Version 20.5 Windows - Scale feature not working correctly or sometimes not at all

Question

Been using InDesign for years and the image scaling feature is something I rely on heavily, either choosing a percentage, or simply using the down arrow until the image fits where I need it to. Recently this has stopped functioning either correctly or at all, in several ways:

(1) If I choose a percentage, eg 25% I get this message: "This value would cause one or more objects the leave the pasteboard." And nothing happens even if I try to proceed. Never had this happen before and I almost always use the small scale.

(2) Since Plan A didnt work, the next step is to use the down arrow to scale it. But that doesn't work either, nothing happens. Nada.

(3) Then if by some random chance the scaling option does work using the down arrow, the image scales down but disappears down the page as it does so. In the past the top left corner has always stayed "pinned" in position while the image is scaling down until I get the width needed. But now the image moves down or even off the page as it scales.

Would love to know how to get the scaling function back to "normal" so I don't have to resort to Photoshop to downscale images first. Thanks for any clues!

FloridaGal · Accepted Answer

When a graphic object is selected. there is a group of 9 spots on the left end of the control panel. Those are the proxy points and they correspond to the 8 sizing handles on a frame and the frame center.

I seldom do the kind of scaliny you describe -- I tend to keep the mouse button down and drag the frame to the size I want while placing, or if I'm scaling later I tend to hold down the Ctrl + Shift keys while dragging a handle.

That aside, since this seems to be affecting all files, the fiorst thing to try is resetting your prefs.

There's now a button in the Prefs dialog to do that on restart, or see Reset InDesign Preferences and Other Troubleshooting

Ah, simple solution! THANK YOU. Turns out "someone" (not saying who) must have clicked on that area of the ribbon because the proxy point was set for the middle of the right side, instead of the top left. Not only did you solve my problem, I learned what that doohickey is - AND, I don't have to do the dreaded Preferences reset.

YAY! 🙂

Thanks so much.

Peter Spier · Answer

First, make sure you have the correct proxy point selected. Sounds like you don't have the upper left point selected at the moment. I would also check to see if there have been any transfromations done to the frame, or if it extends beyond the pasteboard and the scaling is kicking it entirely off, and if you are scaling the frame (selection tool), or the content (direct selection tool).

Is this isolated to a single file or is it happeneeing to all files or to only some files (new file sor old files)?

What version of InDesign and your OS?

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded