Disappearing Embedded Graphics (.ai and .tif) 1

[dryynanen]

I am on a PC using Windows XP and InDesign CS2. When I have embedded graphics and delete a blank page spread at the beginning of my InDesign docoment, the graphics disappear off the screen. They're still there; they print, and they show up in an exported PDF, but they disappear off the screen. If I delete a page spread later in the document (after the graphics), the graphics do not disappear. Even if I save, close InDesign, reboot my PC, re-open InDesign, and re-open the file, the graphics are invisible on the screen but visible in print-outs and PDF files. Weird, huh?

 

[jmgalvin]

Tried replicating your problem (I normally never use embedded graphics) and didn't have the problem.

The only thing I can think of is that you might have designated the things as masters and chosen Hide Master Items from the view menu. Try going to View menu and see if Show Master Items is there. If so, click it. It'll change to Hide Master Items and master items should now be visible on your job.

I would caution you about ever embedding graphics. It makes it a PITA to edit them if necessary. If you have to embed to send the job to someone for review, etc, you might consider a Save As and embed the graphics on that copy so you have an easily editable copy of the job. You can also do a Save As and embed for the final product that's going to the printer.



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[dryynanen]

Thank you, jmgalvin. Quick question about your related comment (embedded graphics). Ebmedding my graphics is an exeperiment I'm doing for checking in a multi-section manual to my company's Stellent content server. I'm trying to figure out whether it will be easier to embed the graphics (to avoid having to zip each section) and later unembed the graphics and select a new folder for the graphics. Directories cannot be checked into the content server -- only files, so I wondered whether a CS2 file with embedded graphics would be more efficient than a zipped CS2 project. Seems like a toss-up, so please feel free to add any insights. Thanks much. P.S. If this should be a new thread, I'll start it anew.

 

[jmgalvin]

Some of that stuff is beyond me - server stuff. Our "Server" is a simple mac G4 with 3 big hard drives and file sharing turned on. It's backup consists of some firewire drives and a simple sync program that came with each drive.

Again, my problem with embedding is just that it makes it so hard to edit things if necessary. Have you considered packaging your ID project, creating a directory on the server and loading the idividual pics into that from the Links folder in the ID package? Then, as you needed a new image you could grab it from server and then load it back up to the directory ou created - so all images for the product would be in one place and easily findable. Just taking a shot here.

By the way, did you solve the disappearing images thng? It certainly seemed odd.







Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[dryynanen]

Victory! I figure out why my embedded inline objects disappeared when I deleted an earlier spread: They went behind the text frame. I selected the text frame of each missing object and sent the text frame back (Object > Arrange > Send to Back). My graphics appeared. Maybe there's a better way to put them in besided inline anchored objects so they always stay on top?

jmgalvin, back to your problem with embedded graphics, is it a reliability issue? I seem to be getting reliable results, and if I have to edit an embedded graphic, all I have to do is unembed it and either relink to the original file or send the graphic to a new folder.

Please advise. Thanks again.

 

[jmgalvin]

The big problem arises when you have a long doc with a lot of graphics. The file size becomes gargantuan and getting form on part of the thing to another (to do the edit) can be awful slow. I've also got a personal thing about using high quality as the ID display pref - using memory. Also. I'm lazy and right clicking on the Link and edit original, it a little easier for my laziness.

There's nothing wrong with doing things your way. One of the nice things about these apps is that you can do things the way that you're comfortable with or, in yur case, being able to load the thing onto the server. I do an awful lot of my Illustrator work without using a lot of the faster, newer features because I'm so used to doing things that way from earlier versions.



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[Eggles]

I don't know whether this would ever be a problem with InDesign, but back in Pagemaker days, if you embedded graphics it increased the chances of document corruption (i.e. unable to be opened). This was because it was possible for a single graphic to corrupt, and if it was emebedded, it corrupted the whole doc. However, if the graphics were linked and not embedded, then any corrupt graphic couldn't corrupt the doc - just make the page on which the corrupted graphic appeared refuse to print or PDF.

There is also the point that jmgalvin made that embedding graphics makes it slower to move through the document, creates huge file sizes, and makes extra steps if you want to edit the graphics.