Auto-sizing a text frame

Both Typefi AutoFit and InDesign CS6 or later give you the ability to attach auto-sizing options to text frames. But, while InDesign's auto-sizing options are buried in the Text Frame Options dialog (select a text frame and choose Object → Text Frame Options → Auto-Size), Typefi AutoFit gives you direct access to the auto-sizing options in a compact and easy-to-use panel.

TIP The auto-size options are especially useful for creating responsive elements such as sidebars, pull quotes, figure captions, photo credits, and so on. For example, if a figure caption is longer than the text frame, it will be resized to fit the entire caption and eliminate any overset text.

On this page

• Apply an auto-size option
  • Choose an auto-size option
• Remove an auto-size option
• Can I combine AuotFit relationships with an auto-size option?
• Deep dive: Why doesn't my text frame ever reach the maximum width?

Apply an auto-size option ↩

1. Select a text frame.
   
2. Open the Typefi AutoFit panel (Window → Typefi → AutoFit), and choose an option from the Auto-size menu: None, Height Only, Width Only, Height and Width, or Height and Width (Keep Proportions). 
   

TIP Select a reference point on the Typefi AutoFit panel to specify the direction in which the text frame resizes (see Specify a reference point).

TIP You may also want to specify the minimum and maximum frame dimensions to keep the element within a specific boundary on the page (see Set the minimum and maximum frame size). If the frame is not constrained by an AutoFit maximum height limit, the frame may extend to the limit of the pasteboard. In addition, if the frame contains an inline object whose height is greater than allowed by the AutoFit or the pasteboard limit, or if it contains text that is wider than a column (due to Hyphenation Settings, nonbreaking spaces, or the No Break character attribute), the frame will extend only to the last displayable line of text.

NOTE The auto-size options can only be applied to text frames. To configure dynamic images that automatically adjust as their frames are resized, you can use InDesign's Auto-Fit feature (Object → Fitting → Frame Fitting Options). Refer to Using Auto Fit for more information.

Choose an auto-size option ↩

Use this table to choose an auto-size option.

Auto-size option	Description
None	Does nothing and is equivalent to a normal InDesign text frame. Use this option to turn off automatic resizing.
Height Only	Enables the text frame to grow or shrink vertically.
Width Only	Enables the text frame to grow or shrink horizontally.
Height and Width	Enables the text frame to grow or shrink both vertically and horizontally.
Height and Width (Keep Proportions)	Enables the text frame to be proportionally resized.

Remove an auto-size option ↩

To remove an auto-size option, choose None from the Auto-size menu, or choose Clear Attributes from the AutoFit panel menu. NOTE Choosing Clear attributes will also remove any minimum or maximum size limits.

Can I combine AuotFit relationships with an auto-size option? ↩

Yes! When combined with AutoFit relationships, the Auto-size options enable you to design adaptive elements that dynamically react to content changes (see Create AutoFit relationships).

Deep dive: Why doesn't my text frame ever reach the maximum width? ↩

To answer this question, you first need to understand how auto-sizing works natively in InDesign, before adding any AutoFit limits.

The actual behaviour of InDesign for width auto-sizing depends on a number of factors. If line breaks are allowed, then InDesign resizes the width of the frame to completely fill it (subject to an optional minimum width) without causing overset text. This can create unexpected results if the text frame was severely underset prior to enabling width auto-sizing (see screenshot).

An example of a severely underset text frame before and after it was auto-sized.

Also, it's important to note that InDesign does have practical limits for auto-sizing based on the extents of the pasteboard (which is based on the document page size, whether the document has facing pages, and the extent of the bleed and slug area). This doesn't just apply to auto-sizing text frames, but also applies to auto-sizing table cells.

For example, InDesign ignores auto-sizing (that is, it does nothing) if you enable no line breaks and the text frame width would need to extend beyond the pasteboard in order to render the longest paragraph of the frame on a single line.

So, the answer to the question Why doesn't my text frame ever reach the maximum width? is quite complex and depends on many factors. If you're running into issues, check whether the original text frame is severely underset, if line breaks are allowed, or if the text frame width would need to extend beyond the pasteboard to render the longest paragraph on a single line. 

If you have any questions, please reach out. We're here to help.