Pan Around the InDesign Page

If you have zoomed into your page, and would like to move that page around to see something to the side or top or bottom, many people will reach for the scroll bars, which in my experience, always go the wrong way. 

Another way is to use the Page Grabber Hand Tool. This tool looks like a little hand (or a muffin top).

Simply click on the tool, then move to your page and grab a portion of the page, and move it around. If you hold too long, you’ll see a red box, and the page will zoom all the way out. Just move the red box, to relocate the focus. 

Shortcuts for Panning

If you are using the Selection Tool (arrow) or any other tool except the Type tool, you can hold down the SPACEBAR and you’ll get the Hand tool temporarily – pan around the page, then release your Spacebar to return to what you were doing.

If you are using the Type tool and have a blinking cursor in your text, then you know that holding the spacebar will simply add in a bunch of spaces. So, you’ll need to hold down the Option (mac) or Alt (win) key to Pan around your page while the cursor is blinking. Releasing the key will return to your text editing mode. 

That can be CONFUSING! If you don’t want to worry about which tool you have active – then just hold the (for mac) OPTION and SPACEBAR in that order! or (for win) ALT and SPACEBAR. Regardless of what tool is active, you’ll get the Hand tool.

Or, you can hit the “H” key on your keyboard to simply switch to the Hand tool.