There are a few basic actions that every computer user learns first. Click and drag is one example. Cut and paste is another. And as we get more comfortable, our projects get more complex. We begin to learn about shortcuts and other ways to make our lives simpler. Our designs more refined. Paste in Place in Adobe InDesign is one of those shortcuts.
Let’s say, for example, that you have a multi-page document. You want to remove (cut) something from the first page and place it on the second page in exactly the same spot that it was on the first page. You could cut it from the first page, move your cursor to the second page, and then paste the cut item onto the page. In all likelihood, the item will drop on top of something else, or off to the left or right. To move it into place you’ll need to select it all and then move it around until you get it in exactly the right spot. Better yet – use Cut and Paste in Place.
Here’s how Paste In Place in Adobe InDesign 2023 works.
- Start by selecting the content that you want to copy from the original document.
- With the content still selected, choose Edit -> Cut from the menu at the top. The selected item will disappear.
- Now open the new document (or move to a different page) that you want to paste into.
- Select Edit -> Paste in Place from the menu at the top of the page. The item will drop right into place.
Paste positioning is absolute not relative. In order for the pasted item to show up in exactly the right spot, you will need to be pasting from a left hand page to another left hand page or from a right page to another right page. However, if yours is a non-facing page document (no designated left or right page), then it will work on every page.
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