Adobe InDesign CS5 - Manual (Page 408)

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Last updated 11/16/2011
Chapter 13: Frames and objects
Selecting objects
Overview of selection methods
InDesign provides the following selection methods and tools:
Selection tool Allows you to select text and graphics frames, and work with an object using its bounding box. If you
click the content grabber (the donut) that appears when you hold the mouse pointer over an image, you can
manipulate the image within the frame without switching to the Direct Selection tool.
Content grabber
Direct Selection tool Allows you to select the contents of a frame, such as a placed graphic, or work directly with
editable objects, such as paths, rectangles, or type that has been converted to a text outline.
Type tool Allows you to select text in a text frame, on a path, or in a table.
Select submenu Allows you to select an object’s container (or frame) and its contents. The Select submenu also lets
you select objects based on their position relative to other objects. To view the Select submenu, choose Object > Select.
You can also right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac
OS) an object to display its context menu, and then choose
Select.
Select buttons on the Control panel Lets you the select the content using the Select Content button or the container
using the Select Container button . You can also use the Select Next Object or Select Previous Object to select the
next or previous objects in a group or on a spread.
Select All and Deselect All commands Allow you to select or deselect all objects on the spread and pasteboard,
depending on which tool is active and what is already selected. Choose Edit > Select All or Edit > Deselect All.
Double-click an object to switch between the selecting the frame and the object. Double-click a text frame to place the
insertion point and switch to the Type tool.
More Help topics
“ Keys for selecting and moving objects ” on page 693
Select objects
An object is any printable element on a page or on the pasteboard, such as a path or an imported graphic. A frame or
path is a shape you draw or a container for text or graphics. A bounding box is a rectangle with eight selection handles
that represents an object’s vertical and horizontal dimensions. Before you can modify an object, you must select it using
a selection tool.