Managing Placed ImagesWhether the images that you place in a file are linked or embedded, it's important to be able to track where those images came from and to access additional information about the images themselves. To manage all of the placed images in your document, choose Window > Links to open the Links palette.By default, the Links palette lists all of the images in your document. However, from the Links palette menu, you can specify that the Links palette only display missing, modified, or embedded images (Figure 8.7 ). In addition, you can choose to have the Links palette list images sorted by name (filename), kind (file type), or status (up to date, or modified). Figure 8.7. Icons in the Layers palette indicate additional information about the images that are placed in your document. No icon indicates a place-linked file.[View full size image] ![]() Figure 8.8. Double-clicking a listing in the Links palette brings up Link Information, a dialog containing useful information.Appendix C, Application Preferences , for information on the Update Links setting in the File Handling & Clipboard preference panel, which controls whether Illustrator updates modified files automatically or manually. |
Additional Links Palette Functionality
In addition to the functions in the Links palette that we've already discussed, you can take advantage of several other settings through the use of the Links palette, which you'll find listed in the palette menu (Figure 8.9 ).
Figure 8.9. The Links palette menu grants you access to additional features for working with placed images.

Figure 8.10. Each setting in the Placement Options dialog offers an illustration and a description for what it does.

Figure 8.11. With thumbnails turned off, the Links palette in Illustrator looks just like the one in InDesign.

Faster Access to Image Settings with the Control Palette
Although the Links palette offers a single location from which to track information about your placed images, you can also use the Control palette to quickly access certain settings and features that pertain to a selected image. The Control palette displays the file name, the color mode, and the resolution of a selected image. In addition, for linked images, the Control palette offers options to embed or edit the file via the Edit Original feature, which was discussed earlier in the chapter. You can also click the image's file name in the Control palette to access additional features that are found in the Links palette (Figure 8.12 ).
Figure 8.12. Clicking the file name of a linked image in the Control palette offers a shortcut to several often-used functions.

![]() | During the transparency flattening process, Illustrator cannot process linked DCS files, so when using transparency, it is best to avoid using DCS files. Use PSD or EPS files instead. |
Using the Document Info PaletteThe Links palette isn't the only place where you'll find information about place-linked and place-embedded images. You can choose Window > Document Info to open the Document Info palette, which offers information on a lot more than just images. In fact, the Document Info palette can prove quite useful for providing document information on a variety of attributes and settings (Figure 8.13 ). Figure 8.13. The Document Info palette provides detailed information on just about anything you could ask for about your file, including linked images.![]() |