Section 47. Anchoring Objects

#47. Anchoring Objects

InDesign has always made it intuitive and easy to work with inline graphics. Paste an object into a text frame and it behaves like any other character or word in the block of text, flowing along with the text. The only catch was that the object had to remain inside the text. Well, that is until now. InDesign CS2 introduces the ability to anchor objects to text where the object can now overlap or exist outside the text frame. This feature is a real boon to anyone who's ever struggled to keep sidebars associated with the main story as it flowed (take this book for instance).

You create anchored objects as you would an inline graphic in previous versions of InDesign: Select the object you want to anchor and cut it. Click an insertion point within the target text frame by using the Type tool or by double-clicking the text frame with the Selection tool. Then simply paste the object. The object is anchored to the text using the default positioning of Inline (inline positioned anchored objects used to be called inline graphics).

Once you've anchored the object to text, you can change its position type so you can move the object to any location on the page. Use the Selection tool to select the newly created anchored object and choose Object > Anchored Object > Options. From this dialog (Figure 47a), change the Position menu to Custom and click OK.

Figure 47a. The Anchored Objects Options dialog presents a different set of options depending on which Position menu option you've selected.

A little blue anchor icon indicates that the object is a custom positioned anchored object. You can then use the Selection tool to reposition your anchored object anywhere on the page and have its position remain relative to the anchored text (Figure 47b). Is it just me, or did page layout seem to just get a whole lot easier?

Figure 47b. As the frame of the anchored text is repositioned or reflows, the anchored object moves along with it.

Relative to Spine

As if anchored objects weren't ridiculously helpful in their own right, they also include the option to automatically adjust their position relative to a spread's spine. This means that if you move the anchored text frame or it reflows to the opposite side of a spread, the anchored object automatically repositions itself accordingly for example, to the right of the text frame instead of left. To enable this feature, bring up the Anchored Objects Options and select Relative to Spine. Then decide on a reference point by clicking on one of the eight squares on either page icon.

Two new text alignment optionsAway From Spine and Towards Spineprovide similar functionality for text. Look for them next to the standard alignment options in the Control palette and paragraph styles.