Resize your text boxes first, then use Pages’ Distribute controls to equalize the gaps. For a specific gap, calculate each box’s position from its size.

For a Mac user arranging a column of notes, labels, or short descriptions, the key decision is whether the gaps only need to match or must retain an exact measurement. Equal spacing within a fixed area and a fixed gap after every resize require different workflows.

Prepare the text boxes before adjusting their gaps

Finish the text and box dimensions before fine-tuning the layout. Otherwise, another resize can change the edge you used to measure the gap.

Select a text box as an object, with selection handles visible. If you’re editing its text and cannot move the box, click outside it, then click the text once to select the box. Check for a clipping indicator: Apple explains that you can drag that indicator or a selection handle until all the text is showing. Resolve clipped text before deciding on final spacing. Add and replace text in Pages on Mac

For precise dimensions, open Format > Arrange and enter Width and Height values. Clear Constrain proportions if you want to change width and height independently. For manual resizing, Apple specifies a top, bottom, or side handle for free resizing and a corner handle for proportional resizing. A locked object must be unlocked before resizing. Resize, rotate, and flip objects in Pages on Mac

Choose placement that suits the document

For a fixed arrangement in a word-processing document, select the box and choose Format > Arrange > Object Placement > Stay on Page. Move with Text instead keeps the object positioned relative to its text anchor. In a page layout document, objects are already anchored to locations on the page. Choose deliberately: a sidebar that should follow a paragraph has a different placement requirement from a fixed column of labels. Place objects with text in Pages on Mac

If a box is inline and you need to arrange it freely, select it and use Move to Page or Stay on Page in Arrange; the button depends on where the object is placed. Apple also notes that inline objects can only be selected and edited one at a time. Place objects with text, Select multiple objects

Equalize gaps with Distribute after resizing

For three or more boxes, use the distribution command once their dimensions are ready:

  1. Select the intended boxes by holding Shift while clicking each one. Avoid including nearby decorations or unrelated boxes. Select multiple objects
  2. Open Format > Arrange.
  3. Use Align > Left for a column, or Align > Top for a row, if appropriate.
  4. Open Distribute and choose Vertically for a column or Horizontally for a row. Evenly distributes along both axes. Apple requires at least three selected objects for distribution. Position and align objects in Pages on Mac

Inspect the full arrangement afterward. For a grid, work through each row or column separately so the selection matches the spacing you intend. Treat distribution as a finishing operation in your editing sequence: after another size change, repeat the spacing check.

Distribution is useful when your requirement is “make these gaps equal.” If the requirement is “leave exactly 0.4 cm between every box,” use the measured method below.

Set an exact gap using box dimensions and positions

For unrotated rectangular boxes, calculate the next position from the preceding box’s size. This also works with two boxes, where distribution’s three-object requirement does not help.

Pages exposes X and Y under Format > Arrange > Position. X measures from the page’s left edge to the object’s upper-left corner; Y measures from the page’s top edge. If these fields are dimmed in a word-processing document, Apple advises selecting Stay on Page. Position and align objects in Pages on Mac

Use one measurement unit throughout your calculation:

  • Vertical column: next Y = previous Y + previous height + desired gap.
  • Horizontal row: next X = previous X + previous width + desired gap.

These are geometric calculations for the space between box edges. They do not measure the distance between the visible letters inside the boxes.

Worked example: keep a 0.4 cm vertical gap

Suppose three text boxes have the following illustrative dimensions. The first starts 2 cm from the page’s top edge, and every gap should be 0.4 cm.

Box Height Y position Calculation
A 2.0 cm 2.0 cm Chosen starting position
B 1.5 cm 4.4 cm 2.0 + 2.0 + 0.4
C 2.8 cm 6.3 cm 4.4 + 1.5 + 0.4

Enter each box’s Y position individually. Use the same X position if the boxes should share a left edge. The boxes can have different heights; each calculation uses the actual height of the box immediately above.

Now suppose box A grows from 2.0 cm to 2.6 cm while its top stays at Y = 2.0 cm. To preserve the 0.4 cm gaps, move B to Y = 5.0 cm and C to Y = 6.9 cm. Recalculate from the first changed box downward. Boxes above that change do not need new positions.

This example reveals the practical tradeoff: preserving the gap makes the column longer. Its bottom moves from 9.1 cm to 9.7 cm. Check that the new bottom still fits your intended page area.

What if the column must fit a fixed height?

A fixed span imposes a different condition. For a vertical column, calculate:

Equal gap = (available height − total box heights) ÷ (number of boxes − 1)

In the original example, the span from the top of A to the bottom of C is 7.1 cm. After A grows, the combined box heights become 6.9 cm. Keeping the same span leaves 0.2 cm for two gaps, so each gap becomes 0.1 cm.

You cannot preserve the original span, the larger boxes, and the original 0.4 cm gaps simultaneously. Choose which requirement can change. If the calculated gap is negative, the boxes cannot fit that span without overlap; increase the available area, reduce their dimensions while keeping the text visible, or revise the arrangement.

Diagnose spacing that still looks uneven

First decide whether you are judging the box edges or the visible text. A short passage in a tall box leaves unused space inside its boundary. That can make equal outside gaps appear unequal. Select the boxes to inspect their boundaries before moving them again. Where the design allows, trim excess box height; Apple documents resizing boxes that are too large for their text. Add and replace text in Pages on Mac

For placement cues while dragging, choose Pages > Settings > Rulers and enable guides at object centers or edges. You can also show rulers and drag persistent guides onto the page to mark a shared edge or layout boundary. Apple describes these guides as positioning aids; use the coordinate calculation when a particular gap measurement matters. Use alignment guides in Pages on Mac

If you cannot move or resize a selected object, check whether it is locked. Choose Arrange > Unlock before making changes. When the layout is finished, Arrange > Lock can prevent accidental modifications. To move the completed set together, select its boxes, Control-click one, and choose Group. Layer, group, and lock objects in Pages on Mac

Use grouping after the individual gaps are correct. A later content edit is a reason to inspect the affected boxes again: confirm that all text is visible, check the new dimensions, then redistribute or recalculate positions according to your chosen spacing rule.

For a repeatable Pages workflow, decide on the gap requirement before arranging the boxes. Finish their sizes, equalize spacing or enter calculated positions, and check the last box against the available page area. That sequence gives each edit a clear next step.

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