Layer, group and lock objects in Pages on Mac
You can work with and arrange the objects on a page in a number of ways:
Layer (or stack) objects to create the appearance of depth
Group objects to more easily move, resize or rotate them as a single unit
Lock objects to avoid inadvertently moving, modifying or deleting them
Layer objects
If you want to layer objects behind body text, you need to add a background object to the page, then position it behind the text.
Drag an object so it overlaps with one or more other objects.
In the Format
sidebar, click the Arrange tab.With the object selected, do one of the following:
Move an object one increment at a time: Click Forward or Backward.
Move an object to the very top or bottom of the stack: Click Front or Back.
You can select multiple objects to layer them all at once.
Tip: You can open the Arrange controls in a separate window that you can move anywhere. Select View > Show Arrange Tools (from the View menu at the top of your screen, not from the View menu in the toolbar). You can also add buttons to the toolbar for Forward, Backward, Front and Back.
Group or un-group objects
Group objects: Select multiple objects, then Control-click one of the objects and choose Group from the shortcut menu.
Un-group objects: Control-click the group, then choose Ungroup from the shortcut menu.
Tip: You can add buttons to the toolbar for grouping and un-grouping objects.
Lock or unlock objects
When an object is locked, you can’t move, delete or modify it in any way until you unlock it.
Click an object to select it or select multiple objects.
Do either of the following:
Lock: Choose Arrange > Lock (from the Arrange menu at the top of your screen).
Unlock: Choose Arrange > Unlock.
Alternatively, select one or more objects. In the Format sidebar, click the Arrange tab, then click Lock or Unlock (near the bottom of the sidebar).
Tip: You can add buttons to the toolbar for locking and unlocking objects.
If you can’t select an object, it may be a master object placed on the page background. To edit it, you first need to make it selectable (choose Arrange > Section Masters > Make Master Objects Selectable).