Integration of Indesign with Illustrator?

[sugarcoated293]

Hi,

I want to create some pictures on Illustrator and then place them onto a template e.g. a worksheet, in Indesign. Would it be easier to use Indesign altogether or Illustrator alone or is the best way to do the pictures in Illustrator and then transfer it over to Indesign? I have never used Indesign before so I just wanted to hear what people's opinions are before I delve into it.

Thank you!

[Anna Lander · Accepted solution]

Drawing is better in Illustrator, it's its specialization. InDesign's drawing tools are quite poor.

So you can draw your illustrations in Illustrator and then place them into InDesign.

If you plan to draw something very simple (e.g. flat icon without gradients, or an ornament element with flat color), you can copy it in Illustrator and paste in InDesign, in this case you will be able to edit it in InDesign. But this way has many limitations and  can provide some boring issues, so to paste the AI file is better. Then you can edit the image in Illustrator and update the link when you want (Links panel > Update link) If you're afraid to miss it by moving your working file to a new place, you can embed the illustration (Links panel menu > Embed Link).

[Scott Citron]

Illustrator is a dedicated drawing tool. Its features run circles around those of InDesign. Of course, learning to use these features comes at a steep price. If your drawing needs are simple, there's nothing wrong with using InDesign. If, on the other hand, you need to draw complex or sophisticated objects, you must use Illustrator. Again, Illustrator offers a very feature-rich drawing environment, but learning how to coax these features from the application is not for the faint of heart.

[Scott Citron]

Correction: In your reply you say "to paste the AI file is better." I think you meant to say "to place the AI file is better."