Placing image in InDesign

[B***@adobeforums.com]

Hello,

It may be a silly question, but can anyone tell me how to place an image in InDesign so that the original size ratios are kept? It would save me a lot of time if I could do this. At the moment, it appears that I need to make a frame, but there is no apparent way that I can make the frame maintain the original image ratios (or maybe I'm just too silly to see it).

[Dov Isaacs]

Simply place the image without making a frame first. The place operation will create the frame where you indicate with the cursor and it will be the proper aspect ratio.

- Dov

[Dov Isaacs]

I should add that at the time you do place the image, do not have any frame selected!

- Dov

[P***@adobeforums.com]

If you do place into an existing frame, the image should come in at the proper aspect ratio, unless you are replacing an existing image was distorted (the replacement will take on whatever scale factor was in use).

You can then use one of the three fitting commands that maintain the aspect ratio: fit frame to content, fit content to frame proportionally, or fill frame proportionally. Depending on the circumstance, you might want to use the fit or fill proportionally commands followed by the fit frame to content to lock in one dimension of the frame while making it fit the content.

I've found that those commands don't work once the image has been distorted by using the plain "fit content to frame" command, but you can easily restore the aspect ratio by selecting the image withthe direct selection tool, clicking the link symbol next to the scale fields in the control palette to lock the aspect ratio, then adjusting one of the scale fields. After that the fitting commands will work again.

Peter