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Fitting and Resizing Graphics in Adobe InDesign

Fitting a graphic to its frame

When you place or paste an object into a frame, it appears at the upper left corner of the frame by default. If the frame and its content are different sizes, you can use the Fitting commands to achieve a perfect fit automatically.

Choose Object > Fitting and select from the following:

• Fit Content to Frame: scales the image to fit a frame, but the image will be distorted if the frame and the graphic have different proportions.
• Fit Frame to Content: changes the size of a frame to exactly match its content.
• Centre Content: centres the image inside a frame.
• Fit Content Proportionally: proportionally scales the image to fit the frame. If the image and frame have different proportions, there will be some empty areas around the image.
• Fill Frame Proportionally: proportionally scales the image to fit the frame. If the image and frame have different proportions, some of the image will be cropped by the frame.

Tip: With an image selected the Control panel will display buttons for the fitting commands, they are a quick way to manipulate images and their frames.

Resizing graphics

InDesign has several methods for resizing graphics frames.

Method 1: Using the Control panel

• Select a graphic frame with the Selection tool.
• Change the Scale X Percentage or Scale Y Percentage to scale the graphic frame. See NOTE below.


Method 2: Using the mouse

• Select a graphic frame with the Selection tool.
• Press Control + Shift (PC) or Command + Shift (Mac) and click and drag one of the corners of the frame.
• Drag outwards to enlarge the frame and image; drag inwards to reduce the frame and image.


Method 3: Using the keyboard shortcuts

• To resize the graphic and the frame use the Selection tool and select the frame, to resize the graphic only and not the frame select a graphic with the Direct Selection tool.
• Use the following shortcuts:

NOTE: Note that when you change the graphic size with the Selection tool, the percentage displays 100%, use the Direct Selection tool and click on the graphic to view it's actual size.

Method 4: Using Auto-fit

Checking on Auto-Fit will automatically fit content to it's frame as the frame is re sized.

• Select a graphic frame with the Selection tool.
• Check on Auto-Fit.
• Drag one of the corners outwards to enlarge the frame and image; drag inwards to reduce the frame and image. The content will automatically move with the frame.
• Holding down shift while dragging will constrain the proportions of the frame and image.

Learn more by registering into the InDesign Level 1, 2-day training course delivered by Alpha Computer Consultants www.alphacc.com.au.