Using the Selection tool, select the frame grid you want to modify. You can also use the Type tool to select inside the frame and position the text insertion point.
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Set frame grid properties
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to use the Frame Grid Options dialog box to adjust font, size, spacing, and alignment settings in Adobe InDesign.
Designed for Asian-language composition, frame grids use visible character emboxes and spacing to define layout structure. You can customize core typography and spacing and apply them to individual frame grids to shape how text flows. Frame grid and text frame settings update each other dynamically, keeping layouts consistent. For document-wide grids, rely on layout grid options.
Configure font and character properties
Select Object > Frame Grid Options.
Select Preview to see changes applied in real time as you adjust settings.
Select the Font drop-down menu to change the font family and style.
Enter a value in the Font Size field to set the font size, which determines the grid cell dimensions. The Size value you set becomes the grid cell size. Adjust this value to change the overall scale of your grid structure.
In the Vertical and Horizontal fields, enter scaling percentages for full-width Asian characters.
In the Char Aki field, specify the spacing between grid cells in the frame grid to control the grid mesh spacing.
Set line spacing and alignment
Select the frame grid with the Selection tool.
Select Object > Frame Grid Options.
In the Line Aki field, type the distance from the bottom (or left) of one grid line to the top (or right) of the next line. Setting a negative Line Aki value automatically adjusts the Auto Leading value to 80% (default is 100%) under Justification in the Paragraph panel. This prevents excessive line spacing when grid alignment increases spacing beyond the leading amount set in text attributes.
From Line Align, select how text lines align vertically within the grid.
From Grid Align, choose whether to align text to the embox, ICF box, or roman baseline.
From Char Align, select how small characters align to larger characters within the same line.
Configure display and grid structure
Select the frame grid with the Selection tool.
Select Object > Frame Grid Options.
Select the View drop-down menu, and then select a display mode from the following:
- Grid: Shows grid with lines.
- NZ View: Shows direction in diagonal lines.
- Alignment View: Shows only lines.
- Alignment: Shows line alignment.
- Grid With NZ: Combines both Grid and NZ View.
From the Char Count drop-down menu, choose where the character count appears on the frame grid.
In the Characters field, specify the number of characters per line.
In the Lines field, specify the number of lines per column.
In the Columns field, specify the number of columns in the frame grid.
In the Gutter field, enter the spacing between columns.
Select OK.
Your frame grid now reflects the updated properties. The character count display (if enabled) shows the number of characters per line, the number of lines, total cells, and the actual character count at the bottom of the grid. For example, a grid with 10 characters per line, 5 lines, and 50 total cells containing 29 characters displays as "10×5 (50) 29".
Tip
Changes made in the Frame Grid Options dialog when no frame is selected become the default settings for new frame grids in the current document.
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