Modifying Bitmap Graphics versus Vector Graphics

When it comes to working with bitmap and vector graphics in InDesign, there's not much difference. When you use the Place command, the import options for these two graphic formats are slightly different (see Chapter 23), but the transformation tools and the controls in the Transform pane and Control palette are available and work the same for all imported pictures regardless of their file format.

QuarkXPress User ‚  

QuarkXPress provides limited features for modifying the appearance of bitmap pictures. InDesign does not. However, even in programs like InDesign, if you want to perform any serious pixel-level modifications to a bitmap graphic, you'll need to use a dedicated image-editing program such as Adobe Photoshop.

When it comes to performing picture modifications in InDesign, the only difference between bitmap graphics and vector-based graphics is that you can apply color and, optionally , tint to gray-scale and one-bit (black-and-white) bitmaps. These options are not available for vector-based images and color bitmaps.

Applying color and tint to bitmap pictures

You can apply color and tint only to gray-scale and black-and-white bitmap pictures. If you're unable to apply a color or tint to a bitmap picture that you think should be modifiable, check the picture's file type. To do so, open the Links pane (File ‚ Links, or Shift+ z +D or Ctrl+Shift+D), then double-click the picture's name or click once on its name and choose Show Link Information from the pane's pop-up menu. The picture's color mode (CMYK, Grayscale, and so on) is displayed next to Color Space, and the picture's file format is displayed next to File Type.

To apply color to a picture:

1. Click on the Direct Selection tool (or press A if the Type tool isn't selected).

2. Click in the picture's frame to select the picture.

3. Make sure the Fill icon is active in the Tool palette if you want to color the image's background. Make sure the Stroke icon is active if you want to color the frame's stroke (if any).

4. If it's not displayed, show the Swatches pane by choosing Windows ‚ Swatches or pressing F5.

5. Click on a color in the scroll list.

   Cross-Reference ‚  

   See Chapter 8 for information about defining colors.

You apply color to a selected picture's foreground by dragging a swatch from the Swatches pane and dropping it onto the picture.

QuarkXPress User ‚  

Although InDesign doesn't have background, frame, and contents icons in its Swatches pane to let you select where color is applied, as QuarkXPress does, InDesign lets you determine what component of the image gets the color based on how you apply the color, as described earlier. Furthermore, you can use the Control palette's Select Container and Select Contents icons to choose whether the image background or contents, respectively, are colored when you click a swatch.

QuarkXPress User ‚  

Note that InDesign does not have any options to change image contrast or line-screen element for gray-scale and black-and-white images, as QuarkXPress does. You'll need to apply such effects in an image editor.

Applying a tint to a picture

Applying a color tint ‚ that is, a shade or a percentage of the applied color ‚ to a picture is the same as applying a color. You must create a tint of an available color before you can apply the tint to a picture. To create a tint of a color, click the color in the Swatches pane, then choose New Tint Swatch from the Swatches pane's palette menu. Use the Tint controls in the New Swatch Tint dialog box to specify the percent of the color you want to use. After you create a tint, you apply it to a picture following the same steps you would use if you were applying color.