While you typically group and ungroup objects rather than layers in Adobe InDesign, if you are referring to breaking apart a collection of items that were previously combined, here's how you can do it based on the provided information:
InDesign allows you to group multiple objects (like text frames, images, or shapes) together so they can be moved, transformed, or manipulated as a single unit. When you want to work with the individual items within that group again, you need to ungroup them.
Here's how to ungroup objects in InDesign, based on the reference provided:
-
Select the Group: First, you need to select the group of objects you wish to ungroup. You can do this using the Selection Tool (the black arrow).
-
Use a Keyboard Shortcut:
- On Windows: Press
Shift + Ctrl + G. - On Mac: Press
Shift + Command + G.
As Kelsey with Adobe noted, "To ungroup select a group and press Shift Ctrl G (Mac: Shift Command G)."
- On Windows: Press
-
Use the Menu Command:
- Alternatively, with the group selected, go to the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Click on
Object. - From the dropdown menu, select
Ungroup.
The reference also mentions this method: "Or you can go up to Object Ungroup!"
Once you perform either of these actions, the selected group will be broken down into its individual components, and you can then select and edit each object independently.
Understanding Groups vs. Layers
It's important to note the distinction between groups and layers in InDesign:
- Groups: A group is a collection of objects on a page that you've combined for easier handling. Objects in a group can exist within the same layer or across different layers.
- Layers: Layers are like transparent sheets that stack on top of each other. They help you organize and manage objects within your document. You can hide, lock, or reorder entire layers, but you don't "ungroup" a layer itself. Objects on a layer are simply contained within that layer.
So, while you don't ungroup layers, you frequently group and ungroup objects on layers.
