Tried the method shown in the video on InDesign CC 2021, but the background shape doesn’t stay anchored behind the paragraph when I edit the text. It just moves independently, which defeats the whole purpose. Anyone else having this issue or is it just something with my version?

@Rakesh Bhardwaj Tried this method in InDesign CC 2023, and it mostly works well for simple layouts. The only hiccup I ran into was when resizing the text frame—the background shape doesn’t always scale perfectly with the text, so you might need to adjust manually. Still, it’s a solid workaround compared to locking separate frames.

Actually, you can anchor a background color behind a paragraph text frame in InDesign by using anchored objects, but it’s a bit tricky. Instead of trying to apply a color directly behind the text frame, create a separate text frame with your background color, then anchor it inline with your main text frame and adjust its position using the anchoring options. This way, the colored shape moves with the paragraph as you edit. The key is in setting the anchored object’s position relative to the text frame so it stays perfectly behind the text.

Tried the method shown in the video on InDesign CC 2023, and it mostly worked for me. The background shape stays anchored behind the text even when I move the paragraph frame, but I had to make sure the shape was on a separate layer below the text to avoid any stacking issues. Definitely a handy trick!

@Rakesh Bhardwaj Actually, anchoring a background color shape behind a paragraph text frame is possible in InDesign, but it requires a bit of finesse. You can create a rectangle with the desired color, then anchor it inline or as an object anchored relative to the text frame and adjust its position using the anchored object options. It’s not always straightforward, but definitely doable without external plugins. The video might show a simpler workaround, but the method I mentioned is more flexible for complex layouts.