being a graphic design professional ;), you might get in the situation that you want to insert one or more images inside text (editable and non-vectorized) using indesign.

so you try to convert the text to outlines and place the image inside the resulting frame.
but hei!
even though InDesign can do incredible things with text and images, at first sight it won’t do that… ouch!

in fact, it’s been possible since indesign 2! ha!
all you need are some basic understanding of blending modes and 3 simple indesign steps:

1. choose a bold or black typeface so that the image will be visible through it.

2. go to: fill text - swaches - paper; then type - create outline. and it will look like this:

3. insert the image inside text or simply drag and drop the image you want over the selected text:

isn’t it a child play!? try it! tell me how it feels! comment below!

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imagine this:
you’re sending a product (or a service) presentation to a client. and you want to send it pdf so it cannot be editable.

wouldn’t it be nice to include a short movie presenting the feature of the product?
or the benefits of the service?

yes it would! and here’s how you can insert movies into pdf presentations using indesign:

1. create the layout as you like it
2. define where the movie will be framed
3. select object > interactive > movie options…

.

4. just insert a new object (movie) from hard drive or from any url (isn’t that just cool?)

5. note that indesign can’t play these movies by itself. you’ll see action only after you export the file as a pdf file and open it in acrobat reader. and, as far as i can tell, acrobat’s movie-playing ability is based on quicktime. so if your audience doesn’t have quicktime installed or you want to use a movie format that quicktime doesn’t understand, you’re probably out of luck.

great indesign feature though, isn’t it?

i’m closing now the teahouse tutorial series.

.
until now, i’ve wrote you what are the sources for the pictures i use.

and i’ve showed you how you can create a path that you can use to cut object from their background.

i will now show you exactly this: what should you do to use this path in order to create new background for objects, and/or to edit and modify objects using photoshop.

keep in mind that this is the 2nd part of the tutorial. the first part is here.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkRClMmPlJc[/video]

are you in a hurry?
do you want to use some of those images you have processed as thumbnails? in a website maybe?

well… there’s a 3 min solution for that.

1. use the “ready made” automation in photoshop for making a web photo gallery

2. choose one of the albums from the style list on top of the options page

- choose the the folder for the source of the pictures
- create destination a folder and choose it choose
- chose the thumbnails option from the drop down list and then select a size, small, medium or big
- hit ok…and wait….

3. when all the thumbnails are done photoshop will open a html page with the web album that you created.
you don’t actually need that. close it and go to the destination folder that you’ve chosen. you can delete everything but the thumbnails folder.
in the thumbnails folder you can also delete any image but images named “back”, “next”, “up”, “down”.

in the next post i’ll tell you how i’ve used thumbnails to create a preloader for external images in a flash website.

this is a very usefull tool to use in situations when you have to create (by tomorow!!) … lets say customized print envelopes for 500 subscribers with different names and…. different adresses

you have created a template design… and now… what do you do?! off course… you aren’t going to make it in time if it were to create every customized envelope one by one…

soooo just use…. data merge in indesign. here’s how:

1. how can i find data merge in indesign?

2. u need a text document (.txt format) with all the names and adresses. each pair of information (name, adress, phone number… etc) placed on a single row. separate all information within a row by “tab”. also keep the header of the “table” as you will need it later.

3. assign the data to areas in your layout. like this:

4. now go to data merge window (see step 1) select data source and browse to your .txt source document.

5. now drag the T field name into your box calles name. it will appeat like this: <<name>>. do the same with the adress, and all the other fields you need to merge:

6. click on the preview mode. your first envelope will appear on your doc.

7. click merge to create all envelopes for the lines in the txt file:

8. an options window will appear with merging options.just select your prefferences:

9. at this point u have as many pages as number of names and adresses… like this:

isn’t that cool? isn’t that simple?

i have given u the examples for creating an envelope. but think about adding calendar dates on several pages…. or any kind of increasing numbers on a brochure….

so… use it… and have fun. if u need more help, just buuuzzzz meee

here’s an addon for this post: find indesign scripts

If you are making a web site most probably you will find yourself in the position to resize lots of images…if time is short or if you just want to finish working and go playing use actions.
So at the begining you want to put all the images that you want to resize in two folders - one vertical and one horizontal (i mean portrait - v and landscape - h)

Part one - make the action

1. create a destination folder…like “done” on the desktop
2. go to photoshop and in the actions panel choose create new set (give it a name)
3. open an image (from the source folder) …or any image, it only has to be the same orientation (portrait or landscape), as the images you want to use the action on
4. return to the actions panel and push the create a new actions button
- a new window will appear with these options…

- name the action (if you are resizing the horizontal images name it like… h 450×600)
- choose a source set…if you created a new set choose that one.
- function key - it’s a shortcut for apply the action, like ctrl+v is paste (it’s good to have a function key if you have to resize several small number of images. for a large number edited all at once you will not need it)
- color - to see the action quicker on the panel use a color to highlight it
- push the record button and you can start making the first action

5. resize the image. the image is opened so rezise it using the image size and canvas size. do dot use the crop tool because you can’t tell the action where to begin and where to end.

be sure you first resize the largest size of an image in image/image size, and then go to image/canvas size and set the low size

6.save - save for web png or jpeg as you wish in the folder “done” that you’ve created earlier

7.close without saving - if it asks you if you want to save, push NO

Part two - use the action

now you can begin using the action for a batch of images
in photoshop go to file/automate/batch

- choose the set, the action, the source folder
- for the destination folder choose “none” - the action will save the images on the “done” folder
- take the images from the folder and you have finished.

the steps for creating the teahouse are quite obviouse: getting the pictures, processing the image and preparing the ad for print.

i’m gonna share with you my most usual sources for pictures (royalty free or paid):
1. the hungarian picture stock (most of them free)
2. an all free picture collection
and off course:
3. getty’s cool pictures

you shouldn’t though neglect the possibility to make your own pitcures. this way you would get a more customized-for-client ad. … off course this could also be more time consuming and more expensive…

luckylli, my search only lasted 30 minutes but it could have easilly lasted 2-3h to 1 entire day.
anyway, i decided to use this picture for the teahouse ad:

in 2 next posts i made a 2 part tutorial for:

how to cut objects from their background part 1 (how to create a path for selection).

how to cut objects from their background part 2 (how to use selection).