Threading Text in InDesign

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Threading text frames link multiple text frames, so the text flows from box to box. In the case of multiple-page documents, especially long books, changing the order of pages can become complicated. A helpful trick in InDesign is to turn on Show Text Threads so that you can see how your text boxes are connected page-to-page.

How to show text threading in Adobe InDesign

To see the connections go to View > Extras > Show Text Threads

Example of how InDesign will show you blue lines indicating when a text box wraps or threads to another text box.
The blue lines show how a text box is threaded to another text box on another page.

If your pages are out of order (likely because of requested client edits and rearranging), you may consider dragging and dropping the pages into the correct order in your Pages Panel.

Alternatively, you can grab the text boxes on each page and drag them to the correct pages. The threading guides will help you see how the order needs to be rearranged to be correct and will help you confirm when you have the order correct.

We write about more Adobe InDesign tips and tricks, too. Don’t forget always to use Typographer’s Quotes when appropriate.

Happy Designing!

About the author

Kelly Barkhurst

Designer to Fullstack is my place to geek out and share tech solutions from my day-to-day as a graphic designer, programmer, and business owner (portfolio). I also write on Arts and Bricks, a parenting blog and decal shop that embraces my family’s love of Art and LEGO bricks!

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