Transparent text shape - how to do it?

Hello,

I have some text in a colour-filled text box. Behind this is a background image. I want the text to be transparent so that the background image shows through it. I remember seeing how to do this - maybe in InDesign magazine - but it has escaped me now. I think it involves the knockout group' check box in the effects menu.

Can anyone help me get my memory back?!
Transparent text shape - how to do it?
I wasn't aware this could be done in ID. It generally does not support cutouts or knockouts. (Well, not as well as its more graphical kin.)



However, a minute's playing around showed that it works, and pretty much as you've already suggested. I created a red rectangle, laid a text frame atop it with a blue BG, and put some big text in it.



Setting transparency for the text to 0, with Knockout Group selected, let the red BG show through. The trick is that you have to set the Knockout Group checkbox for the object (in this case, my blue-BG text box) as well.
Transparent text shape - how to do it?
Many thanks. I hope my post was useful to you too, then!

I will certainly find a place for this neat trick. I've done this sort of layout, but always as a graphic from Photoshop.