Missing links but they're still appearing in InDesign v 13.

[ryanbealey]

Hi guys,

So I received an .indd file from my colleague and I figured the links in it would be missing and I was right. After updating InDesign, they actually appeared in the document but are still marked as missing links. I was able to export a PDF with these visuals but I still need to send is raw InDesign asset over to a client of mine. Will these visuals show up on their system when they open the InDesign file? I'm very confused, I've never seen missing links that are visually present in the document.

Please let me know.

Thanks,

Ryan

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

Once an image has been placed into InDesign it will maintain a preview image within the file and it will print and appear in a pdf. However, without maintaining the original link with the original image it will only be a low resolution preview and will show pixelization when printed or made into a pdf.

[ryanbealey]

This sounds like what happened, thank you. Thankfully, I was able to receive the packaged file from my colleague and the issue did not persist when opening the InDesign document in that package.

[Cari Jansen]

Links to original image locations are managed with the Links manager panel in InDesign.  They can go missing when:

• someone renames the image file in their original location
• removed the image file from their original location

You'll literally have to go find the images again on their respective systems in their folders and relink them to create a PDF that contains image without only getting a low quality preview of the image in the PDF.

• When your Screen mode is set to Normal, and View > Extras has Link Badges show images will display a missing link icon in the top left (or other location if the image has been rotated).
• It will also show up in the Status column in the Links manager.

You can use the Links manager to manage all the links in your document, it has an added advantage in that you can actually see WHERE the image link originated from originally... which can be a good help in finding the image and restoring its Links.

1. Select an image with a missing links badge
2. Click the disclosure arrow to the left of '1 Selected' to see the Link Information.
3. Look for the Path option and hover the mouse over the path name, it will show the full name where the image is located.
   

To fix a missing link:

Click on the Link badge on the image, or double-click on the Link bade in the Links panel, and follow the prompts and navigate to where the image is stored and select it.