Customize ruler guides

Last updated on Jun 2, 2026

Learn how to adjust view threshold and colors to control guide appearance and behavior in Adobe InDesign.

Customize ruler guides by setting visibility thresholds and colors to reduce visual clutter and improve clarity. Ruler guides exist on specific layers and can be configured independently of margin and column guides.

Select one or more ruler guides you want to customize, or deselect all guides to set defaults for new guides.

Select Layout > Ruler Guides.

In the View Threshold field, specify the magnification level below which ruler guides will not display.

For Color, select a preset color from the menu, or select Custom to define a color using the system color picker.

Select OK to apply your changes.

Tip

To set the current magnification as the view threshold for selected guides, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) while dragging the guides.