When you create a new document in InDesign, you'll notice there are horizontal and vertical guides framing the page. These guides represent the margins of your document.
You may have heard this term before, but what is a gutter in InDesign, and how do you change it? In this tutorial, I'll show you what gutters are and how to use them to create a magazine template.
Prefer video tutorials? Then check out this video from the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel to quickly learn what a gutter is in InDesign:
What You'll Learn in This InDesign Gutter Tutorial
- What is a column gutter in InDesign?
- How to adjust gutters
- How to change the margins in InDesign
What You'll Need for This InDesign Gutter Tutorial
If you would like to follow along, head over to Envato Elements. Grab this Traveller InDesign Magazine Template, which features 28 pages of layouts with a simple and minimalistic layout.
1. What Is a Column Gutter in InDesign?
The column gutter is a feature that creates a zone between two columns so that they don't run into each other, keeping the information in an organized layout. Check out the image below to see what an InDesign gutter looks like.
Another way you can control gutters is by adding them to your document. A document gutter is a vertical space designed to separate the columns of text on the page.
A document gutter typically runs vertically down a document. The space between columns can be measured in points, pixels, and inches, to name a few. Take a look at the image below, which shows an example of how your document gutters may appear. In the next steps, I will teach you how to adjust columns in InDesign.
2. How to Adjust Gutters in InDesign
Step 1
Open the A4 Traveller Magazine Template in InDesign. To adjust the text column gutters, select the text frame and change the Number of Columns to 2 and the Gutter to 6 mm in the horizontal toolbar at the top of the document.
Step 2
If you want to adjust columns in InDesign, go to Layout > Margins and Columns. Change the number of Columns to 4 and the Gutter to 10 mm.
Step 3
Creating page gutters in a new document is fairly easy. Go to File > New > Document. Set up your document using the dimensions 8.5 in Width, 11 in Height, 5 Pages, 3 Columns, and 0.5 in Column Gutter.
Step 4
Your file should now look like the image below. If you need to change the size of your gutters, remember to go to Layout > Margins and Columns.
3. How to Change the Margins in InDesign
Step 1
I've talked about what a gutter is in InDesign and how to set up and adjust gutters. Now, I will show you how to change the margins in InDesign. Go back to the Traveller Magazine and select Layout > Margins and Columns. Change the Margins to 20 mm instead of 35 mm. Select the chainlink icon in the center so that once you add a value in one of the sections, all of the remaining sections will automatically adjust.
Step 2
If you wanted to create margins in a new document, go to File > New > Document. This time, change the Margins to 0.25 in and make sure the chainlink icon is selected.
Step 3
Your image should now look like the image below. If you need to adjust your margins, go to Layout > Margins and Columns.
Interested in Learning More About InDesign?
Discover the power of Adobe InDesign. With these quick, easy tutorials, you can master the basics and quickly move on to more advanced techniques. The more you learn about InDesign, the more you'll be able to take advantage of its powerful tools and refine your skills.
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