How to Frame a Picture in InDesign

Frame your document's pictures in InDesign.

Framing a picture in InDesign adds order and clarity to your document. You can frame your pictures three different ways in InDesign. The Pen, Pencil, Rectangle Frame, Ellipse Frame and Polygon Frame tools allow you to create generic and custom frame shapes. Adjusting the fitting option will change how the picture fits inside the frame or how the frame fits to the picture. Changing the stroke of the frame will add a visible border to the frame. Text can also be used to visually frame the picture by allowing the text to wrap around the image.

Instructions

Place Picture in Frame

1. Select the Pen, Pencil or the desired shape frame tool. Draw the shape for the frame on the InDesign page.

2. Click on the “File” menu and select “Place.” Locate the picture that you want to frame. Click “Place.”

3. Right-click on the image and hover over “Fitting.” Select how you want the frame and picture to fit together.

Add Border

1. Select the image.

2. Click on “Window” and select “Stroke.”

3. Click on the “Weight” drop-down menu and select the desired stroke size.

4. Click on the “Type” drop-down menu and select how you want the frame to appear.

5. Double-click on the “Stroke” icon in the Tool panel. Select the desired color for the border.

Frame with Text

1. Click on the “Window” menu and select “Text Wrap.”

2. Select the picture.

3. Click on the “Wrap around object shape” icon in the Text Wrap panel.

4. Click on the “Type” drop-down menu and select how you want the text to frame the picture.

References

• Adobe InDesign CS5 & CS5.5: Create a Border or Background
• Adobe InDesign CS5 & CS5.5: Wrapping Text Around Objects
• Layers Magazine: Create Photo Albums for Print with InDesign