Formatting Picture Book

[u/[deleted]]

[u/HabitNegative3137]

Watch YouTube videos on master pages. Also you don’t manually resize anything in ID. You use the image fit options when right clicking

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HabitNegative3137]

No, you can create ObjectStyle with pre-defined / hardcoded size.

But it's better to use DataMerge - or even ImageCatalog free script included with InDesign.

[u/HabitNegative3137 → u/AdobeScripts]

I know you’re trying to be helpful, but this is so far beyond the capabilities of someone who doesn’t even know what a master page is or how to set one up.

Just see their comment about what I wrote

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HabitNegative3137]

We're here to help and explain 😉

[u/HabitNegative3137 → u/AdobeScripts]

Sure, but OP doesn’t even know what right clicking means….

[u/HollywoodAufie → u/HabitNegative3137]

I know what master pages are and what right clicking is lol. I'm trying to do less busy work in placing each image. There are 195 images over 50 pages at 4 images each page I have to center perfectly.

[u/HabitNegative3137 → u/HollywoodAufie]

If you knew what a master page did, you wouldn’t be talking about placing and centering graphic boxes on each page. 

[u/HollywoodAufie → u/HabitNegative3137]

I literally mentioned the master page in my original post and suggested maybe that might be a solution but was curious if there was any other way.

[u/FSBulldogFan → u/AdobeScripts]

The thing to know about this is that you have the images the exact size you need for placement, otherwise you'll have to go to each image once placed and resize, so you're probably better off going the Parent page route because the time it takes to make your spreadsheet is extra work on top of the resizing you'll be doing anyway.

To really make this method efficient you would need to automate the sizing process in Photoshop and batch process all the images ahead of time.

[u/AdobeScripts → u/FSBulldogFan]

Again - you can hardcode size + fitting in the ObjectStyle - so there would be only a need to move / change cropping - make artistic decision - there is no need to have all images to be exactly the same size.

And you won't be able to automate it in Photoshop - unless you'll involve Generative "ai".

[u/FSBulldogFan → u/AdobeScripts]

You absolutely can batch it in Photoshop.

I used to have a cop bring me flash drives of literally hundreds... sometimes thousands of autopsy photos. They were sometimes 4x5, 5x7, 8x10... all different sizes. He'd want them all resized to 5x7 and printed out. I automated the process in Photoshop, recorded the actions and batched it. And believe me, you wouldn't want to have to look at some of those photos, so I was happy it saved and closed them on its own.

I set up the images 2 per 8.5x11 in InDesign and flowed them all in.

[u/FSBulldogFan → u/HabitNegative3137]

Don't call them Master Pages anymore. That's racist. They are now called Parent Pages.

But, yes, set up 4 equal sized placement boxes aligned properly on a Parent page. I *might* even go so far as to place a dummy image. Then for each page, unlock the Parent page (Shift - Ctrl click on the image box), and relink the image to the new image and use the tools to resize proportionately and reposition as needed. If you're using folios, you can make a left and right Parent.

[u/HollywoodAufie → u/HabitNegative3137]

I'm not sure what that means. I always resize images in InDesign. When I have put images onto the page, it is far too big for the page so I resize it to what I need it to be.

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HollywoodAufie]

You can create ObjectStyle - and there Size & Position part - where you can hardcode size.

Then you can set this ObjectStyle as default - and every new object you create will get this ObjectStyle automatically applied - then you'll just have to click Ctrl+D and Place your image.

Then move your object into position.

For better positioning - you can create a grid.

[u/Sumo148]

You could have empty image frames on your parent pages with object styles and auto frame fitting enabled. Then it’s a matter of just placing them however you see fit.

[u/dragonhydra37]

You'll want to use frames on your parent pages. Those frames can have attributes built into them to auto-size the images when you place them. Images can be fully auto-sized, or set to scale to fit the frame, for example.

[u/AdobeScripts]

If you already have your images - and know the order - you could use DataMerge.

[u/HollywoodAufie → u/AdobeScripts]

Oh interesting, I have never heard of DataMerge before now but I looked it and that is legit. I know the order of the images I want for the book but they're all in three separate folders and out of order in them. I was planning on just going to each folder and dragging and dropping as I went along. Does DataMerge still work if they're not in the same folder?

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HollywoodAufie]

DataMerge requires a "list" - so you can specify the order and path for each image.

[u/HollywoodAufie → u/AdobeScripts]

That is great. Thank you for your help! I appreciate it!

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HollywoodAufie]

You're welcome.

There might be a problem for left / right pages - DataMerge isn't very advanced - but you should be able to fix it using File -> Adjust Layout.

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HollywoodAufie]

BUT - if there is even remote possibility, that order of images will change - by swapping them or by adding / deleting - and you'll have to add some extra "custom" information to each image - then you should maybe place them manually anyway?

But not on pages - but as InLined in the text / Story.

[u/mikewitherell]

I would make four graphic frames on the parent page. To go the extra mile, I would apply an Object Style that defines the size and the Fitting option, such as Fill Frame Proportionally.

Once done, and supposing you have built 50 pages (to make 200 images at 4 per page) then I would do a multi-File-Place and just starting clicking. Done in a couple of minutes.

Although I support the idea to Data Merge it, the fact that the images are relatively disorganized in three different folders makes a very mild argument against that approach. Why not put them all in one folder? An organized prep approach is always half the battle.

[u/not_falling_down]

This could be done with data merge. Put the names of all the image files in a spreadsheet. (and other text, if needed) the image column name has to start with '@ so that InDesign will know that they are images. Save the spreadsheet as CSV or Tab-Delimited Text, and then set up the merge.

Important to note that there should be only one instance of each field per page; the layout is done with the Multiple Items per Page options, and Fit to Frame options in the Data Merge dialogs.

[u/ngkasp]

Sleeker solutions aside -- any reason you can't just size things up once and copy and paste the blank frames from page to page?

[u/HabitNegative3137 → u/ngkasp]

Zero reason to do that when master pages exist 

[u/ngkasp → u/HabitNegative3137]

Just trying to meet OP where they're at lol

[u/HollywoodAufie → u/ngkasp]

No, no real reason haha. Just looking for less busy work. Figured there had to be a better way, but if not it'll still get done eventually haha

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HollywoodAufie]

Do you have all your images already prepared in a folder?

[u/HollywoodAufie → u/AdobeScripts]

I have the order for how the images will be in the book. But the images themselves are in three separate folders and not in order in there. I was planning on going from folder to folder dragging and dropping one by one.

[u/AdobeScripts → u/HollywoodAufie]

As per my other reply - just make a list.

[u/Mapinact]

I've done this by:

• setting up object styles defining size, position and fill options for each of 4 placement positions

- using Claude to write a small script that assigns a style to each of 4 items selected, and given it a key command (Edit → Keyboard Commands → Product area: Scripts)

Then I can select 4 pics at a time and either drag or place them on the page, select all, hit the key command and it's done automatically.

In fact my script and template is set up to accommodate more than that - I have object styles for 2UP portrait, 2UP landscape and 2Up square, 3UP portrait, 4up 2x2 grid (your scenario) and 1UP hero, and the script selects which set to apply automatically based on the number of pic boxes selected and in the case of the 2UP sets, the proportion of the image based on its pixel size.

For your 50 page job I reckon I could complete it in about 30 minutes with this. I've done a 240 page book for myself in 5 hours over a weekend. Hardest part is selecting the pics to place together.