InDesign Tutorials
How to use the baseline grid
For this tutorial, I have set up a new document and given it three columns.
1. Using the 
Type Tool, create a random size text frame in each column like shown.
2. Use the Selection Tool to thread (link) the frames together. Click on the out port of the first frame and then click inside the second frame. Now click on the out port of the second frame and then click inside the third frame. They should all now be threaded together.
To reveal the threads choose ‘View/Extras/Show Text Threads’.
3. Fill the frames with ‘Placeholder Text’. Double click inside the first frame and choose ‘Type/Fill With Placeholder Text’
4. Turn on the Baseline Grid. Choose ‘View/Grids & Guides/Show Baseline Grid’.
If you can’t see the grid after turning it on then you need to adjust the View Threshold in the application preferences. Choose Preferences, on the Mac this can be found under the application name, on Windows it is listed under the Edit menu.
5. Under preferences select ‘Grids’. Firstly change the View Threshold to less than your current zoom level, (select ‘View/Fit Page in Window’ first). Change the ‘Increment Every’ to 14pt. It is crucial to match the increment setting to the Leading, (line spacing). Just click ‘OK’ when you are done.
NB. there is no preview in preferences panel!
Note how the text is not horizontally aligned through all three frames. So let’s fix that problem.
6. Select all your text.
7. In the ‘Control Panel’ change the Font size to 12pt and change the ‘Leading’ to 14pt to match the Baseline Grid.
We need to tell the text to sit on the baseline or it will just ignore it.
8. Under the Paragraph Formatting Controls of the ‘Control Panel’ select the Align to baseline grid option.
Note how all the text is now aligned. Try moving a frame up and down, the text will adjust automatically to stay aligned.
Your text is now aligned to the baseline grid.