Indesign, edit images using GIMP instead of PS

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

I've been all around the Inet on this. The answer seems pretty standard: it's an OS thing, set the default handler for the file ext. OK, I did that. Only Indesign still insists that I have to install PS to edit the image. 

I am double clicking on an image in one of the clip libraries, and it says Install PS. If I use the edit menu and go to edit with and pick GIMP, it *still* pops up a dlg saying I must install PS. 

Placing an image from the library into a new document and alt-d-click on inserted image produces the same result. 

Running on Windows 10, i9 processor, with Indesign 19.1 x64. 

I haven't seen this scenario described anywhere else. 

Any suggestions?

Thanks

-- Phil

[Peter Spier]

You don't say what version of InDesign you have or if you have a Creative Cloud, subscription, but if you do, why not go ahead and install Photoshop?

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

It does say what version of InDesign: 19.1 x64. 

I don't want yet another massive learning curve. I already know how to use GIMP. I have had it up to the eyebrows and beyond with Publisher (don't have any hair left to pull out) and am braving the not-quite-inifinite learning curve of InDesign. I don't want a 2nd one with PS also. 

I'm in a production situation and need to keep the production moving. Time on learning how to use the tool(s) has to be minimal. 

Anyway... I still continue to see (effectively) "it should work" only I can't get past "you need to install Photoshop" no matter what I do. 

The edit with shows three options, one of which is GIMP. Yet no matter what i do, there's that dialog. 

One of the reasons I switched to InDesign is to be able to have user settings and user options. You know, a user-friendly environment, which MSFT seems to have forgotten as a concept. 

I'll keep looking around for answers. 

-- Phil

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Well... you make your choices for your reasons. Good enough. But as someone so old-school I think I still have some sheets of blueline board in the files, I've found it productive to not lock myself to outdated or low-powered tools. Publisher was never a professional tool, although like Word and Excel there were pro approaches to using it. Whether InDesign has the specific features you expected or not, it's not even in the same universe as far as capabilities and modernity. (It also has many, many customization and adaptability features; you may simply be looking from the wrong perspective.)

Short form, here, is that ID is complicated, yes, but worth investing time into learning. And as for GIMP... it is and always was a free Photoshop clone; now that you have the real thing, which absolutely nothing else compares to, you might find a few hours learning a somewhat different interface and terminology well worth the time. Whereas I can only think that hours spent trying to integrate GIMP into the Adobe set is, just perhaps, time not as well invested.

This isn't a Ford-vs-Chevy thing, after all. It's more like KIA-vs-Lamborghini. TIme spent learning the industry-standard, arguably best tools in the game is not going to be idle effort that's obsoleted by next week's toys.

[Peter Spier]

Sorry I missed the version...

I was thinking that you could install Photoshop -- you don't actually have to use it, but you might like it if you find time to learn it -- and the error message might go away.

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

Hi. I *did* install PS, to see what would happen. InDesign still insists I need to install PS. It won't bring up an edit on an image. From the CC LIbrary, from a document, from the links panel... edit or edit with specifically trying everything on the edit with list, INCLUDING PS, it still says I have to install PS and won't go there. 

I made sure the windows default handlers for images all point to PS. Still no go... "To edit this item you must install Photoshop. Or you can drag and drop it to your document." Gee... thanks. 

I am losing heart for InDesign... Is this really how it operates? I expect pilot error (me, that is), on a new program, but I can't see what I'm doing wrong. Or what Windows is doing wrong. Over a full week now I've been looking to make this one feature work. 

Thanks for any further suggestions

-- Phil

[Mike Witherell]

What is a clip library? Do you mean CC Libraries?

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

I'm old school. Been in this business a long time. Clip Art Library was the term. Calling it CC Library to me is just marketing (actually, good marketing in this case, I have to admit, and I don't like marketing in general 🙂 ). All the same, I should have used the correct term. My apologies. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Well, not surprisingly, the Creative Cloud apps and 'bridgeware' are pretty Adobe-centric. I am not sure the hooks and crooks exist to substitute other apps as the default handlers from within the app/app set.

That said, if GIMP is properly installed, and appears as a an option in the Edit With list, clicking it should hand off the edit to that tool. I'd say any failure to do so is at the OS/Default App assignment level and not within InDesign's operation. (That is, ID is following the OS command as do nearly all apps that offer 'open with' or 'edit with' options, but it's not set up correctly.)

If GIMP doesn't appear in the with list, or even if it does, you might do a full manual find (in Edit With | Other...) right to the GIMP executable to see if that completes the assignment/OS call to the right program.

And I have to echo Peter. Unless you're extremely committed to GIMP, it seems like installing the, er, real tool you already have is the better solution. (I'm not knocking GIMP... but it's no Photoshop. 🙂 )

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

On your suggestion of edit with -> other, the "other" option is greyed out. Huh? 

GIMP shows up on the "edit with" list (along with Paint and "COM Surrogate"). GIMP is Windows' default handler for those image types. 

