Trying Other Special Effects

When you combine your imagination with InDesign's picture-modification, page-layout, and typographic features, the possibilities for manipulating imported pictures become endless. Here are a few of my favorite tricks for adding pizzazz to your pictures.

Using text characters as graphics frames

InDesign's Pen tool lets you create any kind of shape for use as a graphics frame, but if you want to place a picture in the shape of a text character or in several characters, there's a much easier way than drawing the characters yourself: You can use the Create Outlines command (Type ‚ Create Outlines, or Shift+ z +O or Ctrl+Shift+O) to convert highlighted text into editable outlines, and then place a picture in the character shapes . Here's how:

1. Format then highlight the text you want to use as a graphics frame.

   You can use a single character or a range of text.

2. Choose Type ‚ Create Outlines or press Shift+ z +O or Ctrl+Shift+O.

3. Choose either of the selection tools, and then click on the highlighted text.

4. Choose File ‚ Place, or press z +D or Ctrl+D, and then locate and select the graphics file you want to import.

   You can also copy and paste a picture you've already imported. In this case, when you're ready to paste the copied picture, make sure you select the outlines and then choose Edit ‚ Paste Into, or press Option+ z +V or Ctrl+Alt+V.

5. Click OK or double-click on the filename to place the picture into the selected outlines.

6. Adjust the size and position of the imported picture so that it's displayed the way you want it in the character shapes.

You can modify character outlines created with the Create Outlines command the same as you modify any shape ‚ by adding a stroke and/or fill, by using the transformation tools or Transform pane to apply rotation, scale, or shear, and so on.

When you convert text to outlines using the Create Outlines command, the outlines replace the highlighted text and are embedded in the text. One handy aspect of the Create Outlines command is that the text remains editable. If you want to remove the outlines from the text and place them elsewhere, select the outlines with either of the selection tools, copy them (Edit ‚ Copy, or z +C or Ctrl+C), then click on an empty portion of the page and choose Edit ‚ Paste or press z +V or Ctrl+V. Figure 25-11 shows a picture that's been placed in the outline of a single text character.

Figure 25-11: Converting the word France into an outline with the Create Outlines command and then using the Paste Into command to import the graphics file into the shape created this picture-in-text effect.

Using compound shapes as graphics frames

The Object ‚ Compound Paths command lets you combine several paths into a single object. Once you've created a multishape object, you can use the Place command or the Copy and Paste Into commands to put a picture in. In Figure 25-12, three paths have been placed in front of the cup and saucer picture:

1. A clipping path generated with the Clipping Path command surrounds the cup and saucer.

2. A path created with the Pen tool is in the cup handle.

3. A third, oval-shaped path ‚ also created with the Pen tool ‚ surrounds the coffee in the cup.

Figure 25-12: Three separate shapes (left) were combined to create the effect on the right. Notice how the areas in the two inner shapes on the left are transparent (that is, the blended background is visible in the shapes) in the example on the right.

In the image on the left, the picture ‚ rather than the blended background shape ‚ is visible in all three paths. The image on the right shows the results of creating a compound path out of the three paths. The blended background shows through in the two inner paths ‚ areas that were previously obscured.

Cross-Reference ‚  

For more information about working with compound paths and reversing the direction of paths, see Chapter 27.

Creating inline frames

In most cases, you place a picture into a graphics frame and then, if necessary, manually move the frame by clicking and dragging it with the Selection tool or by changing the frame's X Location or Y Location values in the Transform pane or Control palette. If you want to place a picture relative to text in such a way that the picture moves ‚ and thus remains close to its associated text ‚ when editing causes the text to reflow , you can create an inline frame out of the graphics frame. Inline frames are particularly useful for publications like catalogs that contain lengthy text threads that, in turn , contain pictures that must flow with the text. An inline frame behaves much like a single character, yet it retains all the attributes of a frame, which means you can add a stroke or fill, transform it with the transformation tools, the Transform pane, or Control palette, and so on.

If you want to create an inline frame from an object you've already created, all you have to do is copy or cut the object and then paste it into text as you would a piece of highlighted text.

Tip ‚  

If you place an inline frame in text to which automatic leading has been applied, the resulting line spacing can be inconsistent. To fix this problem, you can resize the inline frame.

In addition to using the Paste command to create an inline frame from an existing object, you can use the Place command to create an inline graphic from an external picture file. The key is to use the Type tool to select an insertion point in your text before placing the graphic (using File ‚ Place, or z +D or Ctrl+D); the graphic will be placed in the text in an inline frame.

Cross-Reference ‚  

For more information about working with inline frames, see Chapter 12.

Slicing a picture with the Scissors tool

The Scissors tool is the InDesign equivalent of a utility knife . It lets you slice objects into two parts . Figure 25-13 shows a picture that's been cut into halves with the Scissors tool. To slice a picture:

1. Select the Scissors tool.

   If the Type tool isn't selected, you can press C to select the Scissors tool.

2. Position the crosshair pointer anywhere over a graphics frame, then click.

3. Move the pointer to a different position along the frame edge, then click again.

Figure 25-13: The Scissors tool was used to create the split image (right) from a clone of the original image (right).

After you've clicked twice on the frame edge, you can switch to either of the selection tools and then drag either of the two picture pieces that your scissors cut created.

Note ‚  

If you use the Scissors tool to split a frame to which a stroke has been applied, the resulting edges will not include the stroke.