the predefined column layouts.

Tooltips describe each predefined selection.

Apply to

Select the item to which you want to apply the column layout. This option is only available if you access this dialogue box by choosing Format - Columns.

The following two options are only available when formatting sections.

Evenly distribute contents to all columns

Evenly distributes the text in multi-column sections.

Text direction

Specify the text direction for a paragraph that uses complex text layout (CTL). This feature is only available if complex text layout support is enabled.

Preview Field

Displays a preview of the current selection.

The column layout preview only shows the columns and not the surrounding page.

Width and spacing

AutoWidth

Creates columns of equal width.

If the AutoWidth check box is not selected, enter the width and spacing options for the columns.

Column

Displays the column number, as well as width and distance to the adjacent columns.

Left Arrow

Moves the column display one column to the left.

Left Arrow

Right Arrow

Moves the column display one column to the right.

Right Arrow

Width

Enter the width of the column.

Spacing

Enter the amount of space that you want to leave between the columns.

Separator line

This area is only available if your layout contains more than one column.

Style

Select the formatting style for the column separator line. If you do not want a separator line, choose "None".

Width

Enter width of the separator line.

Colour

Select a colour for the separator line.

Height

Enter the length of the separator line as a percentage of the height of the column area.

Position

Select the vertical alignment of the separator line. This option is only available if Height value of the line is less than 100%.