I'm at a loss for how to fix this. Something I'm doing wrong, surely. But what? 

Why GIMP? I already know how to use GIMP. I have to learn InDesign, I'd rather not have to climb two steep learning curves at the same time. My needs with image editing are not extreme, just some basic stuff. Occasionally something more exotic, but GIMP suffices and, as I say, I know how to use GIMP already. I'm in a production situation and have to minimize the learning curve here. 

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

By the way, the "edit with" list does show GIMP as "default".
(GNU Image Manipulation Program 2.1 (default)" )

Make no difference. "To edit this image you must install Photoshop." 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Is the image pasted into InDesign, or linked from a source file?

Just on a hunch, I'm betting on the former. The OS or even ID could open an outside file using any tool you like, even Paint... but if the file is pasted into the InDesign file, it doesn't know how to manage it except with its own integral editor.

Place (link from source file) images and other outside content, don't paste them.

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

Thanks. So to futher analyze the problem I went ahead and installed PS. It *still* says I must install PS to edit this image. Wow... that's quite an achievement in software... <Satirically, he speaks.> Any further suggestions would be most welcome. 

-- Phil

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

You didn't address the question: are these Placed images linked from outside files, or pasted images stored within the InDesign file? There are considerable technical differences for things like the operation you're attempting.

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

It doesn't make any difference. D-Click on something in the CC Library panel, edit or edit with and select any item on the edit with drop down. Use the links flyout from window menu, edit and edit with... makes no difference at all, at all. The only thing InDesign does is to tell me I have to install PS. I did install it, by way of further diagnosing the problem. Makes no difference. It still tells me to install PS. I made sure the default handler in Windows is PS, also. 

It's like, in spire of everything I see on the Internet, InDesign actually does NOT respect the Windows default file type handler settings. I say *as if*... I get that this is what it's supposed to do, but frankly, so far, can't prove it by me. 

Any further suggestions? 'Cause I'm about out of .... enthusiasm for this product, if that's the best it can do. Granted, Windows is a terrible environment to ask a professional product to live in, but it claims it can live in that environment. 

Thanks for all your help

-- Phil

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I have not seen an answer to the most basic question: are the images in your document —

• Linked to an outside, separate source file on your computer, and show up in the Links panel list, or
• "Pasted" into the InDesign document so that the image data is part of the ID document?

This difference means the content is managed by InDesign and the system in very different ways. If there is no "original," no external file Photoshop or GIMP can open, the image cannot be edited directly.

ETA: I don't want to mess with something the size of GIMP, but I just added two simple image editors to the ID list and had no problem opening a sample image file — a placed one, linked to a real local file — with either.

I suggest that all of your problems boil down to one of two possibilities:

• You are attempting to edit un-editable embedded files, as above.
• Your ID installation is corrupted, possibly from all the attempts to get GIMP to work and belatedly adding Photoshop to the installation. In this case, completely delete the Adobe app suite, run CC Cleaner to scrub any remaining faulty preference and system files from your system, then reinstall whatever Adobe apps you use — with the suggestion that there's no real downside to installing Photoshop and Illustrator as basic working tools in parallel to, or support of, work in InDesign. Then re-link GIMP as an editing tool and I'd be surprised if you have any further problems with local image source files.

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

We're going in circles, so here -- So let's start all over:

I've gone the nuclear option:. 

* Uninstalled ID. Uninstalled PS. Uinstalled GIMP. Rebooted. 

* Reinstalled ID. Reinstalled PS. Both latest version. (Did *not* reinstall GIMP.)

* Started a new document. (Added nothing to it.)

* Wiped out the CC library (which was still there even though I uninstalled? No matter...) and repopulated with a small selection of favorite clipart, resident on that same machine. (Drag and drop from Windows file system, a collection of JPGs and PNGs, to the CC library panel.)

* Dragged one image from CC library to the document, to test that. 

* Double clicked on a different item in the CC library and it says "You must install Photoshop" to edit this image. (NOTE: as stated above PS *is* installed.)

* From windows file explorer, double cilck that image and Photoshop brings it up (fast, too).

* Back to ID, right click an image in the CC library, and chose "edit with" and select PS, and it says "you must install PS". 

* Also tried "edit with" and Photo Editor (Windows thing). Same result. "You must install PS" Sees it on the list, can't hand off to it. Or won't. 

* Also went to window -> links and from that flyout tried to edit, for the one image now in the new document. Same result, both edit and edit with. 

This is not a GIMP issue. It is not a "you folks who use the free stuff" issue (not you, some one else). It's not a matter of my having corrupted ID by fiddling with it, since it's a fresh install. No add-ons, exactly as installed. I accept it's got to be pilot error on my part somehow. But given the above steps, precisely outlined, what did I do wrong? 

How can PS be installed yet ID doesn't see it? (Sees it enough to put it on the "edit with" list, but not enough to invoke it, though Windows can invoke it.)

