InDesign for QuarkXPress Users [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Creating and Managing Libraries

You create an object library in InDesign as in XPress: choose Library from the New submenu (under the File menu). The library file appears on screen as a small palette (see Figure 25-1).

Adding Objects to a Library

We find the easiest way to add objects to a library is to just to drag them in. Use the Selection tool to select the object or objects, then drag them over the library palette. When you see Add Item cursor (it looks like a hand with a plus sign), release the mouse, and the objects are copied into the library. Alternatively, you can select objects and either click the New Library Item button on the library palette or choose Add Item from the palette menu. You can't drag guides into the library palette, so you'll have to use these other methods. If you want to add all the items on a page, you can dispense with selecting anything and just choose Add All Items on Page from the palette's flyout menu (the objects become a single library item).

InDesign usually displays library items with a little thumbnail. However, if you prefer, you can choose List View from the palette menu to see the item names and an icon which represents the object type.

If you have more than one library palette open, you can copy an item from one to the other by dragging it. Or, if you want to move an item (rather than copying it), hold down the Option/Alt key while dragging.

Note that as in QuarkXPress, when you add a linked picture the library only stores a thumbnail of the graphic; you still have to maintain the separate full-resolution file on disk.

Opening and Closing Libraries

You can open an object library from disk the same way you open any InDesign document (select Open from the File menu, or double-click on the library from the desktop). Similarly, you may close an object library by either clicking the palette's Close box or choosing Close Library from the palette menu. Note that once you have opened a library, InDesign places its name at the bottom of the Window menu, even after you close the library. If you want to reopen it, just reselect it here.

By the way, there is no Save feature with object libraries because they are automatically saved whenever you add items to them or close them.

Using Library Items on a Page

It's easy to use a library item in an InDesign document: Simply drag the item from the palette over your page, and the object or objects will appear. You can also select one or more items in a library and choose Place Item(s) from the palette menu, and they will be added to the currently selected page. Note that Place Item(s) is like Paste in Placeit remembers

where on the page the object was, and puts the library object in exactly the same place. This means an object might end up on a left hand page (because that's where it originally was) instead of the right hand page at which you're staring.

Also, if you have Paste Remembers Layers turned on in the Layers palette, layer information is retained for page items.

Deleting Library Items

If you want to delete library items, select them in the palette by clicking (or use Shift-click or Command/Ctrl-click to select multiple items). Either click the Delete Item button, or choose Delete Item(s) from the palette menu. If you want to avoid the annoying "Are you sure you want to delete these" alert, add the Option/Alt key.