Adobe InDesign CS4 - Manual (Page 386)

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Chapter 13: Frames and objects
Laying out your artwork in Adobe InDesign CS4 is made easy using tools that let you select, stack, and transform
objects precisely. Create complex shapes and appearances by combining or masking 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.
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.
Position tool Allows you to resize an image, move an image within a frame, and move both the frame and the
image to a new location in the document.
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 selection tools. Double-click a text frame to place the insertion point and
switch to the Type tool.
See also
“ Keys for selecting and moving objects ” on page 680
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.
For a video on selecting objects, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0070 .
There are two ways to select an object in InDesign:
Updated 18 June 2009