InDesign for QuarkXPress Users [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Creating Inline Objects

There are two ways you can create inline objects in InDesign:

• You can use the XPress method: Select the object with the Selection tool and copy it to the Clipboard. Then use the Type tool to click an insertion point where you want the object to be anchored, and use the Paste command under the Edit menu.




• You can click an insertion point with the Type tool and choose Place from the File menu. Select a graphic file, and click Open. (Choosing a text file just inserts the text into the text flow in the original frame.)

We usually find the first method is more practical because you can size your inline object more easily before pasting.

Manipulating an Inline Object

Once an object is inline, it's treated like a character in the text flow, exactly as in XPress. If you want to move an inline object, you can't drag it because it's embedded in the text: You'll need to select it with the Type tool, and then cut and paste it to another position. (The easiest way to select an inline object "character" is to click an insertion point with the Type tool just before or after it, and then press the Left or Right Arrow key while pressing the Shift key.) To delete the object, select iteither click on it with the Selection tool or drag over it with the Type tooland press the Delete key.

You can transform an anchored object in a variety of ways. You can use the Selection tool to drag the handles of a frame to change its size. Unlike XPress, you can extend the boundaries of the inline object past the right edge of the text frame, and you can apply transformations on an inline object with the Scale, Rotate, Shear, or Free Transform tools, or the Transform palette. You can change the object's color or transparency. There are almost no limitations on these kinds of manipulations.

Adjusting Leading and Spacing

The object you paste or place must fit within the height of the text frame, though it can be wider. When you paste or place an object, you will probably have to adjust the space around it within the text. Here are some tips for doing that.

• If you want the object to sit between paragraphs of text, place it in a paragraph of its own. Select the object as we describe above, and set the leading to Auto on the Character palette Leading menu so the leading can expand, and it won't overlap the previous line. You can also adjust the paragraph Space Above or Space Below values.




• If you want the object to float within a line of text (for example, an icon graphic to be used in a manual), reduce its size with the Selection tool to fit the leading.




• To adjust the position of the inline object vertically, you can drag it up or down with the Selection or Direct Selection tool. However, we prefer to select the object with the Type tool, and adjust its position with Baseline Shift on the Character palette because it's more accurate.




• To adjust the object's position horizontally, place an insertion point before or after the frame and adjust the Kerning value.