InDesign: Remove unwanted padding placed images

[parkdsng]

I am placing images into a document template and would like them to fit edge to edge within the template's column guides. When I select an image to place, then draw a marque from column guide to column guide the image appears with about 3 points of transparent padding above the image's top edge; it also creates a fixed proportional frame, which results in vertical images with white space on either side. Yes, I can fix this by cropping, but this extra step wasn't necessary before. In the past, I would select an image to place, drag to a frame to my desired width and the image would fill the width with the height remaining proportional to the original image's height. The placed image seems to be fixated on the vertical dimension. How do I need to adjust my settings so the image fits the width I've indicated (without top/left inset from the frame) while maintaining the proportion of the original? 

Mac OS 12.6.6; InDesign v.18.3

[Barb Binder]

Can you share a screen shot with frame edges and column guides visible?

~Barb

[parkdsng]

I included a screenshot, can you not see it?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Place works to a proportional placement of the image. If you don't draw the frame tall enough for the entire image height, it will place it proportionally by scaling, as your example shows.

There are many tools for placing and then fitting images. You might want to review the full set and find a combination that works to the precise end you want.

It is nearly impossible to place images in one operation unless you find an optimized method for identical images being placed identically. Place frame, adjust image is just part of the workflow.

[parkdsng]

I've been using InDesign for over 20 years and only recently started experiencing this problem. The frame is always horizontal no matter how tall I make it. I'm thinking more than likely either I have inadvertently changed my settings or an update by Adobe has modified the way images are imported. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I don't see any "unwanted padding"; I see ID following the rule it's always used in this process, of fitting the image proportionally to the Place frame size. If you are expecting the image to snap to the L/R margins and self-crop in height... I am not sure any ID setting or operation will do that. Maybe there's a setting or option I've missed all this time.

Perhaps you've never placed images of this proportion to a limited-width (or -height) frame, and thus just never encounterd the behavior?

[Barb Binder]

James, my expectations are in line with @parkdsng's when drag-placing a vertical image in a column as was described in the original post. 

I would select an image to place, drag to a frame to my desired width and the image would fill the width with the height remaining proportional to the original image's height.

~Barb

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Yes, as I noted below. I guess I have never paid strict attention to the details; I find image placement to almost always be an irritating and fussy operation. 🙂

Betting the OP's default was changed from None to one of the proportional options. Again, good catch and followup.

[Barb Binder]

That image is helpful, @parkdsng. (And no, for some reason I didn't see it initially.)

Will you please choose Edit > Deselect all and then immediately choose Object > Fitting > Frame Fitting Options. This is the default below. What does your look like?

~Barb

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Ah yes, that. But do any combination of these settings auto-crop as the OP seems to want?

In any case, it's possible one of these settings is what they expect, and it's changed to something else, so good catch.

ETA: I guess "None" does force a proportional frame/image placement, so I'd bet that's it and may have been changed as a default.

[parkdsng]

Barb,

Yes, halfway fixed! That eliminated the space at the top and bottom (there were some unusual measurements in the "crop amount" boxes. However, my Content Fitting options refuse to be reset to "none" and are staying on "Fit Content Proportionally" no matter what I try.

I've tried quitting InDesign, restarting, and opening a new blank doc, checking the Frame Fitting Option (they were set to None/zero crop amount), then placing a vertical image. It immediately changed the fitting option back to "Fit Content Proportionally."

I've also tried resetting the "Essentials."

I also quit, then opened the application without creating a document, went to Object > Fitting > Frame Fitting Options, and found all the defaults as you recommend above (None/zero crop amount). Regardless of that, when I create a new document and place an image, it reverts to "Fit Content Proportionally."

This is really weird and I can't seem to clear that default.

[parkdsng]

I may have something but I'm not sure why it matters.

When I upload images onto a my mac, they arrive as .JPG files, but if I right click on the image in the finder and select "Convert image" then select Large (which actually dramatically reduces the size of the image), it is then saved as a .jpeg file. When I place .jpeg files into InDesign, the defaults are respected. When I place a . JPG file, it changes the Frame Fitting Options to "Fit Content Proportionally." I'm not sure why this is but it works for me. Still have to convert all my images from .JPG to .jpeg though.

[Barb Binder]

When InDesign begins to behave erratically, consider rebuilding your cache and preferences. Doing so will solve most of these issues, and the link below explains both the keyboard technique (which works most of the time) as well as the more thorough approach to deleting (or renaming) your cache and preferences, which tends to resolve the more stubborn issues not rectified by the keyboard approach.

See: https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-rebuilding-preferences-cache/

~Barb

[parkdsng]

Thanks Barb! Will do!