How to set up Margins and Columns in InDesign

Margins and Columns are important tools for creating the structure of a document, whether it is a multipage document or a poster. The first that should be defined are the margins. Before this is done, it is important to understand their function. Visually, margins cage the content and support the structure of a layout. They provide a resting place for the reader's eyes as well as supporting the tone of the design. There are also some common practical functions to consider:  

• How much room is needed for holding the content?  
• How is the item going to be used? Will it be bound?  Are there other considerations that need to be taken into account? One example would be a street poster/advertisement where the print is held in a large frame, requiring oversized margins. 
• Has enough "Safe" margin bee allowed? This is the distance between the edge of the piece and any elements to ensure nothing is cut off.

When defining margins for facing-pages, the two pages should be treat as one document and appear together. This layout will typically be used for newsletters, reports, magazines etc. Margins are usually set in the following order: inside (smallest), top, outside and bottom (largest).  

Start by going to File > New > Document. Within the floating palette three quarters of the way down is the margin section  

Changing Margins 
Once the margins are set using the new document palette, it is possible to redefine them. Make sure to select the pages to be edited. Check this by opening the Pages palette, if it is not open go to Window > Pages. 

Once the palette is open hold down Shift and click the pages to be edited and go to layout > Margins and columns. Within this option box the measurements can be edited. By using this method it is possible to have different margin setups on each individual page, just select one or a number of pages still holding down shift and go into the Margins and Columns palette. The pages which were not selected will remain the same. 

How to Make Columns in InDesign

1. First, load an existing InDesign project or select "File" > "New" to start a new one. In the New Document window, choose the Number of Pages and Page Size, and then find the Columns section. 

Here, the number of columns to add on each page can be defined, and how much blank space to have between columns (the Gutter setting). InDesign will automatically adjust the columns so that the gutter width is maintained throughout the project.        

2. If the document is an existing project, it only takes a few steps to add new columns. First, find the Pages menu and double-click on the page that need to be edited. Click on the page that the columns are to be added to, and then choose "Layout" > "Margins and Columns" (or press Ctrl/Command+B). In the Columns section, the desired number of columns and gutter width can be added.   

3. Finally, any overset text in the project can be placed in a new column. To do this, draw a text frame next to an existing column, choose the Selection tool, and click on the overset text icon (it looks like a red + symbol). Move the cursor over the new text frame until it changes shape, and then click once. Now, the overset text will continue into this new column.  

How to Add Columns to a Text Frame

To create columns in an existing text frame, choose the Selection tool and click on a frame to select it. Then, go to "Object" > "Text Frame Options". Just like the Margins and Columns window, this dialog box allows the number of columns, the gutter width, and column width to be defines. If "Fixed Column Width" is selected, the column width will stay the same when the text frame is resized. Finally, if "Balanced Columns" is enabled, the text will be dispersed between columns so that each text block is the same length. 
 

How to Add Columns to Master/Spread Pages

To add columns to multiple pages across an InDesign project, first find the Pages menu and click on a master page. If only one spread is to be targeted, just click on the page numbers that comprise the entire spread. Next, choose "Layout" > "Margins and Columns", and adjust the columns and gutter width for that spread.