InDesign: How To Add Guides Around A Selected Page Item In A Split Second.

This 60-second screencast demonstrates using Adobe InDesign's built-in AddGuides.jsx script to establish layout guides quickly and precisely.

The tutorial uses a practical workflow scenario: setting up a new layout where an image serves as the reference element for positioning other frames.

Kris Coppieters demonstrates how to use this often-overlooked built-in script to create alignment guides in seconds rather than manually dragging them from rulers.

The video shows:

The InDesign workspace with a sample document containing a reference image.

Opening the Scripts panel and navigating to the Application folder.

Running the built-in AddGuides.jsx script on a selected frame.

The instant creation of guides on the frame.

How these guides provide precise alignment references for building out the rest of the layout.

The Hidden Power of Scripts:

This video is part of a broader mission: raising awareness that most Creative Cloud applications are highly scriptable.

Most InDesign users never discover the treasure trove of ready-made scripts available in their Scripts panel!

What's more, any repetitive task you perform regularly can likely be automated with a script.

No Installation Required:

Unlike many third-party scripts, AddGuides.jsx comes standard with InDesign. You already have it! Just open the Scripts panel and look in the Application folder.

The key message:

Whenever you find yourself doing something repetitive in InDesign, think "Scripts! Maybe there is a script for that!". And even if no such script exists, you can always consider asking a software developer to create a tailor-made script for your workflow.

The InDesign Scripts Panel is Your Friend:

Take five minutes to explore the Scripts panel in your InDesign installation. You'll find dozens of built-in scripts that solve common problems. Most InDesign users have never even looked!

Creative Coding Collective Video Trailer was created by Jimmy Hartington

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