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Adobe InDesign CS3

Working with the Dock

The Palette Dock, located at the right side of the InDesign workspace, is a dynamic and highly customizable feature that contains and organizes the different palettes you will use when working in InDesign CS3. This document provides instructions on how to expand and collapse the Dock, work with palettes, and customize the Dock to best fit your needs.

The Dock is made up of various palettes. Tab icons represent the tabs that make up a palette.

The Palette Dock: Annotated

return to topExpanding/Collapsing the Dock

The Dock can be expanded so that palettes are shown within a pane at the side of the workspace. It can also be collapsed to save workspace, and palettes can be pulled out from it by simply clicking their icon.

  1. To expand the Dock, click the EXPAND DOCK buttonExpand Dock button
    The Dock expands and any palettes it contains appear.

  2. To collapse the Dock, click the COLLAPSE TO ICONS buttonCollapse to Icons button
    The Dock collapses.

return to topWorking with Palettes in the Dock

Palettes in InDesign CS3 are almost completely customizable; tabs and palettes can be mixed and matched to fit your needs with simple drag and drop functionality. Palettes can be opened one at a time from the collapsed Dock, or viewed simultaneously with the Dock expanded. Also, different tabs can be undocked from their respective palettes and recombined into new palettes (a helpful feature if there are a few tabs you need often.)

Reorganizing the Dock

The Dock can be reorganized easily.

  1. To move a palette within the Dock, click and drag its title bar to the desired position on the Dock
    Docked Palette: Title bar annotated
    HINTS:
     A blue line appears while holding the palette over the Dock, indicating where the palette will be placed.
    The palette appears within the Dock in the desired position.

Opening a Palette from the Dock

If you prefer to work with the Dock collapsed into icons, you can still access any palette set to the Dock easily.

  1. On the Dock, click the icon of the tab you would like to open
    The palette opens with the desired tab selected.
    EXAMPLE: On the Dock, click the STROKE tab iconStroke tab icon
    The Stroke palette opens.
    Tab Example: Stroke tab opened from Dock

Undocking a Palette

If you would like to set a palette closer to where you are working within the workspace, you can undock it from the Dock at any time.

  1. On the Dock click and drag the desired palette's title bar to the desired position on the workspace
    The desired palette is undocked and positioned accordingly.
    Docked Palette: Title bar annotated

  2. To redock a palette, click and drag the palette's title bar to the desired position on the Dock
    HINTS:
    A blue line appears while holding the palette over the Dock, indicating where the palette will be placed.
    If the title bar of another palette is highlighted (blue), the palettes will be combined.
    The palette appears within the Dock in the desired position.

Undocking a Tab

You can undock a specific tab from the Dock easily.

  1. On the Dock click and drag the desired tab icon to the desired position on the workspace

  2. To redock a tab, click and drag the tab to the desired position on the Dock or appropriate palette
    HINTS:
    A blue line appears while holding the tab over the Dock, indicating where the tab will be placed.
    If the title bar of another palette is highlighted (blue), the palettes will be combined.
    The tab icon appears within the Dock or palette in the desired position.

return to topCreating a Custom Palette

Palettes and tabs can be undocked and reorganized easily in InDesign CS3. This is helpful if you have a few tabs you use often, but they are defaulted to separate palettes. Once you have created customized palettes and decided that your workspace is well defined, you can then save your workspace for future use on similar documents.

  1. To create a new palette, within the Dock, click and drag the first desired tab out of its palette and into an empty space within the Dock
    The tab will show up in a new palette group with its own title bar in the Dock.

  2. To add other tabs to the new palette,
    1. Click and drag the desired tab to the new palette

    2. With your cursor inside the new palette, release the mouse
      HINTS:
       A blue line appears while holding the tab over the palette, indicating where the tab will be placed.
      The tab is added to the palette.

  3. Repeat step 2 until all of the desired tabs are added to the palette

Resetting the Dock and Palettes

If you would like to reset the Dock and its palettes to their default state,

  1. From the Window menu, select Workspace » Reset Panels
    The Dock and all palettes are reset to their default positions.

return to topSaving a Workspace Setup

Once you have created customized palettes and decided that your workspace is well defined, you can then save your workspace for future use on similar documents.

  1. From the Window menu, select Workspace » Save Workspace...
    The Save Workspace dialog box appears.
    Save Workspace dialog box

  2. In the Name text box, type an appropriate name for your workspace setup

  3. To save palettes and Dock settings, select Panel Locations
    The option is selected if a checkmark appears in the box.

  4. To save menus and toolbars, select Menu Customization
    The option is selected if a checkmark appears in the box.

  5. Click OK
    Your workspace setup is saved.

  6. To access your saved workspaces, from the Window menu, select Workspace » the desired saved workspace

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