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Any chance to import a saved selection from Photoshop into InDesign?

Enthusiast ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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Photoshop has the best selection tools and my text boxes are basically uniform areas in images, I just cut them out and replace them with the closest corresponding color.

So I need that selection because that will be my text box.

But I need to bring the selection over to Illustrator to create the text there because custom shaped text boxes require the envelope distort and other graphical text tools. 

When I am done there, I need to move the text box over to InDesign to get a live text box for interactive e-books and blending in InDesign, without changing its shape and size, and with formatted text.

Is there any way to bring over a selection in between the apps if the images are linked and the same image is open?

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Community Expert ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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There are many ways to use elements of those three applications with each other—Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, In fact, Bart Van de Wiele, an Adobe Support Engineer and trainer, has just produced a brilliant Classroom in a Book called "Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign Collaboration and Workflow" which provides valuable informaton about how to do it.

 

However, the applications are very different, and there is not quick-and-easy way to move "selections" from one application to another. I highly recommend the book, an official training workbook (with files you can use) to appreciate the power tha allows you to move various elements betwen the applications. It's available from Adobe Press:

 

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign Collaboration and Workflow Classroom in a Book

 

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Enthusiast ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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But for a major paid software something like this should be available on demand (for example here on their forums), not by buying books. I mean this is not Stack Overflow.

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Enthusiast ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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or it's not open source...

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Community Expert ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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I'm sorry, but you're misunderstaning the complexity of the issue of moving data between applications which are structured in very different ways. I'm trying to give you the information that would solve your problem.

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Enthusiast ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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Ok, thanks.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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In Photoshop you can save Layer Compositions. In InDesign you can choose any Layer Compositions from Photoshop.

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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How do layer Comps import a selection to InDesign?

I couldn't get it to work. I made the selection, clicked the selection then layer via copy, then I saved it as a layer comp, but no selection can be seen in InDesign when I update the image there.

I don't want to move selected object, it's not objects that are selected.

They are simply selections.

I wan tto move them or copy them in between the apps.

Layer comps don't seem to be a solution to this.

If you think they are, could you share a working example?

 

 

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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Photoshop has better selection tools then the other apps, so I should be able to move a selection made in Photoshop over to the other apps.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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Willi is referring to InDesign’s Object>Object Layer Options which lets you turn Photoshop or Illustrator Layers on and off without editing the original. It doesn’t have anything to do with live selections—the placed link preview is still a low res proxy.

 

You can turn a selected PSD’s individual layers on and off or choose a Layer Comp (the image format has to be PSD for Layer Comps, or AI) :

 

Screen Shot 1.pngScreen Shot 3.png

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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I figured that out, but it's not a solution to want I want, to move a selection over from one app to the other.

In Photoshop there is the Free Hand Pen tool, Illustrator only has the Pen tool, and I couldn't figure how to make the selection a text box, will be posting it to the Illustrator forums.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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Right, you can’t do what you are describing.

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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I see, i first select and edit in Photoshop.

Then I want some of those selections in Illustrator, to make them text boxes.

Then when done there, move all objects over to InDesign.

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 04, 2022 Dec 04, 2022

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How does that help me accomplish to move over or replicate the exact same selection in an other app? 

I need to make changes to the exact same areas on images in all 3 apps, and manually re-selecting is both labourous and not accurate job, because I will not ba able to reproduce the exact same selection because I select by hand using the pencil tool.

At least that's my goal.

I still don't know how to turn a path made with the pencil tool into a selection in Illustrator and InDesign.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 04, 2022 Dec 04, 2022

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Again, what you are describing can’t be done.

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Enthusiast ,
Dec 01, 2022 Dec 01, 2022

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My workflow should go like this:

first I Photoshop the image

then I add the text and graphics in Illustrator

then I move everyhting frame by frame to InDesign to maintain all live objects

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Community Expert ,
Nov 29, 2022 Nov 29, 2022

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Without seeing exactly what you're doing it's impossible to help you.

Your situation seems quite unique - but there might be a better workflow for you. 

I've never come across such demand to jump between all apps.

 

If you let us know what you're doing and what you want to achieve we might be able to come up with a less complex workflow for you.

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Enthusiast ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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What I want is to be able to use the unique features of all 3 apps (Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop), that are unique in 1 app and cannot be found in the others, for my magazine production, while having all elements of my magazines as live objects in all 3 apps. Because Adobe doesn't currently offer a way to move design over while maintaining all elements as live objects and selectable. For example the Free Hand Pen tool is in Photoshop, Ilustrator only has a Pen tool, and they are different etc..

Currently I am willing to move elements over one by one with copy pasting instead of exporting, because I don't have other choice.

This is a theoretical question that needs a theoretical answer so you do not need to see exactly what am I doing. But sorry I diverted from the question this question is actually about saved or not saved selections, not about objects.

The question is very clear read it, and it can have a yes or no as an answer, only. I either can move saved or unsaved selections from one app to the other, or I can't. That's what I am trying to find out.

 

 

 

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Community Expert ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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I either can move saved or unsaved selections from one app to the other, or I can't.

 

You can’t. When you cut and paste there‘s no item link—you have to place in order to create links that can be updated

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Enthusiast ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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I see, let's see if I can move over the selection (and only the selection) with Layer compositions that @Willi Adelberger  mentioned.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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Chris:

 

Any chance to import a saved selection from Photoshop into InDesign?

InDesign recognizes saved selections (properly called Alpha Channels) in placed images. You can use these alpha channels to create a clipping path to control transparency and as a custom text wrap. That's it. 

 

~Barb

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Community Expert ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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Bart Van de Wiele's book, referenced above, covers this as one of many ways you can share assets between InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. It also has samples to work on.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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My copy arrived last week! 😊

 

~Barb

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Community Expert ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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You can also convert a clipping path to a frame.

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Enthusiast ,
Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022

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Great find.

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