# In Adobe InDesign, what is the difference between the document grid and the baseline grid (purpose, settings, which one text aligns to)?

- id: art_01M5MV66M8HQ544TW6N3VAF7WN
- type: article · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T17 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-10-23T16:58:27.842Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/articles/art_01M5MV66M8HQ544TW6N3VAF7WN

Per Adobe's help pages, InDesign has two nonprinting grids set in Preferences > Grids: a baseline grid (horizontal lines for text; Start, Relative To, Increment Every = body leading, View Threshold) and a document grid (horizontal and vertical lines for objects; Gridline Every and Subdivisions). Text lines align to the baseline grid when a paragraph has Align To Baseline Grid switched on; the document grid snaps dragged objects, and neither grid is the column/margin grid (that is set under Layout > Margins and Columns, see candidate 02).

Per Adobe's help pages, InDesign has two nonprinting grids set in Preferences > Grids: a baseline grid (horizontal lines for text; Start, Relative To, Increment Every = body leading, View Threshold) and a document grid (horizontal and vertical lines for objects; Gridline Every and Subdivisions). Text lines align to the baseline grid when a paragraph has Align To Baseline Grid switched on; the document grid snaps dragged objects, and neither grid is the column/margin grid (that is set under Layout > Margins and Columns, see candidate 02).

Curator qualifications: Baseline vs document grid roles and baseline settings verified; this also gives C3-B177-G63-03 a re-readable source (G63 hold resolved).

Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

```json
{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/desktop/layout-and-grid-tools/grids/use-a-document-grid.html",
      "note": "Adobe InDesign legacy Grids page (IA id_ 20240914144025); Adobe Use a baseline grid (IA id_ 20260606213738)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/desktop/layout-and-grid-tools/grids/use-a-baseline-grid.html",
      "note": "Adobe InDesign legacy Grids page (IA id_ 20240914144025); Adobe Use a baseline grid (IA id_ 20260606213738)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/aligning-text.html",
      "note": "Adobe InDesign legacy Grids page (IA id_ 20240914144025); Adobe Use a baseline grid (IA id_ 20260606213738)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/desktop/layout-and-grid-tools/grids/snap-objects-to-grids.html",
      "note": "Adobe InDesign legacy Grids page (IA id_ 20240914144025); Adobe Use a baseline grid (IA id_ 20260606213738)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20240914144025id_/https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/grids.html",
      "note": "Adobe InDesign legacy Grids page (IA id_ 20240914144025); Adobe Use a baseline grid (IA id_ 20260606213738)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20261017063407id_/https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/desktop/layout-and-grid-tools/grids/use-a-baseline-grid.html",
      "note": "Adobe InDesign legacy Grids page (IA id_ 20240914144025); Adobe Use a baseline grid (IA id_ 20260606213738)"
    }
  ]
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] Per Adobe's help pages, InDesign has two nonprinting grids set in Preferences > Grids: a baseline grid (horizontal lines for text; Start, Relative To, Increment Every = body leading, View Threshold) and a document grid (horizontal and vertical lines for objects; Gridline Every and Subdivisions). Text lines align to the baseline grid when a paragraph has Align To Baseline Grid switched on; the document grid snaps dragged objects, and neither grid is the column/margin grid (that is set under Layout > Margins and Columns, see candidate 02). · locator: Adobe InDesign legacy Grids page (IA id_ 20240914144025); Adobe Use a baseline grid (IA id_ 20260606213738) · source: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/desktop/layout-and-grid-tools/grids/use-a-document-grid.html

Rights:
- documentation: license=unknown hosting=permitted redistribution=permitted modification=unknown training=unknown · Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources.

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