Adobe InDesign CS5 : Applying and Editing a Photoshop Clipping Path in InDesign, Creating and Editing an InDesign Clipping Path

Applying and Editing a Photoshop Clipping Path in InDesign

If the TIFF, JPEG, or PSD you are importing contains a Photoshop clipping path, you can apply it via the Image panel of the Image Import Options dialog box or via the Clipping Path dialog box. You can then edit the Photoshop path using InDesign’s path editing tools. Any edits made to a Photoshop clipping in InDesign are not applied to the original file; they affect the graphic only as it appears in InDesign.

InDesign does not allow you to edit Photoshop clipping paths in EPS files.

To apply a Photoshop path when placing an image, enable the Apply Photoshop Clipping Path option in the Image Import Options dialog box.

To apply a Photoshop path after the image has been placed, select it with either selection tool and choose Object, Clipping Path. At the top of the Clipping Path dialog box, choose Photoshop Path from the Type drop-down list. If the graphic contains more than one Photoshop path, you can select which one to apply from the Path list below (see Figure 1). To see the path as you are applying it, enable the Preview option.

Figure 1. You can choose a Photoshop path from the Type list in the Clipping Path dialog box.

To remove any extra black or white edges from the path, you can contract it by entering a value in the Inset Frame field. You can also invert a Photoshop path so that the image areas outside the path are made visible and the areas inside are hidden. To do so, click the Invert check box.

To redefine the image crop and improve the edges of the Photoshop clipping path, you can select and alter them using the Direct Selection tool. To add points, delete points, or convert point direction, you can use the path editing tools available in the Pen and Pencil toolsets. You can also cut a Photoshop clipping path using the Scissors tool.

The downside to using clipping paths to extract images is that they can take a long time to draw, and their edges can often appear too sharp. To avoid this, try extracting your images in Adobe Photoshop and placing them as transparent PSDs in InDesign. It’s quicker, easier, and produces better-looking images overall.

Creating and Editing an InDesign Clipping Path

You can also extract an image from it’s background to use it in your layout by creating a clipping path inside InDesign; however, the InDesign clipping path controls can be clumsy and not very precise. It makes more sense to create a clipping path in Photoshop and apply it to the graphic in InDesign. However, if all you need to do is remove a simple solid-color background, an InDesign path will suffice.

Creating a Clipping Path in InDesign

1.	Select a placed graphic with either selection tool and choose Object, Clipping Path to open the Clipping Path dialog box (see Figure 2). Figure 2. You can generate a clipping path in InDesign by entering settings in the Clipping Path dialog box.
2.	At the top of the Clipping Path dialog box, select Detect Edges from the Type menu.
3.	Adjust the Threshold and Tolerance settings by entering values in the respective fields or dragging the sliders. The Threshold slider in the Clipping Path dialog box determines how close a color must be to white before you can remove it. Apply a lower value to drop out a light color background and a higher value to drop out a dark background. The Tolerance slider determines how close a pixel must be to the Threshold value in order remove it with the clipping path. After you set the Threshold and Tolerance values, you can remove any black or white edges by entering a value in the Inset Frame field.
4.	To see the path as you are applying it, enable the Preview check option.
5.	To allow the clipping path to recognize any areas inside of an image as defined by the Threshold and Tolerance settings, enable the Include Inside Edges feature. You can also invert an InDesign path by clicking the Invert check box.
6.	Select the Restrict to Frame option to limit the clipping path to include only the image areas that are within the graphic frame and not the areas cropped outside. With this option on, adjusting the crop means re-creating the path. Therefore, in most cases it is best to leave this option off.
7.	Enable the Use High Resolution option to calculate transparent areas of the image using the actual file rather that the screen display. Doing so ensures maximum precision.

You can also edit an existing InDesign clipping path. Select the graphic and choose Object, Clipping Path. In the dialog box that appears, adjust the Threshold and Tolerance settings or turn off the path entirely by choosing None from the Type drop-down list.

You can also edit an InDesign clipping path by selecting the graphic with the Direct Selection tool and editing the points along the path with the various drawing tools.