Use parent page overlays

Last updated on Jun 2, 2026

Learn how to align parent page elements in Adobe InDesign when the document and parent page sizes differ.

Parent page overlays let you reposition parent page items on pages of different sizes without changing the parent page. When selected, a blue-bordered box shows the parent page boundary to help align items like headers or page numbers.

Select the Page tool.

Select the document page you want to adjust in the layout window.

Select Show Parent Page Overlay in the Control panel.

Drag the edge of the overlay box to reposition the parent page content on your document page.