You may have noticed in eDesign that text frames seem to disappear. Once you draw them and then click somewhere else, the frame is no longer visible. It’s really still there, but can be hard to find. From a design point of view, it is sometimes nice to have those frames visible so that you can see and plan for the placement of text elements.

To make the frames stay visible, go to the view menu in eDesign, and select “show frames.” This will make all frames that you’ve drawn remain visible on the spread.

If you need to hide the frames, simply go back to the view menu and select “hide frames.” The same process can be used for guides and columns, too.

We appreciate all the feedback and questions you’ve been directing to us on eDesign, not to mention the layouts and spreads that are taking shape. Keep up the good work!

A vignette photo allows a portion of an image to be screened or ghosted down to a lower opacity while allowing the dominant or most important part of the picture to remain at full color and brightness. It is an interesting effect that focuses the reader’s attention on one portion of the image. The technique can also be used to screen down a portion of a photo so that type can be more easily read. To download a handout demonstrating the technique, click here.

Method 1

While Adobe Photoshop® is the primary software for photo manipulation, InDesign does allow for some cool photo techniques like a vignette photo. A vignette is an effect where the center of interest, or focal point, of the photo gradually fades into the background, usually in an oval shape.

STEP 1: Place (File > Place) an image from Photoshop or through Herff Jones Image In (Herff Jones > HJ Image In) onto your layout.

STEP 2: Select the Ellipse Frame tool from beneath the Rectangle Frame tool on the Tool palette. You can also use a rectangle, circle, polygon, star or any other frame shape to create the vignette effect.

(more…)