Managing links and embedded graphics

When you Place a graphic, its original file is not actually copied into a document. Instead, InDesign adds a screen-resolution version of the file to the layout, so that you can view and position the graphic, and creates a link, or file path, to the original file on disk. When you export or print, InDesign uses the links to retrieve the original graphics, creating the final output from the full resolution of the originals.

Links can help minimize the size of a document by storing graphics outside the document file. After placing a graphic, you can use it many times without significantly increasing the size of the document; you can also update all links at once.

If the bitmap image you place is 48K or smaller, InDesign automatically embeds the full-resolution image, instead of the screen-resolution version in your layout. InDesign displays these images in the Links panel, so that you can control versions and update the file whenever you like; however, the link is not necessary for optimal output.

Note: If you move a document to another folder or disk (for example, if you take it to a service provider), be sure you also move the linked graphics files; they are not stored inside the document. You can copy all related files automatically, using the Preflight and Package features. (See Adobe InDesign Help: Performing a preflight check, and Packaging files for handoff.)

Links panel overview

All files placed in a document are listed in the Links panel. This includes both local (on disk) files and assets that are managed on a server. However, files that are pasted from a website in Internet Explorer do not display in this panel.

Links panel

A. Linked graphic file name B. Page containing linked graphic C. Embedded-link icon D. Modified-link icon E. Image from linked .indd file F. Missing-link icon G. Layer Visibility Override icon H. Adobe Stock Photos Comp icon I. Relink button J. Go To Link button K. Update Link button L. Edit Original button

A linked file can appear in the Links panel in any of the following ways:

Up-to-date An up-to-date file displays only the file’s name and its page in the document.
Modified This icon means that the version of the file on disk is more recent than the version in your document. For example, this icon will appear if you import a Photoshop graphic into InDesign, and then another artist edits and saves the original graphic in Photoshop.

Missing The graphic is no longer in the location from which it was imported, although it may still exist somewhere. This can happen if someone moves the original file to a different folder or server after it’s been imported into an InDesign document. You can’t know whether a missing file is up to date until its original is located. If you print or export a document when this icon is displayed, the file may not print or export at full resolution.

Embedded Embedding the contents of a linked file suspends management operations for that link. If the selected link is currently in an “edit in place” operation, this option is not enabled. Unembedding the file restores management operations to the link.

Use the Links panel

• To display the Links panel, Choose Window > Links. Each linked file and automatically embedded file is identified by name.
• To select and view a linked graphic, select a link in the Links panel and then click the Go To Link button , or choose Go To Link in the Links panel menu. InDesign centers the display around the selected graphic.
• To sort links in the panel, choose Sort By Status, Sort By Name, Sort By Page, or Sort By Type in the Links panel menu or the context menu.

Placing a graphic

The Place command is used most often, and it's the recommended way to import a graphic. You can also import a graphic from your desktop, or from any removable media, by using drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste. The drag-and-drop method works like the Place command, with images appearing in the Links panel after they're imported; however, you cannot set import options for the files you drag and drop. (See InDesign Help: Alternate methods for importing graphics.)
Note: If you place or drag and drop a graphic from a removable medium, such as a CD-ROM, the link will break when you remove that medium from your system.

To import a graphic by placing it:

1. Do one of the following:

1. To import a graphic without first creating a frame, make sure that nothing in the document is selected.
2. To import a graphic into an existing frame, select the frame.
3. To replace an existing image, select the graphics frame.

2. Choose File > Place and select a graphics file.
3. If you want to view the graphics file before importing, select Preview.
4. If you want to replace the selected object, select Replace Selected Item.
5. If you want to set format-specific import options, do one of the following:

1. Select Show Import Options to see format-specific settings, and then click Open (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS).
2. Hold down Shift as you click Open/Choose or Shift-double-click a filename.

6. If another dialog box appears, select your import options, and click OK. (See IndDesign Help: Understanding graphics formats and their options.)
7. Do one of the following:

1. To import into a new frame, click the loaded graphics icon in the layout at the place where you want the upper left corner of the graphic to appear.
2. To import into an existing unselected frame, click the loaded graphics icon anywhere in that frame.
3. To import into an existing selected frame, you don't need to do anything; the image automatically appears in that frame.

If you accidently replace an existing graphic with an image you're placing, you can undo the placement by pressing Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac OS) to return the original image to the frame, and display the loaded graphics icon.

Alternate methods for importing graphics

The Place command is the primary method of importing, because it provides the highest level of support for resolution, file formats, and color, via the impaort options included with most file types. If you're creating a document where those characteristics aren't critical, you can copy and paste or drag-and-drop to import graphics into InDesign. When you use these methods to transfer a graphic into an InDesign document, some attributes of the original object may be lost, depending on the limitations of the operating system and the range of data types the other application makes available for transfer.

Copying and pasting or dragging and dropping between two InDesign documents, or within a single document, preserves all of the graphics attributes that were imported or applied. For example, if you copy a graphic from one InDesign document and paste it into another, the new copy will be an exact duplicate of the original, even including the original's link information, so that you can update graphic when the file on disk changes. (See Managing links and embedded graphics in Adobe InDesign Help.)

When copying and pasting a graphic from another document into an InDesign document, InDesign does not create a link to the graphic in the Links panel. The graphic may be converted by the system clipboard during the transfer, so both image quality and print quality may be lower in InDesign than in the graphic's original application.

Adapted from Adobe InDesign Help