When working on images in InDesign using Smart Connection, you can:
- Turn a local or embedded image into an Enterprise image
- Place images
- Place images using the Content Placer Tool
- Edit images
- Replace an image by a file in a different format
- Update images on the layout
- Add an image to an article
- Work with planned images
Note: It is assumed here that the Smart Image functionality (for automatically adding frames holding a caption and credit information) is not enabled. For more information about using Smart Image, see Using Smart Image.
Turning a local or embedded image into an Enterprise image
It is very important that each image that is used on a layout is stored in Enterprise. This makes sure that other users can see it in its highest resolution, that they can edit it and that the original image is available once the time has come to publish the layout. An image that is stored locally or is embedded in the layout therefore needs to be turned into an image that is stored in Studio Server.
Step 1. Select the frame that holds the image.
Note: The selected frame should not be linked content (linked by using the Content Placer Tool).
Step 2. Do one of the following:
- From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Create Image...
- Right-click the frame and choose Create Image...
The Create Image dialog box appears.
Step 3. In the Name box, enter a descriptive name.
Note: See also Using duplicate file names in Enterprise 10. and Invalid file name characters in Enterprise.
The Brand, Issue, and Category options are inherited from the layout on which the image is placed; the assigned Editions are inherited from the Editions panel. The Brand and Category options are displayed but cannot be changed; the Issue and Editions options are not displayed.
Step 4. From the Status list, choose the Workflow status that the image should have.
Step 5. Choose one of the following options from the Dossier list:
- Choose the blank option to not add the image to a Dossier.
- Choose New Dossier to create a Dossier with the same name as the image and automatically add the image to the Dossier.
- Choose an existing Dossier to add the image to it.
Step 6. Click OK.
The image is added to Enterprise, as indicated by the chain icon that appears in the top left corner of the frame:
Figure: A chain icon in the top left corner of a frame indicates that the frame holds an image that is stored in Enterprise.
Placing images
Images can be placed one-by-one or in groups and can be placed as a new frame or in existing frames.
Placing a single image by creating a new frame
Use one of the following methods:
Method #1: dragging
Drag the image onto the layout from one of the following locations:
- The Smart Connection panel
- The Dossier panel
- Studio
A new frame is automatically created.
Method #2: using the place gun
Note: When using this method, make sure that no frames are selected on the layout otherwise the content of the frame will be replaced by the image.
In the Smart Connection panel or the Dossier panel, do one of the following:
- Double-click the image.
- Right-click the image and choose 'Place'.
The image is loaded into the place cursor (also known as the place gun). You can now place the image by drawing a new frame on the layout or by clicking anywhere on the layout.
Replacing an image in an existing frame
Step 1. (Optional, only when the image is in a frame that is part of an article that is checked-in.) Check-out the article in which the image is to be replaced.
Step 2. Select the frame that holds the image that you want to replace.
Step 3. Use one of the following methods:
- Drag the image onto the frame from one of the following locations:
- The Smart Connection panel
- The Dossier panel
- Studio
- Double-click the image in the Smart Connection panel or the Dossier panel.
- Right-click the image in the Smart Connection panel or the Dossier panel and choose Place.
Troubleshooting
The image is loaded into the place cursor and not in the frame, or the image is placed in a new frame.
This happens when:
- The frame that you are targeting is checked-in and therefore locked for editing. Check-out the frame first.
- Multiple frames were selected.
Placing the image as an inline image in an article
Step 1. Check-out the article in which the image is to be placed.
Step 2. Do one of the following:
- Place the cursor at the location in the article where the image needs to be placed.
- Select some text that needs to be replaced by the image.
Step 3. Use one of the following methods:
- Double-click the image in the Smart Connection panel or the Dossier panel.
- Right-click the image in the Smart Connection panel or the Dossier panel and choose Place.
Troubleshooting
The image is loaded into the place cursor and not in the frame, or the image is placed in a new frame.
This happens when:
- The frame that you are targeting is checked-in and therefore locked for editing. Check-out the frame first.
- The image that you are placing is a Planned Image.
Placing multiple images
Multiple images can be placed by loading them into the so-called 'place cursor' of InDesign (also known as the 'place gun').
Once loaded, you can place each image one-by-one or in groups until no more images are available in the place cursor.
Note: For more information about placing multiple images using the InDesign place cursor, see Adobe InDesign Help Placing multiple graphics.
Step 1. Make sure that no frames are selected on the layout.
Step 2. Select multiple images in one of the following locations:
- The Smart Connection panel
- The Dossier panel
- Studio
Step 3. Do one of the following:
- Drag the selected images onto the layout.
- Double-click one of the selected images in the Smart Connection panel or the Dossier panel.
- Right-click one of the selected images in the Smart Connection panel or the Dossier panel and choose Place.
The images are loaded into the place cursor.
Step 4. Place each image on the layout by doing one of the following:
- Click anywhere on the layout to place the image in its full width and height.
- Draw a frame to place the image in it.
- Click on an existing frame to place the image in that frame.
Note: It is also possible to place a multi-component InCopy article into multiple frames together with an image. For more information, see Placing a multi-component article in multiple frames using Smart Connection 9 for InDesign.