Windows 10. Latest versions of ID and PS (freshly installed). i9 processor, RTX 4080 video card.  

The images in CC were dragged in from Windows file system. Not from a document, as someone else suggested. (Naturally that would be uneditable.) I did not open a GIMP document (I don't use GIMP documents actually, just image manipulation.) These are standard PNGs and JPGs, editable with PS, Windows Photo Editor, et al: just clipart. Double click the images in file explorer and PS wakes right up with that image (right fast, too!). Only ID can't seem to hand it off to PS or anyone else either. 

What am I missing? 

I appreciate your time

-- Phil

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

To be fair, your replies have gone around a bit from images in CC Libraries to in the doc to here and there — it hasn't been completely clear what your processes/aims were until the last few posts.

But if you reinstalled ID and Photoshop, and are getting the "must install PS" message, it's an indication that your overall Adobe installation is corrupt at a very low level. Just uninstalling and reinstalling doesn't always clear and update things like user and app preferences, or the file cache, or such. You're basically installing the same slightly broken app.

Uninstall the Adobe apps and run this tool: https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/download

That should scrub away any broken bits of bad configuration file.

Then install ID and PS (and, recommended, Bridge and AI) in a single operation. You should find everything working after that.

A question that hasn't been fully asked or answered, though, and could be a contributing factor: Do you have a full Creative Cloud license for all the same, current tools? Or are you installing an older version of Photoshop from a different source?

Specifically, tell us the exact version of InDesign and the exact version of Photoshop you're installing (now, before you spend any more time on fixes — it will guide any further useful answers).

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

Yes, it's all fully licensed. I hadn't thought to mention that. 

OK. Tried that. Unistalled both, used ccleaner to remove any vestiges. It didn't find anything on ID or PS, but some files for adobe cloud were removed. No major issues on the machine. I'd have been surprised if there were, brand new machine, fresh Windows installation. (Only issue ccleaner found was their insisting that one program seriously needs updating for "security reasons" and it's ccleaner itself. Gah!)

Reinstalled: PS, then ID. 

New document. 

Double click any image in cc library. 

"You must install PS to edit this image." 

I think I'm done here. I'm going to shut down my account with Adobe. This is wasting too much time, not to mention the money. Disappointing... First day with ID I find a feature that would save me tons of time and I can't make it work. Leaves me wondering how many other things here don't work. Not as bad as Microsoft I guess... but disappointing.  

Thank you for your time. Much appreciated. 

-- Phil

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

"Fully licensed" doesn't quite answer the question. It's important to answer precisely, not with something sideways. Is your "fully licensed" copy of Photoshop a current version, or something you had around on CD? An older version of Photoshop probably does not have the 'hooks' to be recognized by CC.

If this is all absolutely current version software, installed in one clean swoop, then the problem is absolutely baffling. I've never encountered anything like it; it is certainly not anything common to updated installations. I feel sure an Adobe expert with con access to your system could spot the cause in minutes. Sometimes these things are very simple and obvious; other times it's something very subtle that could take days of "did you try this" to resolve.

But I suggest Affinity Publisher will make a better overall companion to GIMP and your needs.

[Phil at Waldport Tech]

Sideways!? I think I'm done here... 

I have a legitimate problem and all I'm getting is run around. 

Good bye Adobe!

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Phil, you've been asked very specific questions several times, and most of your answers are "sideways" to what's actually asked — some general comment or just moving on to some other action. We're not asking general questions in trying to help, we're asking very specifically what version, setting, process, etc. — and when you don't fly off the handle, you respond, "Nope, checked that, it's okay" or some other almost content-free thing. There's no way to proceed usefully without specific answers.

This is a user-to-user forum, of volunteers, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any equivalent level of help anywhere, even from Adobe Technical Support (who tend to be very methodical and tedious, out of necessity).

If you can't/won't answer simple questions like "what version of Photoshop are you actually installing?" then even we can't help you. So maybe you're better off getting angry at some other product's support users. Best of luck with GIMP and so forth.

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi Phill,

I am following up on this request. Did the suggestions shared above help or you still need assistance? Please Double-check the file association for the images and let us know if this helps or if you need further assistance.  

Thanks

Rishabh

[Peter Spier]

You may have to open Photoshop and or Bridge to get it working the first time. I seem to remember something weird like that.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

As for the installation, the Adobe suite is happiest when it's installed completely, at the same time, and onto a fresh system (or one that's been purged of remnants of prior installations). Anything else, including installing the apps piecemeal, and after doing various kinds of mucking around with the setup, and glitches are likely. Assuming you are trying to edit separate, standalone image files, Photoshop may simply not have installed correctly/completely, to the point where ID doesn't know it's there or where to find it.

If problems persist once you've sorted out the image editing to your preferences, you might want to think about a complete wipe and reinstall of the components you'll be using, just to limit this area of annoyances.