To select an image and its frame in Adobe InDesign, you primarily use the Selection tool (the black arrow). Indesign treats images placed into documents as content within a container, which is the frame. You can select the frame or the image content independently.
Understanding the Frame and Image
In InDesign, when you place an image, it sits inside a graphic frame. The frame is a boundary that determines the image's size, position, and visibility on the page. The image is the actual picture file placed within that frame.
It's important to distinguish between the two because selecting the frame allows you to move, resize, or apply strokes/fills to the container, while selecting the image allows you to pan or resize the image within the frame.
Selecting the Frame
To select the frame (container) around an image:
- Select the Selection tool (black arrow) from the Tools panel.
- Click on the frame's edge or anywhere outside the content grabber within the frame.
This action selects the frame itself, indicated by its bounding box. You can now move, resize, or delete the frame (and the image inside it).
- Tip: Selecting the frame is useful for positioning the image on the page or changing the frame's dimensions.
Selecting the Image (Content)
To select the image within the frame:
- Select the Selection tool (black arrow).
- Click the content grabber (often appears as a circular icon) that appears over the image when you hover your mouse over it with the Selection tool.
Alternatively, double-clicking the image using the Selection tool will also select the content (the image itself). When the image content is selected, a brown bounding box appears around the original dimensions of the image file, which may extend beyond the visible frame.
- Tip: Selecting the image content is useful for panning the image within the frame or scaling the image without changing the frame size.
Quick Reference Table: Selection Tool Actions
| Action | What to Click (with Selection Tool) | What Gets Selected | Resulting Bounding Box Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select the Frame | Click frame edge or outside content grabber | The Frame (Container) | Typically Blue |
| Select the Image | Click the content grabber (circle icon) | The Image (Content) | Typically Brown |
By understanding how to use the Selection tool to interact with both the frame and the content grabber, you gain precise control over placed images in your InDesign layout.
