When you are wanting to place images in InDesign, it's good to know that the Frame tool and the plain Rectangle tool can both accept images. Any closed shape, for that matter, can accept images as content, as long as the line is closed. You can also place multiple files all at once if by Shift-clicking, or Command-clicking/Control-clicking. Doing this only allows you to place from one folder at a time. You also do not even have to have a frame created to place an image into it. You can simply just File>Place and click and the image will be created inside its own image box.
There are several methods besides File>Place that you can use to put an image into your document. In one method, you can drag directly from a folder. You will still get correct links as though you placed the images. Another method involves Adobe Bridge. Select your files in Bridge from the correct folder and drag them onto your InDesign document.
You should not use drag and drop for everything. Dragging large images into InDesign adds its entire size to the document.
The Links panel in InDesign allows you to see what images are up to date, what images the program can't find and what images are modified. If InDesign contains graphics that have been moved or renamed, and the program can't find them, then a red stop sign symbol will appear next to the link. If a graphic has been modified and resaved with the same name, a yellow triangle will appear. When you try to open a file in InDesign with missing or modified links, an alert will appear that will give the option of updating those links (or to not.) To find a missing graphic when the file is open, select the link in the Links panel, and choose Relink. If you update missing links that have other files that are missing in the program, CS4 knows to update those as well. Updating modified links in CS4 is easy. Simply click Update Link after selecting the link name.
To transform graphics, there are several ways. Those ways include the Selection tool, the Scale tool, or the Free Transform tool. You can select frames with the Selection tool. You can also modify sizes using the X/Y scale fields. You can scale in proportion by Command/Control+Shift and dragging a corner of a graphic.
InDesign and Illustrator are able to create drop shadows that are able to interact correctly with other items in an InDesign file. You may want to create a more custom shadow than what Photoshop is able to do. If you want to create the illusion of the shadow falling on another object or surface, you have to paint the shadow yourself and apply the Multiply mode to the shadow. The problem with applying the blending mode is that it is not accepted in InDesign. To solve this problem, you have to use the Object Layer Options with allows you to still apply realistic effects with shadows. You can apply several layers of the same thing on top of each other with this feature, allowing you to create the look you desire for you file.
Swatches allow you to save colors that you want to use repeatedly. You can save colors from the Colors panel to the Swatches panel. One way is to select the Swatches panel menu, choose Add Unnamed Colors and InDesign finds all of the colors used and adds them to the panel.
The main purpose of the ink manager is to fix any spot-color errors by remapping colors out of place to their correct links. You can launch the Ink Manager by the Separations Preview panel menu, the Swatches panel menu, in the Print dialog under "Output", or in the Export dialogs for both EPS and Adobe PDF. To use the Ink Manager to remap, first select the spot color you want to remap. Then choose the correct Ink Alias, and it's as easy as that. You can also convert all spot colors to process with the click of the All Spots to Process check box. If you are sending native InDesign files to your print service provider, it's a good idea to let them know that you have already rectified the spot-color problems with Ink Manager.
PDFs start out outside of Acrobat, though some PDFs are created from scanning in documents, an existing image or a Web page. Most PDFs come from InDesign or Illustrator. Although Adobe Systems created the PDF concept, anyone can write software that deals with or creates PDFs.
If you wish to retain layer, live transparency or interactivity, you must export your PDFs rather than use Distiller. Some print providers and publication companies may insist that you use Distiller, but that is not always the way to go. Exporting is much faster and easier than using Distiller. If you are being asked to use Distiller, find out why.
Lastly, Chapter 12 talks about editing PDF files. Editing in Acrobat is limited, on purpose. Your PDFs need to be finished files when they are converted to PDF. If you must edit, Acrobat offers the TouchUp Text tool, the TouchUp Object tool and the TouchUp Reading Order tool. The text tool selects and edits text. The object tool allows you to select and edit objects in their native programs. The Reading Order tool allows you to make your files more accessible to the visually-impaired.
Sources:
McCue, Claudia. Real World Print Production with Adobe Creative Suite Applications. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit, 2009. Print.
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