Wondering how to preview a document in InDesign? Sometimes you want to see all the page markings in an InDesign document, such as margins, frame edges, and guides. Other times, you only want to see the page items that will print, without any distractions.

You can toggle between these two view modes—Normal and Preview—using a button or a shortcut.

What You'll Learn in This InDesign Preview Mode Tutorial

• How to see the normal view in InDesign


• How to see a preview in InDesign


• How to see a bleed preview in InDesign

What You'll Need

You won't need any specific assets to follow this InDesign preview mode tutorial, but here are the resources I used in case you want to create something similar:

• Abstract Poster Template


• Women Playing in a Rock Band

1. How to See Normal View in InDesign

Click on Normal mode to reveal any “invisible” items in a document. In this mode, any guides that you’ve placed, margins you’ve set up, item frame edges, and other structural elements will be visible. This won’t affect how anything prints; it just changes what you see onscreen so you can work with page elements more easily.

2. How to See a Preview in InDesign

Click the Preview mode button at the bottom of the Tools panel to hide all the “framework” on the page and any non-printing elements. Toggle between these two view modes with the keyboard shortcut W—but only if your cursor isn’t currently in a text frame. That's how to view a preview in InDesign.

3. How to See a Bleed Preview in InDesign

Select the Bleed preview mode to see all visible/printing items plus any bleed (the portion of a design that runs past the edge of a page to be trimmed back). You can find that button by pressing and holding the Preview button to reveal a pop-out tool menu with extra view options.

Learning How to Preview in InDesign Is That Easy‭!‬

Being able to see your work without all the distractions on the InDesign page is as easy as toggling the Preview mode on and off. Now that you know how to preview a document in InDesign, you’ll find yourself jumping back and forth between the modes frequently as you work.

For more InDesign tips and tricks, check out these tutorials and videos from the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

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