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# Columns

Specifies the number of columns and the column layout for a page style, frame, or section.

To access this command...

Choose Format - Page Style - Columns tab.

Choose View - Styles - Page Styles - open context menu for selected page style - Modify/New - Columns tab.

Choose Insert - Frame - Frame - Columns tab.

Choose Format - Frame and Object - Properties - Columns tab.

Choose Insert - Section - Columns tab.

Choose Format - Section - Options button - Columns tab.

You can select from predefined column layouts, or create your own. When you apply a layout to a page style, all pages that use the style are updated. Similarly, when you apply a column layout to a frame style, all frames that use that style are updated. You can also change the column layout for a single frame.

## Settings

### Columns

Enter the number of columns that you want in the page, frame, or section.

### Selection fields

You can also select one of the predefined column layouts.

Tooltips describe each predefined selection.

### Apply to

Select the item to which you want to apply the column layout. This option is only available if you access this dialogue box by choosing Format - Columns.

The following two options are only available when formatting sections.

### Evenly distribute contents to all columns

Evenly distributes the text in multi-column sections.

#### Text direction

Specify the text direction for a paragraph that uses complex text layout (CTL). This feature is only available if complex text layout support is enabled.

### Preview Field

Displays a preview of the current selection.

The column layout preview only shows the columns and not the surrounding page.

## Width and spacing

### AutoWidth

Creates columns of equal width.

If the AutoWidth check box is not selected, enter the width and spacing options for the columns.

### Column

Displays the column number, as well as width and distance to the adjacent columns.

### Left Arrow

Moves the column display one column to the left.

Left Arrow

### Right Arrow

Moves the column display one column to the right.

Right Arrow

### Width

Enter the width of the column.

### Spacing

Enter the amount of space that you want to leave between the columns.

## Separator line

This area is only available if your layout contains more than one column.

### Style

Select the formatting style for the column separator line. If you do not want a separator line, choose "None".

### Width

Enter width of the separator line.

### Colour

Select a colour for the separator line.

### Height

Enter the length of the separator line as a percentage of the height of the column area.

### Position

Select the vertical alignment of the separator line. This option is only available if Height value of the line is less than 100%.