How do I place graphics and digital images in Adobe ® InDesign®?

Graphics for your pages can be created in graphic programs such as Adobe® Photoshop® and Adobe® Illustrator®. Graphics for black and white pages should be saved as black and white or grayscale images and graphics for four-color pages should be saved as CMYK images. Digital photos, if you are not using Image In, should be saved as grayscale TIFFs for black and white pages, and as RGB TIFFs for four-color pages. Using the right format will give you the best reproduction in your book.

Consult your Herff Jones Sales Representative or the Technical Support Adviser in your plant if you have further questions about the different graphic formats. For information on preparing digital images, check out these FAQs: Can I use my digital camera photos right from the camera?, How do I adjust my photo in Adobe® Photoshop®?, How do I scan a photo?, How do I sharpen a digital/scanned photo? or consult the Technology manual in Your Kit.

File types

• InDesign supports these graphic formats:
  • EPS,
  • TIFF,
  • Photoshop (.PSD),
    • Photoshop layers and layer masks are automatically flattened when the file is placed in InDesign. The file is only changed inside InDesign, but the original Photoshop file is not changed.
  • Illustrator (.AI) files.
    • Transparency in Illustrator files is preserved.
• InDesign does support other graphic formats but they are not suitable for yearbook production.

Placing graphics and digital images

• Copy all graphics to your hard drive.
• Place a graphic on the page by going to File > Place.
• Graphics can be placed without first creating a frame, placed into existing frames or replace an existing graphic.
• Place without a frame
  • Make sure nothing in the document is selected.
  • Select File > Place.
  • Scroll to the directory/folder containing the graphic.
  • Double click on the graphic name.
  • Click the loaded graphic icon  on the layout where you want the upper left hand corner to appear.
  • Position the graphic with the Selection tool.
• Place within existing frame
  • Create a frame with the Frame tool.
  • Select File > Place.
  • Scroll to the directory/folder containing the graphic.
  • Double click on the graphic name.
  • If the frame was selected before placing, the graphic will appear in the frame.
  • If the frame was not selected, click the loaded graphic icon inside the frame.
• Replace existing graphic
  • Select a graphic in a frame with the Selection tool.
  • Select File > Place.
  • Scroll to the directory/folder containing the graphic.
  • Double click on the graphic name.
  • The graphic will replace the previous graphic in the frame.
• If the graphic appears in the wrong frame, press Ctrl + Z in Windows, or Command + Z on a Mac and the original graphic will return to the frame.
• After a graphic is placed, it will appear in the Links palette.

Note:

• If the graphic cannot be saved in one of the above graphic formats, do not use it.
  • Word processing clip art is an example of a graphic type that cannot be saved in EPS or TIFF format.
• If a graphic cannot be saved, it cannot be placed on a page.
• Do not copy and paste graphics onto a page because they will not output correctly, if they output at all.
• If a graphic has to be used, it cannot be saved and the only way to get it on the page is to copy and paste it, follow these steps:
  • Print the graphic out in the size you want it to appear on the page.
  • Tag it with a picture sticker like you would any clip art.
  • Draw a photo block on the page for the graphic and label it with the same ID as the picture sticker.
  • Submit the art with your pages.