Placing images using the Content Placer tool
Placed images that are stored in Enterprise can be collected by using InDesign's Content Collector tool and subsequently placed using the Content Placer tool.
Note: For more information about these tools, see Adobe InDesign Help Linked Content.
When making use of the Content Placer tool to place Enterprise images, take note of the following;
- When the Create Link option is used, one of the following occurs:
- The image is placed as a database image (stored in Enterprise).
- When the image is an inline image in an article, the image is placed as a database image (stored in Enterprise). However, the image is not part of the article.
- When the Create Link option is not used, the behavior is the same as double-clicking the image in the Smart Connection panel.
Editing images
A placed image can be opened for editing, modified and saved back to Enterprise.
For information about how to do this, see Opening placed database images for editing using Smart Connection
Replacing an image by a file in a different format
It is very common that a placed database image (stored in Enterprise) needs to be edited at various times during the production process. While editing the image, you might decide to save the file in a different format. You can then replace the original file by the file in the new format.
For information about how to do this, see Replacing a database image for a file in a different format using Smart Connection 9
Updating images on the layout
When opening a layout, the latest versions of any placed images are loaded and displayed.
Note: In Smart Connection 13.0.2 for Adobe CC 2018, or any other higher version of Smart Connection 13, the system can also be configured to not update images when the layout is opened. This makes it possible to verify each change, manually update each image and make adjustments when needed.
Tip: How to check the version of Smart Connection that is installed.
If during the time you are working on the layout another user edits an image, Smart Connection notifies you of this fact and you will be able to update the display of the image on your layout with this latest version.
You can tell if a newer version of an image is available in the following ways:
- By the yellow icon on the frame (requires Smart Connection version 13.0.2 or higher (for Adobe CC 2018) or any higher version of Smart Connection).
- By the yellow icon in the Links panel.
- By the Update icon that is displayed for the file in the Elements panel.
To update an image, do one of the following:
- Select a frame and click the yellow icon (requires Smart Connection version 14.0.0 or higher (for Adobe CC 2019) or any higher version of Smart Connection).
- Use the tools in the Links panel.
- In the Elements panel, select the image marked with the update icon and do one of the following:
- Click the Update icon.
- Right-click the image and choose Update Content.
- From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Update Content.
- From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Save Version or Smart Connection > Check In... .
Note: In Smart Connection 14(for Adobe CC 2019) or higher, this only updates an image when it is placed multiple times on the layout, the image is subsequently changed and one of its instances is updated by clicking the yellow icon. In this scenario, all instances of the placed image are updated when the layout is saved. When the image is changed and non of the instances are updated, all instances keep their outdated status when the layout is saved.
Adding an image to an article
When an article is created it consists of one or more components such as a 'head', 'intro' and 'body' component.
There may come a time when you want to add additional components to the article, such as a frame containing an image.
For information about how to do this, see Adding text or image frames to an existing article in Smart Connection 9.
Working with Planned images
A Planned Image is a graphics frame that does not yet contain an image, but is stored in Enterprise as a regular image. As the name implies, it is used as a frame in which an image is planned to be placed at a later stage, for example by an InCopy user.
Example: Use Planned images to let InCopy users place images into the frames.
Creating a Planned Image
Step 1. Select the empty graphics frame.
Note: The selected frame should not be linked content (linked by using the Content Placer Tool).
Step 2. Do one of the following:
- From the menu, choose Smart Connection > Create Image...
- Right-click the frame and choose Create Image...
The Create Image dialog box appears.
Step 3. In the Name box, enter a descriptive name.
Note: See also Using duplicate file names in Enterprise 10. and Invalid file name characters in Enterprise.
The Brand, Issue, and Category options are inherited from the layout on which the image is placed; the assigned Editions are inherited from the Editions panel. The Brand and Category options are displayed but cannot be changed; the Issue and Editions options are not displayed.
Step 4. From the Status list, choose the Workflow status that the image should have.
Step 5. Choose one of the following options from the Dossier list:
- Choose the blank option to not add the image to a Dossier.
- Choose New Dossier to create a Dossier with the same name as the image and automatically add the image to the Dossier.
- Choose an existing Dossier to add the image to it.
Step 6. Click OK.
The frame is turned into an image and added to Enterprise. The frame on the layout appears with a horizontal and vertical line through it as an indication that this is a Planned Image object.
Assigning an image to a Planned Image
Step 1. Select the Planned Image frame on the layout.
Step 2. Use one of the following methods:
- Select an image in the Smart Connection panel or Dossier panel and double-click it.
- Right-click an image in the Smart Connection panel or Dossier panel and choose Place File.
- Select an image in the Smart Connection panel, Dossier panel or Studio and drag it onto the Planned Image frame.
- Choose File > Place, browse to a local file and click Open. The Check In dialog box appears to turn the Planned Image into a regular image.
The Planned Image is turned into a regular image, as indicated by the chain icon that appears in the top left corner of the frame:
Figure: A chain icon in the top left corner of a frame indicates that the frame holds an image that is stored in Enterprise.
Note: When replacing the planned image by an existing image from Enterprise, the planned image is removed from Enterprise after saving the layout.
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