How to Lock, Unlock, Hide, Unhide, Delete InDesign Objects?

delete InDesign objects

Adobe Indesign is a famous software commonly used by graphics designers. This software has many striking features that help you to make the project easily and strengthen the layouts.

There are plenty of amazing features that will make your complex task easy. Today in this article I am going to list down some of the useful InDesign features that will turn your task easy.

Here learn the complete steps to lock, unlock, hide unhide, and delete Indesign objects. 

By locking objects you can make sure that the objects are cannot be moved or modified from their actual place. Through this, you can prevent your layout from unintentional obliteration.

In order to lock objects of the INDD file, you can use the Lock command, this will specify that certain objects of the INDD file get fixed and can’t be moved in your layout. Locked objects are fixed on their locked position when a document is saved, closed, and then reopened.

After locking an object, it cannot be moved. But, you can select locked objects by turning off the Prevent Selection Of Locked Objects option which is present in the General preferences. You can also change the attributes like color and other things of a locked object.

How to Lock and Unlock Objects or Layers

  • If you want to lock objects, click on the edit column button present at the right of the eye icon.
  • Drag across numerous edit column buttons to lock multiple items. OR choose the objects you want to lock, and then select Object > Lock > Selection.
  • If you want to unlock InDesign objects, click on the lock icon present in the Layers panel for the object or layer you want to unlock.

Moreover, there are other commands as well that help you to lock and unlock objects:

To Lock Indesign

  • For locking all objects which overlap the selected object and that are in the same layer, choose the object > select Object > Lock > All Artwork Above.
  • Now for locking all layers other than the layer which contains a certain group or item now select Object > Lock > Other Layers or from the Layers panel menu > select Lock Others
  • Next for locking entire layers > select all layers than from the panel menu select Lock All Layers

To Unlock Indesign

  • And to unlock all objects in the document > select Object > Unlock All.
  • Now to unlock all objects within a group > choose an unlocked and visible object within the group. Press Shift+Alt (Windows) or Shift+Option (Mac OS) > select Object > Unlock All.
  • If in case your locked all layers > from the Layers panel menu select Unlock All Layers to unlock them.

So, these are the steps to lock and unlock the Indesign, apply the steps given, and use this amazing InDesign feature with ease.

Now learn how to hide and unhide InDesign objects.

Steps to Hide InDesign Objects:

If you want to hide any object then make it clear that the hidden objects are not printed or exported, and they cannot be selected.

Apply any of the below-given steps to hide/unhide InDD Objects:

  • In order to hide an object, choose the object and select Object > Hide.
  • To unhide or show hidden objects, select Object > Show All On Spread.
  • First in the Layers panel > click the eye icon next to the object you want to hide. And click again to redisplay the item. Now if you hide a layer or group > all items in the layer or group are hidden.
  • Next drag across multiple eye icons for hiding multiple items.
  • Then choose an object to hide, and select Object > Hide > Selection.
  • And for hiding entire objects above an object in a layer, choose the object and select Object > Hide > All Artwork Above.
  • Now for hiding entire unselected layers, choose to Hide Others from the Layers panel menu, or Alt+click (Windows) or Option+click (Mac OS) the eye icon for the layer you need to show. Or else, for hiding all other layers other than the layer which includes the selected object or group, select Object > Hide > Other Layers.

Steps to Unhide InDesign Objects:

  • And to unhide all objects, select Object > Show All. Entire previously hidden objects are shown. Any earlier selected objects are selected.
  • To unhide all layers and sublayers, from the Layers panel menu > choose Show All Layers from the Hidden objects aren’t displayed by this command, only hidden layers.
  • To unhide all objects within a group, choose an unlocked and visible object in the group. Then press Shift+Alt (Windows) or Shift+Option (Mac OS) > select Object > Show All.

Steps to Delete objects in InDesign

It is very simple to delete INDD objects:

  • Choose the objects and then press the Delete button from your keyboard.
  • Or choose the objects and then choose Edit > Clear or Edit > Cut.
  • Choose the items that you want to delete in the Layers panel, and then click on the Delete icon.

Bonus: Learn other important InDesign Tricks

Steps to Create Nonprinting Objects

If you want to create some special objects that will appear onscreen but will never be printed or disappear from the portable versions of the document then follow the below-given steps.

Selectively hide or show elements in a document, or make the layers non-printing.

  1. First of all, you need to select the object or text frame that you want to make nonprintable.
  2. Go to the Attributes panel. To do this navigate through Window > Output > Attributes.
  3. Now, in the Attributes panel, choose Nonprinting.

Conclusion

All the above-given InDesign Tricks are completely tested, so don’t worry about the effectiveness.

So, this is all about how to Lock, Unlock, Hide, Unhide, Delete InDesign objects. I tried my best to list down the complete steps to use these features easily and make your complex work easy.

Make sure to follow the steps given carefully and use the INDD features with ease. Hope the article works or you.