Links panel is empty

[Marv1e]

I have received a packaged file from a client with .indd and .idml files. There were no packaged links supplied even though there are graphics in my document, but the links panel is completely empty and shows no linked files, missing or otherwise. This is only happening for this set of supplied files, all other files are showing the links. Obviously this won't fix the fact that my client hasn't supplied any linked files but obviously I just want to know what's going on? (Closeup screenshot attached)

Anyone come across this before?

[Eugene Tyson]

Usually means they have just copy and pasted the images from somewhere else, like Illustrator directly to InDesign.

I copied this image from a web page and pasted it directly into InDesign

But you can still check resolutions via the Prefight Panel

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/preflighting-files-handoff.html

If you want all the images

Expor to PDF and don't add any compression or colour conversion - just export the pdf at highest quality with nothing converted to anything

Open the PDF

And Extract the Images it's the blue icon on the right - and select Export as images at the bottom.

You can then go about linking them.

But it's really poor that they are not there.

I wouldn't bother with this though - garbage in garbage out GIGO.

Just inform the client that images are not linked - and inform them of any images too low resolution.

For the record: line art images (litho printing) should be approx 1200ppi

If you have any concerns over image quality check with art department/printers/prepress or something like that - if you can't get a better file from the client then you will have to inform them of images of concern.

[Marv1e]

That's a fair point!

Unfortunately in this case what makes it strange is the mising graphics are vector. Usually if you copy and paste from Illustrator they remain editable but in this case they're flattened. A quick pdf export, opened in Illustrator, reveals that they are still in fact editable vectors, I just can't touch them in Indesign.

I think I may have to rip them out the pdf and add them back in. Seems like a bug to me.

[Eugene Tyson]

Wouldn't say it's a bug.

Perhaps they copied them from a PDF and pasted them into InDesign.

It would still be a vector image - but without a link to the vector.

So should be fine - if you export the file supplied and check it in Acrobat that it's vector (just zoom in) and if it's vector you'll know.

I wouldn't touch it - or ask the client to supply the files. 

You're risking a lot by interfering with how it was supplied without consulting the client.

[Marv1e]

So according to my client (not the original designer but the project manager), the vectors were pasted from Illustrator, which should mean they're editable. This illustrator file has now been supplied and I cannot paste into Indesign without it being ineditable.

I have tried pasting these vectors from Illustrator into a new Indesign file and have the same result. I have also copied and pasted vectors from a completely separate Illustrator file and they're editable. So it must be something to do with the illustrator file?

I'm a little baffled at this point. I think I'm going to simply take the supplied vector file and place it as properly linked assets into my Indesign file, it might be quicker than figuring out what's going wrong haha!

[Eugene Tyson]

Best thing to do.