Portable network graphics (.png) files, Scitex ct (.sct) files, Placing graphics – Adobe InDesign CS4 User Manual
Page 363: Place (import) graphics
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USING INDESIGN CS4
Graphics
Portable Network Graphics (.png) files
The Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format uses adjustable, lossless compression to display 24-bit photographs or
solid-color images on the World Wide Web and in other online media. PNG was developed as a patent-free alternative
to the GIF file format. It supports transparency in an alpha channel or a designated color. PNG is best used for online
documents, although its color support makes it better for printed documents than GIF. However, color PNG graphics
placed in an InDesign document are RGB bitmap images, so they print only as composites, not on color separations.
Scitex CT (.sct) files
The Scitex Continuous Tone (CT) format is used for high-end image processing on Scitex computers. Scitex CT files
often come from Scitex scanners, which produce high-quality scans for commercial printing. The Scitex CT format
supports CMYK, RGB, and grayscale files, but does not support alpha channels. Contact Scitex to obtain utilities for
transferring files saved in the Scitex CT format to a Scitex system.
Placing graphics
Place (import) graphics
The Place command is the primary method used to insert graphics into InDesign because it provides the highest level
of support for resolution, file formats, multipage PDF and INDD files, and color. To place graphics is also referred to
as import images and insert pictures.
If you’re creating a document in which those characteristics aren’t critical, you can copy and paste to import graphics
InDesign. Pasting, however, embeds a graphic in a document; the link to the original graphic file is broken and doesn’t
appear in the Links panel, and you can’t update the graphic from the original file. However, pasting Illustrator graphics
allows you to edit paths in InDesign. See “
Importing Adobe Illustrator graphics
The options available to you when you place a graphics file depend on the type of graphic. These options appear when
you select Show Import Options in the Place dialog box. If you don’t select Show Import Options, InDesign applies
the default settings or the last settings used in placing a graphics file of that type.
The names of graphics you’ve placed (imported) appear in the Links panel.
Note: If you place or drag a graphic from a removable media, such as a CD-ROM, the link will break when you remove
that media from your system.
.
1 Do one of the following:
•
To import a graphic without first creating a frame, make sure that nothing in the document is selected.
•
To import a graphic into an existing frame, select the frame. If the new image is larger than the frame, you can refit
the frame later by choosing Object > Fitting > [fitting command].
•
To replace an existing image, select its graphics frame.
2 Choose File
> Place and select one or more graphics files of any available format.
If you select multiple files, you can click or drag in the document to place the selected files one at a time. (See “
3 To replace an object you selected, select Replace Selected Item.
4 To set format-specific import options, do one of the following:
•
Select Show Import Options, and then click Open.
Updated 18 June 2009