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Adobe InDesign CC - Essential Training

How do I get images to move with the text in Adobe InDesign using anchored objects?

Daniel Walter Scott

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In this video we're going to do something called Anchored Objects. Some programmers call it Inline Graphic. Just means that, like in Microsoft Word, when I hit return, can you see, the image comes along to the right, whereas all the other images we've done so far has just kind of set there, and done not a lot. So, let's go and learn how to do that in InDesign now.

So to place an Inline Object, or an Anchored Object, let's make sure we've got nothing selected. So 'Black Arrow', click in the background, let's go to 'File', 'Place'. And let's bring in 'Anchored Object 1. illustrator'. And what we're going to do is just click, hold, and drag it, so it kind of matches the same size as one of these columns. IF yours doesn't work out that well, grab the 'Black Arrow', and just remember, hold down 'Command Shift' or 'Control Shift' on the PC. And we can drag it so it's perfectly lined up as just the way to this column.

Now what I'm going to do is go to 'Edit', 'Cut'. I'm going to put mine in between this paragraph here. So I'll just put a 'return' in. And most of the time, 70% of the time I do this, all I have to do is go to 'Edit', 'Paste', and it works just fine. In my case - I'm going to 'undo' that. - it's that I've set the Leading for all of these paragraphs here. Most of the times nobody changes that, so there's no problem. You just cut, paste, and it works great. Because I too have set mine to '13', not 'automatic', what I have to do is, with my cursor flashing where it is-- before I go 'Edit', 'Paste', let's just switch this back to 'Auto' - So that's my Leading under 'Character'. - then go to 'Edit', 'Paste', and it works just fine. You can see, it's pushed a gap for itself, and if I hit 'return's up here, flows along in the text. So normally, just go to 'File', 'Paste'. If you're like me, and you play around with the Leading, you might have to switch it back to 'Auto' before you hit 'Paste'. So let's do it a couple of times. I've got one there. It should obviously be lined up with the text but because I'm using dummy text, it doesn't really matter.

Remember, 'return' in, and I'm going to set this to 'Auto'. Actually, first of all I need to bring in my image. So the second image is going to be 'File', 'Place', bring in 'Anchored Object 2'. Drag it out to be roughly the right size. Remember, 'Edit', 'Cut', you can use shortcuts. And in here, we've set our Leading back to 'Auto'. Hit 'Paste'. Great. I would like you, my friend to do the last one by yourself. There's one more to bring, so go through and do it. You've done them all. Actually, what am I talking about? Do it on your own though, see if you can make it work. I'll wait here while you do it, but this is a video. So I'm going to put in the last one myself as well.

'File', 'Place', and bring in 'Anchored Object 3'. I've placed mine directly into it. Why? Just because I wasn't paying attention. The only trouble with this is, you have to now go and resize it while it's in the text box, and sometimes it can be really big. And it just makes life a little hard. So, often what I do is, remember, drag it out first. Not part of the text. Cut it. Get my cursor flashing in here. Make sure it's switched to 'Auto', and hit 'Paste', or just type in a 'V'. Not the most fluid of my tutorials but you get the idea, we're working around with images that rank it, that flow along with the text.

That will be it for this video, let's get on to the next one.