Apple Numbers '09 - Manual (Page 217)

Chapter 9 Working with Shapes, Graphics, and Other Objects 217
Creating your own alignment guides wherever you need them can also help you place
objects. See “Creating Your Own Alignment Guides” on page 217.
Creating Your Own Alignment Guides
You can create static alignment guides to help you align objects on a sheet. These
alignment guides don’t appear and disappear as you drag objects but remain visible
while you’re working, even if you leave the sheet 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 are editing text. Stop editing text by
selecting an object or clicking the sheet.
2 Place the pointer over a ruler and drag onto a sheet. An alignment guide appears.
3 Drag the guide where you want it on the sheet.
4 To remove an alignment guide that you’ve created, drag it off the edge of the sheet.
You can also specify x and y coordinates to place objects precisely. See “Positioning
Objects by x and y Coordinates” on page 217.
Positioning Objects by x and y Coordinates
You can place objects precisely where you want them on a sheet by specifying spatial
coordinates using the ruler measurements.
To specify an 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 sheet. Â
The y value is measured from the top edge of the sheet. В