Unlike Photoshop, which only allows guides to be a single color, InDesign offers more flexibility in how you visualize and manage guides. Understanding how guides are colored in InDesign can significantly improve your workflow and organization within complex layouts.
By default, guides in InDesign adopt the color of the layer they reside on when selected. This feature allows for a visual distinction between guides placed on different layers. To take advantage of this, organize your guides onto separate layers. For example, if you have three layers in InDesign and place guides on each one, a simple selection will reveal the “true colors” of the guides, enabling quick identification of which guide belongs to which layer.
This method may require you to adjust your workflow by using more layers than you are accustomed to. In a busy document, be cautious to avoid accidentally moving guides, especially if you’re used to locked guides in other applications. Despite these considerations, the increased organization and clarity provided by utilizing layers for guides can be a valuable asset.
An alternative approach to coloring guides in InDesign is to create a dedicated, non-printing guide layer at the top of your layer stack. Instead of using standard guides, draw thin strokes (e.g., 0.25 pt) in the colors of your choice. You can lock this layer and reduce its opacity (e.g., to 80%) so the lines are visible but don’t interfere with your work. Turning the layer’s visibility off lets you view the artwork without guides.
This method offers the flexibility to create guides at any angle or in any shape, not just horizontal and vertical lines. This approach is similar to traditional drawing tablet workflows. This custom approach allows for granular control over the appearance of your guides.
In conclusion, InDesign offers multiple ways to change the color of guides, from leveraging layer colors to creating custom-colored strokes on a dedicated layer. Experiment with these techniques to find the workflow that best suits your needs and enhances your design process. By effectively managing the color of guides, you can improve your organization, reduce errors, and create more visually appealing and precise layouts.
