Making Links Relative

[vítor carvalho]

I have a template with multiple placeholder images, the images are in a folder next to the .indd document.

Everytime i need to create a document using that template, i make a copy of both the placeholder images' folder and the .indd file to a new folder. And replace the placeholder images with final images to export.

But by default, InDesign will refer to the Absolute Path of the images instead of the Relative Path.

My current solution is changing the name of the original folder to something else everytime i make a copy, but it would be faster if i could just make InDesign prioritise the Relative Path by default!

Is there any way to achieve this?

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

File -> Package. 

This will copy currently linked files into a new place - then you can overwrite your links with final versions and update links in the INDD file. 

Or you can go to Links panel, select links and then relink to folder. 

[vítor carvalho]

Interesting! Does this work with multiple files (and folders) in a book file as well?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Interesting! Does this work with multiple files (and folders) in a book file as well?

By @vítor carvalho

There is an option to package Book. 

[Mike Witherell]

File > Package copies to a new location and brings along the images and repoints the links, too.

[Luke Jennings3]

Can you embed the (low res) placeholder images? this would eliminate the need to keep a folder of placeholder images when creating a new file from your template.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Can you embed the (low res) placeholder images, this would eliminate the need to keep a folder of placeholder images when creating a new file from your template.

By @Luke Jennings3

Never ever embed anything in the INDD file. 

[Luke Jennings3]

"Never ever embed anything in the INDD file."

There was some truth to this many years ago, particularly when embedding large images, do you know for a fact this is still an issue?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

"Never ever embed anything in the INDD file."

There was some truth to this many years ago, particularly when embedding large images, do you know for a fact this is still an issue?

By @Luke Jennings3

Are you talking about linking then embedding? I hope not about copy&pasting?

Anyway - it makes INDD file unnecessary bigger and more prone to corruption.

And OP is talking about templates - not one-offs - so if something is embedded - it will require unembedding then overwriting then refreshing - a lot of unnecessary steps... especially - if you have a lot of files created on the same template...

[Luke Jennings3]

Embedding large images will bloat an InDesign file and is best avoided, embedding small low res images won't, and as far as I know probably won't be an issue, unless you can provide recent evidence to the contrary. 

Embedded images appear in the links panel and can be relinked the same as linked files, no need to unembed overwrite and refresh.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Luke Jennings3

Yes, you're right - you can relink - but there is still one little inconvenience - you need to find and select link you want to relink - if you overwrite low-res file with a high-res file - you just need to confirm that you want to update outdated links.

On the other hand - if you need to update a single instance of multiple copies - you need to select it manually anyway. 

[vítor carvalho]

Exactly, and i'm dealing with hundreds of images sometimes! And they are subject to reviews and changes later on.

Embedding is definitelly not an option.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Exactly, and i'm dealing with hundreds of images sometimes! And they are subject to reviews and changes later on.

Embedding is definitelly not an option.

By @vítor carvalho

If you work on a PC - my ID-Tasker tool would help you a lot - isn't free, but extremely versatile.