Using auto-alignment for perfect block positioning

Creating visually balanced documents just got a whole lot easier! Proposify's auto-alignment feature takes the guesswork out of positioning content blocks, helping you achieve that perfectly polished look without endless tweaking and eyeballing.

Think of auto-alignment as your personal design assistant—it shows you exactly where elements line up and guides you to create professional layouts that look intentional and well-crafted.

How Auto-Alignment Works

Visual Feedback System When you start moving any content block, something helpful happens automatically:

• Bounding boxes appear around all other blocks on your page
• Alignment guides show up as you drag, indicating potential alignment points
• Snap-to positioning helps blocks lock into perfect alignment

This visual feedback system means you're never guessing whether things line up properly—the interface shows you exactly what's happening as you position your content.

Activating Alignment Guides

Getting started with auto-alignment is straightforward:

1. Click and hold any content block (text, image, video, or table)
2. Start dragging the block to a new position
3. Watch for the guides that appear automatically as you move

As soon as you begin dragging, you'll see those helpful bounding boxes outline every other element on your page, giving you a clear view of the layout structure you're working with.

Understanding Alignment Options

The alignment system helps you position blocks in several precise ways:

Horizontal Alignment

• Left edges: Line up the left sides of different blocks
• Right edges: Align the right sides for clean, organized margins
• Center alignment: Position blocks so their centers line up vertically

Vertical Alignment

• Top edges: Create clean horizontal lines across your content
• Bottom edges: Align the bottom edges for consistent spacing
• Center alignment: Position blocks so their centers line up horizontally

Mixed Alignment You can combine horizontal and vertical alignment guides simultaneously, allowing you to position a block exactly where multiple alignment points intersect.

Visual Cues and Feedback

Alignment Lines As you drag blocks around, you'll see colored guide lines appear:

• These lines show exactly where your block will align with existing content
• The lines appear dynamically as you move, updating in real-time
• When a line appears, it means your block is perfectly aligned with that reference point

Snap Behavior The alignment system includes subtle "snap" functionality:

• Blocks naturally want to align when you get close to alignment points
• This prevents you from accidentally positioning things slightly off
• You can still override the snap if you need precise custom positioning

Practical Alignment Scenarios

Creating Columns When building side-by-side content layouts:

• Align the top edges of blocks to create clean horizontal rows
• Use left and right edge alignment to establish consistent column margins
• Center alignment helps balance content that might be different heights

Spacing Consistency For professional-looking spacing throughout your document:

• Align similar content types (like multiple images or text blocks)
• Use the guides to maintain consistent gaps between elements
• Create visual rhythm by aligning blocks across different sections

Mixed Content Layouts When combining different types of blocks (text, images, tables):

• Use alignment guides to create intentional relationships between elements
• Align text blocks with image edges for cohesive layouts
• Position tables so they align with your text margins

Working Efficiently with Alignment

Quick Layout Adjustments Auto-alignment makes it easy to experiment with different arrangements:

• Try different positioning options quickly by following the guide suggestions
• Move blocks around confidently, knowing they'll snap into clean alignment
• Make layout changes without worrying about throwing off your entire design

Building Complex Layouts For more sophisticated document designs:

• Start with your largest elements and align smaller pieces to them
• Use the bounding box visibility to understand how elements relate spatially
• Create hierarchical layouts by aligning related content blocks

Getting the Most from Auto-Alignment

Trust the Guides The alignment system is designed to help you create professional layouts:

• When you see an alignment line, it's usually worth following
• The guides appear based on design principles that create visual harmony
• Following the suggestions typically results in cleaner, more organized documents

Combine with Other Tools Auto-alignment works seamlessly with other Proposify features:

• Use it alongside the spacing controls in content block settings
• Combine with section organization for comprehensive document structure
• Leverage alignment when placing blocks from your content library

Ready to create perfectly aligned, professional-looking documents? Start by selecting any content block and dragging it around—you'll immediately see how the alignment guides can help you achieve that polished, intentional look that makes your documents stand out.

The best part? Once you get comfortable with auto-alignment, you'll find yourself creating better-looking documents faster than ever before. No more squinting at your screen trying to determine if things line up properly—the visual guides handle all that precision for you!

Need Help? Our support team is available through in-app chat to help you master alignment techniques or troubleshoot any positioning questions you might have.