Align and position objects

Use alignment and spacing guides to help you place objects precisely. When guides are turned on, they appear as you drag an object on a slide in alignment with, or equidistant to, another object. You can turn the guides off and on as needed. You can also specify an object’s location using its x and y coordinates.

Yellow alignment guidelines over two objects

Turn on alignment guides

  1. Choose Keynote > Preferences (from the Keynote menu at the top of your screen), then click Rulers.

  2. Select any of the alignment guides:

    • Center guides: Indicate when an object’s center aligns with another object’s center or the center of the slide.

    • Edge guides: Indicate when an object’s edge aligns with another object’s edge or an edge of the slide.

    • Sizing guides: Indicate when objects have the same height or width.

    • Spacing guides: Indicate when three or more objects are spaced equally apart.

Show rulers

You can show or hide rulers to help you position and align objects on a slide. Do any of the following:

  • Show or hide rulers: Click View button in the toolbar Show Rulers (or Hide Rulers).

  • Change the ruler units: Choose Keynote > Preferences (from the Keynote menu at the top of your screen), then click Rulers. Click the Ruler Units pop-up menu, then choose a unit of measure.

  • Show size and position coordinates when moving objects: Choose Keynote > Preferences, then click Rulers. Select the size and position checkbox.

Add persistent alignment guides

You can create alignment guides to help you position objects in the same position on different slides. These alignment guides remain visible on the slide while you’re working, even if you leave the slide and return to it later.

  1. Click View button in the toolbar, then choose Show Rulers.

  2. Move the pointer over the vertical or horizontal ruler, then drag onto the slide.

    A yellow alignment guide appears.

  3. Drag the guide to where you want it on the slide.

To remove an alignment guide, drag it off the edge of the slide.

Remove, hide, or clear all persistent alignment guides

Do any of the following:

  • Remove a horizontal guide: Drag it to the top of the slide.

  • Remove a vertical guide: Drag it to the left of the slide.

  • Hide all guides: Choose View > Guides > Hide Guides (from the View menu at the top of your screen).

    To show all guides, Choose View > Guides > Show Guides.

  • Clear all guides: Choose View > Guides > Clear All Guides on Slide.

Align an object using x and y coordinates

  1. Select an object.

  2. Click the Arrange tab at the top of the sidebar on the right.

    If you don’t see a sidebar, or the sidebar doesn’t have an Arrange tab, click Format button in the toolbar.

  3. Enter x and y values in the Position fields.

    The x value is measured from the slide’s left edge to the object’s upper-left corner.

    The y value is measured from the slide’s top edge to the object’s upper-left corner.

When you drag an object, its x and y coordinates are displayed.

Align objects along an edge of the slide

You can align all of your objects with the edge of a slide.

  1. Select one or more objects.

  2. Click the Arrange tab at the top of the sidebar on the right.

    If you don’t see a sidebar, or the sidebar doesn’t have an Arrange tab, click Format button in the toolbar.

  3. Click the pop-up menu, then choose an option.

    If two or more objects are selected, the objects align to the object most in the direction you selected. For instance, if you align three objects to the left, the leftmost object doesn’t move, and the other objects align to it.

Equally space objects

You can position objects so there is equal spacing between them on both horizontal and vertical axes.

  1. Select three or more objects.

  2. Click the Arrange tab at the top of the sidebar on the right.

    If you don’t see a sidebar, or the sidebar doesn’t have an Arrange tab, click Format button in the toolbar.

  3. Click the Distribute pop-up menu, then choose an option:

    • Evenly: Objects are spaced equally along both horizontal and vertical axes.

    • Horizontally: Objects are spaced equally along a horizontal axis.

    • Vertically: Objects are spaced equally along a vertical axis.

Move an object one point at a time

You can nudge an object to move it by single-point increments.

  • Select an object, then press an arrow key in any direction.

    To move an object 10 points at a time, hold Shift while you press an arrow key.