Switching from PageMaker to InDesign CS2
A few things to keep in mind about paths and frames:
• Paths are vector graphics like those you create in a drawing program, such as Adobe Illustrator.
A path can be closed, such as a rectangle or a polygon, or open, such as a curved or straight
line. Because a path doesn’t contain text or a graphic (although a path can contain a solid or
gradient fill), its content is
unassigned.
• Frames are identical to paths with only one difference—frames can be containers for text,
graphics, or other objects. A frame can also exist as a placeholder.
Different types of InDesign CS frames.
Left: unassigned frame. Center: text frame. Right: graphics frame
Creating frames
The tools in InDesign CS2 let you create three types of frames: unassigned frames, text frames,
and graphics frames.
• An unassigned frame (that is, a path) has no content. When you create an object with the Rect-
angle, Oval, Polygon, Pen, or Pencil tool, by default the object contains no content and is called
an
unassigned frame.
The Content commands—Graphic, Text, and Unassigned—in the Object
menu (Object > Content) let you change the content associated with a frame. Note that you can
change the content of text or graphics frames only if they are empty.
• A text frame determines the area to be occupied by text and how text flows through the layout.
You can recognize text frames by the in and out ports in their respective upper left and lower
right corners. You can create a text frame by dragging with the Type tool or by clicking within
a path or an empty graphics frame when the Type tool is selected. If you select the Master Text
Frame checkbox in the New Document dialog box, a text frame is automatically added to the
document’s default master page and to all document pages based on the default master page.
• A graphics frame can function as a border and background, and it can crop or mask a graphic.
When acting as an empty placeholder, a graphics frame displays an X. If you don’t see the X
inside an empty graphics frame, the display of frame edges may be turned off (View > Show/
Hide Frame Edges). You can create a graphics frame with the Rectangle Frame, Oval Frame,
and Polygon frame tools.
Placing content into a frame
When you use the Place command to import a graphic or text file, you can either place the
imported content into an existing frame, or you can create a new frame on the fly. When you
place a graphic, the current selection determines where it is placed:
• If a graphics frame is selected, the graphic is placed within the frame. If the graphics frame
already contains a graphic, the graphic is replaced if Replace Selected Item is selected in
the Place dialog box. If you don’t select this option, a loaded graphics icon is displayed. You
can click the loaded graphics icon to create a new graphics frame that’s the same size as the
imported graphic, or you can click and drag the loaded graphics icon to create a new frame
that’s the size of the rectangle you drag.
• If the text insertion point is flashing, the graphic is placed at the insertion point as an anchored
graphic.
• If any other object is selected or if nothing is selected, a loaded graphics icon is displayed when
you click Open in the Place dialog box.
• If nothing is selected, you can click the loaded graphics icon within an empty graphics frame
or click an unassigned frame to place the graphic within the frame.
