Can’t Open a Graphic in InDesign (It’s Grayed Out)
K. wrote:
I want to put a graphic from a folder into my InDesign document. However, InDesign won’t open the graphic! I noticed that the dialog box says “readable files.” When I click on “all files” it does show the thumbnails of all of the images that I have, but when I click on them I get a message that says that the file cannot be opened.
The clue to this mystery is the comment about the “readable files” option and the word “open.” My guess is that you’re trying to use InDesign’s “File > Open” dialog box to get to these images — a very common mistake with beginning InDesign users. However, InDesign cannot open graphics — it can only open InDesign files*. If you want to import an image or a graphic (or a text file), you need to use File > Place.
Alternately, you can drag-and-drop the image/text file from your desktop folder, or Bridge, or (in CS5) the Mini Bridge panel. But you can’t open it. Confusingly, you can also use File > Place to import an InDesign (INDD) document into another InDesign document. But in that case, it is placed as though it were an uneditable graphic on the page.
Of course, in some cases, it’s just that InDesign simply cannot open that kind of image. For example, there are plenty of file formats that InDesign is clueless about, including most CAD drawing formats, 3D formats, and so on. But most programs can export PDF, EPS, TIFF, or some other image file format that InDesign does understand.
Someday perhaps InDesign will be fitted with a “do what I mean, not what I say” feature, so that it would be smart enough to know that if you use file > open and choose an image, it would ask you, “Umm, did you mean to place this? or open it? or what?!”
* Technically, InDesign’s Open dialog box can also open InDesign templates (INDT), InDesign book files (INDB), plus INX, IDML, PageMaker 6 & 7 files, QuarkXPress 3.3 and 4 files, and perhaps others that I’m not remembering right now. If you have the PDF2ID plug-in, you can open/convert PDF files as editable documents; if you have QX2ID or PUB2ID from Markzware, you can open later versions of QuarkXPress or MS Publisher files… and so on.
Nice thread, we have tried in the past PDF2ID for convert word documments fast to indesign, with variable success..
A “Do What I Mean, Not What I Say” user interface feature would transform the software world. Of course, DWIMNWIS it’s not as easy to pronounce as WYSIWYG, so there might be a bit of a marketing problem there. One imagines that the Good Folks at Adobe would probably not choose your suggested dialog text, though. :-D
Actually, I do have this problem with placing jpegs in InDesign. Very specifically, I can’t place or relink to a jpeg that was made by InDesign, although I can drag and drop it into the file, and it shows up correctly. I can place or relink to a jpeg made by Photoshop. I have tried replacing all of the preferences I can find, to no avail. Any suggestions?
David or who ever it is that are responsible for this page. You need to realize that it is a problem with placing a jpeg that was made in indesign. And i don´t think Dolly who earlier askt about this when she tries to open a jpeg. She says clearly place. You see i got the same problem.
If someone knows something about this please respond
@Dolly and @Johan: I’m sorry that you’ve had problems with this. I have heard of this problem, but I have never experienced it. InDesign generally imports JPEGs (any kind… even those it creates itself) just fine. Maybe try different jpeg settings? Rebuild preferences?
this has had me stumped for over a week so thank you for the solution.
Thanks !
We have two people using our Indesign graphic library. The graphics are gray with a red question mark and don’t link. How do we overcome this problem?