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LayersContents [Hide]About layersEach document includes at least one named layer. By using multiple layers, you can create and edit specific areas or kinds of content in your document without affecting other areas or kinds of content. For example, if your document prints slowly because it contains many large graphics, you can use one layer for just the text in your document; then, when it’s time to proofread the text, you can hide all other layers and quickly print the text layer only. You can also use layers to display alternate design ideas for the same layout, or versions of advertisements for different regions. Think of layers as transparent sheets stacked on top of each other. If a layer doesn’t have objects on it, you can see through it to any objects on layers behind it. Additional layer notes:
 The Layers panel lists layers with the frontmost layer appearing
at the top of the panel. For a video tutorial on using layers, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0074. Create layersYou can add layers at any time using the New Layer command on the Layers panel menu or the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel. The number of layers a document can have is limited only by the RAM available to InDesign. Create layers
Assign a layer colorAssigning a color to a layer makes it easier to distinguish the layers of different selected objects. For each layer that contains a selected object, the Layers panel displays a dot in the layer’s color. On the page, each object displays the color of its layer in its selection handles, bounding box, text ports, text wrap boundary (if used), frame edges (including the X displayed by an empty graphics frame), and hidden characters. The layer color does not appear for a deselected frame if its edges are hidden.
Add objects to layersAny new object is placed on the target layer, the layer currently displaying the pen icon in the Layers panel. Targeting a layer also selects it. If multiple layers are selected, targeting one of them doesn’t change the selection, but targeting a layer outside the selection deselects the other layers. You can add objects to the target layer by any of the following methods:
When you click a layer in the Layers panel to target it, the pen icon appears on the layer you clicked, and the layer also highlights to indicate that it is targeted.  Changing the target layer for the next new object Select, move, and copy objects on layersBy default, you can select any object on any layer. In the Layers panel, dots mark layers that contain selected objects. The layer’s selection color helps you identify an object’s layer. To prevent selecting objects on a specific layer, lock the layer.  Do any of the following:
 To move selected objects to a hidden or locked
layer, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) as
you drag the colored dot. To copy selected objects to another layer,
hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag
the colored dot on the right side of the layer list to the other
layer. To copy selected objects to a hidden or locked layer, hold
down Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Mac OS) as you
drag the colored dot.Paste objects into different layersThe Paste Remembers Layers command affects how objects pasted from other locations interact with existing layers. If the Paste Remembers Layers command is selected, objects cut or copied from different layers retain their layer assignments when pasted to the new page or position. If you paste objects to a document that doesn’t have the same layers as the document from which they were copied, InDesign adds the objects’ layer names to the Layers panel in the second document, and pastes each object on its layer. If the Paste Remembers Layers command is deselected, objects cut or copied from different layers are pasted together on the target layer.
Duplicate a layerWhen you duplicate a layer, you copy its contents and settings. The duplicate layer then appears above the original layer in the Layers panel. Any duplicated frames that were threaded to other frames on the layer remain threaded. Duplicated frames whose originals were threaded to frames on other layers are no longer threaded to those frames. In the Layers panel, do one of the following:
Change the order of layersChange the stacking order of layers in your document by rearranging the layers on the Layers panel. Rearranging layers changes the order of layers on every page, not just on the target spread. In the Layers panel, drag a layer up or down in
the list. You can also drag multiple selected layers. Reordering layers Show or hide layersYou can hide or display any layer at any time. Hidden layers can’t be edited, and don’t appear on screen or in print. Hiding layers can be useful when you want to do any of the following:
By default, text continues
to wrap around objects on hidden layers. To ignore text wrap settings
for hidden objects, choose Layer Options from the Layers panel menu, and
then select the Suppress Text Wrap When Layer Is Hidden option. Do any of the following:
Set a layer as nonprinting
Note: When you print or export to PDF, you will still have
the option of printing hidden and nonprinting layers.
Lock or unlock layersLocking is useful for preventing accidental changes to a layer. A locked layer displays a crossed-out pencil icon in the Layers panel. Objects on locked layers cannot be selected or edited directly; however, if objects on locked layers have attributes that can be edited indirectly, they will change. For example, if you edit a tint swatch, objects on locked layers using that tint swatch will reflect the change. Similarly, putting a series of threaded text frames on both locked and unlocked layers will not prevent text on locked layers from recomposing. Do any of the following:
Delete layersRemember that each layer is document-wide—it appears on every page of a document. Before deleting a layer, consider hiding all other layers first, and then turn to each page of the document to verify that it is safe to delete the remaining objects. Do any of the following:
Merge layers in a documentYou can reduce the number of layers in a document without deleting any objects by merging layers. When you merge layers, objects from all selected layers are moved to the target layer. Of the layers you merge, only the target layer remains in the document; the other selected layers are deleted. You can also flatten a document by merging all layers. Note: If you merge layers containing
a mix of page objects and master items, the master items move to
the back of the resulting merged layer.
You can also merge identically named layers for exporting a book to PDF.
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