Handling images for a large ID project

[MarieMeyer]

CC on a Mac.

I'm working with a large InDesign file, set up as a Book File, for print production. There will be around 250 images: some vectors, some photos.

Is it important to keep each image in its own file? Is there anything wrong with putting all the images for one chapter onto individual artboards of the correct size in Illustrator? I prefer to do this so that I can look at all the figures in a "gallery".  But someone looking at my project has told me I'm doing it wrong...

[rob day · Accepted solution]

There’s nothing wrong with using artboards, you’ll just need to check Show Import Options in the Place dialog to choose the artboard "page"—the link name will get a : suffix with the artboard page number. 

[Peter Spier]

While Rob is absolutely correct, you might want to use individual files just for clarity. I think it's less of a problem since Illy added multiple artboards, but back in the old days it was common to put multiple images on one artboard, then place that and crop to the part you want.

I have an old charity ticket file with multiple versions of the same graphic in different colors for different seating times and it has sometimes caused me some pain in getting the postioning correct when an edit is required, where relinking separate files would result in no shifts, but as I say this is an old workflow problem. One way you might get your "gallery" with individual files would be to add them to an InDesign Library.

[rob day]

I think it's less of a problem since Illy added multiple artboards

Yes, I think that’s right—you wouldn’t have the single artboard problem with the CC apps because placing artboards is effectively the same as placing individual InDesign or PDF pages. The Link panel indicates the artboard number with a suffix:

[Peter Spier]

I think the only big advantage to unique files is that they would have unique file names

[harry22394853vca6]

Would you help me to create a book file for my civil engineers newcastle project? 

[MarieMeyer]

Sure. Where do you want to start? 

[harry22394853vca6]

My civil engineers newcastle has been completed now thanks to your help.