To add a line above or below text in Adobe InDesign, select the paragraph, open Paragraph Rules from the Paragraph panel menu, enable Rule Above or Rule Below, and turn on Rule On. You can then set its weight, width, color, and position. Because the rule is attached to the paragraph, it moves with the text as the layout changes.
Add a rule above or below a paragraph
- With the Type tool, click in the paragraph you want to format, or select the paragraph text.
- If needed, choose Type > Paragraph to show the Paragraph panel.
- Open the Paragraph panel menu and choose Paragraph Rules.
- Choose Rule Above or Rule Below, then check Rule On. To place rules on both sides of the paragraph, configure each option separately.
- Turn on Preview to see the effect while you adjust the settings, then choose OK.
Adobe describes paragraph rules as horizontal lines attached to a paragraph that move and resize as text flows. This makes them useful for heading accents, separators, or recurring callout treatments. The steps and setting names below follow Adobe’s help documentation, last updated June 2, 2026: Add or remove paragraph rules in InDesign.
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Choose the line’s appearance and width
In the Paragraph Rules dialog, set the rule’s Weight to control thickness, Type to choose a solid, dashed, dotted, or other available stroke, and Color to choose a swatch. Where available, use Tint and the gap color or tint controls to refine color intensity and patterned-line gaps.
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| Width option | What it does | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Sizes the rule to the text width. | You want the line to align with the paragraph’s text. |
| Column | Extends the rule across the column. | You want a line spanning the column rather than just the text. |
Left Indent and Right Indent move the rule’s ends without changing the paragraph’s text indents. This is useful when the line should be inset or extend beyond the text while the paragraph itself stays in place.
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Position the rule and diagnose spacing
Offset controls vertical placement, but its reference point depends on which rule you are editing:
- For Rule Above, offset is measured from the first line’s baseline to the bottom of the rule.
- For Rule Below, offset is measured from the last line’s baseline to the top of the rule.
This baseline reference explains why the same offset can appear to place an above-rule and below-rule differently. If an above-rule near the top of a text frame needs to remain inside it, enable Keep In Frame.
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Space Before is ignored above a column or frame. If the first paragraph needs more room from the top edge, adjust its first-line leading or the text frame’s top inset instead. These spacing settings are separate from the rule’s offset.
Make the formatting reusable with a paragraph style
For headings or callouts that recur, save the paragraph-rule settings in a paragraph style rather than applying them manually each time. This keeps the rule’s appearance consistent and lets you update the treatment centrally. Paragraph styles can also retain paragraph-rule overprint options for print workflows.
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Remove a paragraph rule
- With the Type tool, place the insertion point in or select the paragraph.
- Open Paragraph Rules from the Paragraph panel or Control panel menu.
- Choose Rule Above or Rule Below, clear Rule On for the rule you want to remove, and choose OK.
Use overprinting only when the print design calls for it
Overprinting changes how a rule interacts with underlying inks; it is a print-output decision, not a general styling preference. Enable Overprint Stroke when the rule should print over underlying colors. For dashed, dotted, or other patterned strokes, enable Overprint Gap too if the gaps should also overprint. Save these options in a paragraph style if they need to recur.
Before sending artwork to press, inspect the result in Window > Output > Separations Preview. Adobe’s guidance explains the purpose and controls in Overprint paragraph and footnote rules in InDesign (last updated June 2, 2026).
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When a rule is not the right feature
A paragraph rule creates a line above or below a paragraph. If the design needs an enclosing border or a filled paragraph background, use paragraph borders and backgrounds instead; Adobe documents those as separate features with their own stroke, fill, offset, and width controls: Add borders and backgrounds to paragraphs.
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