A guide is configured in an authoring program to aid the user in editing objects on a document. The guide can be a horizontally or vertically oriented guide line and can be created from a single ruler, either a vertical or horizontal ruler displayed on the workspace. To create a horizontal guide, the user can position the cursor on a horizontal ruler. The user can click-and-hold and drag the cursor to create and position a horizontal guide over the workspace. To create a vertical guide, the user can position the cursor in the horizontal ruler and click and release. The user can create both vertical and horizontal guides using the vertical ruler in a corresponding manner, where clicking on the vertical ruler creates a horizontal guide, and click-and-hold and dragging creates a vertical guide. Guides can be individually configured or altered in their visual characteristics.