Position and Align Elements

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Elements can be positioned on the template by any or a combination of these methods:

- Drag and drop the element; use this method to approximately place the element in the desired position and then use the options below for more precise alignment

- Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the selected element in small incremental steps or <Ctrl + arrow keys> to move in 10X larger increments

- Use the tool bar alignment options (see below) to position elements relative to other fields or relative to the section in which it is placed

- Use the top and side rulers, status bar coordinates, and snap overlapping objects to their edges options with any of the above to help with precise placement

Using the Alignment Options

The alignment options allow you to align selected elements to another element or to the section in which it is placed. When aligning to another element, the first element selected is referred to as the "anchor element." Other selected elements will be oriented to the position of the anchor element according to the alignment option selected.

To apply an alignment option:

1. Select the element or elements you wish to align.

To select multiple elements, hold down the <Shift> key and click on each element in turn or by dragging the mouse to encompass all elements to be selected. The first element selected is the anchor element when aligning elements relative to each other.

2. From the toolbar, select A lign and then select A lign Fields to Each Other or A lign Fields to Section.

The align fields to each other option is available only if multiple elements have been selected.

3. From the drop-down menu displayed, select the specific alignment option:

You can also select Show Align Toolbar from the Align menu to add the alignment tools to the toolbar.

Alignment Options: | Fields to each other | Fields to Section
Align Left | Aligns the left edge of all selected elements with the left edge of the anchor element | Aligns left edge of selected element(s) to the left edge of the section
Align Right | Aligns the right edge of all selected elements with the right edge of the anchor element | Aligns the right edge of all selected element(s) with the right edge of the section
Align Bottom | Aligns the bottom edge of all selected elements with the bottom edge of the anchor element | Aligns the bottom edge of all selected element(s) with the bottom edge of the section
Align Vertical Center | Aligns the vertical center of all selected elements with the vertical center of the anchor element | Vertically centers the selected element(s) within the section
Align Horizontal Center | Aligns the horizontal center of the selected elements with the horizontal center of the anchor element | Horizontally centers the selected element(s) within the section
Make Same Width | Makes the width of selected elements the same as the width of the anchor element | Makes the selected element(s) the same width as the section
Equal Horizontal Space | Evenly distribute the horizontal spacing between selected elements | n.a.
Equal Vertical Space | Evenly distribute the vertical space between selected elements | n.a.

Moving Elements between Sections

You cannot move an element directly from one template section to another. If you need to move an element to another section, first remove it from one section and then add it to the other.

Related Topics

Resize elements

About template sections and spacing

Recommended sequence and tips for modifying templates