Apple Pages '09 - Manual (Page 162)

To change the color of alignment guides, click the Alignment Guides color well and m
select a color in the Colors window.
To momentarily hide guides, hold down the Command key while you drag an object.
m
Another way to align objects is to specify precise object position by using x and y
coordinates. See “Positioning Floating Objects by x and y Coordinates” on page 162.
Creating your own alignment guides wherever you need them can also help you place
objects. See “Creating Your Own Alignment Guides” on page 162.
Creating Your Own Alignment Guides
You can create static alignment guides to help you align floating objects on a page.
These alignment guides do not appear and disappear as you drag floating objects,
but remain visible while you’re working, even if you leave the page and then return to
it later.
To create an alignment guide:
1 Click View in the toolbar, and then choose Show Rulers.
Note: Alignment guides can’t be created if you have an insertion point in text,
such as the body text or header. Select a floating object or Command-click the
document page.
2 Place the pointer over a ruler and drag onto a page. An alignment guide appears.
3 Drag the guide where you want it on the page.
4 To remove an alignment guide that you’ve created, drag it off the edge of the page.
You can also specify x and y coordinates to place objects precisely. See “Positioning
Floating Objects by x and y Coordinates” on page 162.
Positioning Floating Objects by x and y Coordinates
You can place floating objects precisely where you want them on a page by specifying
spatial coordinates using the ruler measurements.
To specify an floating object’s position by its x and y coordinates:
1 Select the object you want to position.
2 Click Inspector in the toolbar, and then click the Metrics inspector button.
3 Enter x and y values (in ruler measurements) in the Position fields.
The specified coordinates determine the position of the upper-left corner of the
object’s container box. If an object is rotated, the x and y coordinates specify the
upper-left corner of the container box of the rotated object, which may be a different
size from the original.
The x value is measured from the left edge of the page. Â
The y value is measured from the top edge of the page. Â
162 Chapter 7 Working with Images, Shapes, and Other Objects