I stopped using smart guides for alignment and it saved me hours this week

Used to drag objects around until the magenta lines popped up, but after missing a deadline on a 40 page brochure I switched to using the align panel and typing exact values. Has anyone else found a better way to keep spacing consistent across multiple artboards?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephs2613d ago

Why would you want to give up the instant feedback of smart guides? They let you work fast and catch alignment issues before they become problems. Typing exact values sounds like it would slow you down, not speed you up. I have been using InDesign since version 2.0 and I still rely on smart guides for pretty much everything. The key is to set your keyboard shortcuts so you can toggle them on and off quickly for those times you need precision. Going fully manual with the align panel just adds extra steps to every single move you make.

betty_shah12d ago

You said "the key is to set your keyboard shortcuts so you can toggle them on and off quickly" and I get that, but here's the thing nobody talks about. Smart guides actually slow me down when I'm working with super dense layouts like magazine spreads with dozens of tiny elements. They constantly snap to the wrong thing and I spend more time fighting them than actually placing stuff. Typing exact values with the transform panel? It's muscle memory for me now, I can do it almost as fast as dragging. Plus it forces me to think in numbers and ratios which makes my layouts cleaner in the long run.