Skip to main content
Participant
March 20, 2018
Question

Screen shots suddenly started going blurry in InDesign

  • March 20, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 3126 views

Hi, I've used InDesign a few times to create magazines and I've never had a problem when I've used a screenshot. I'm currently working on a new magazine and the first half of the magazine is perfectly fine, I've used screenshots and they are nice and clear. However, with the second half, all the screen shots that i'm using are blurry. Its not the display performance. Everything else looks crystal clear, its just my screenshots. I take a screenshot of something, for example the settings i've used to edit a photograph that i have taken. The screenshot automatically appears on my desktop (i'm using a MacBook air) i then copy and paste the screenshot into PowerPoint, i resize the screenshot to make it smaller so that it fits on my page better (i've always done this, so this isn't the problem), at this point my screenshot is still crystal clear. I then copy and paste it onto my page in InDesign and BAM.....blurry!!!! Its frustrating the life out of me. I need to get it sent off asap but i cant until i've fixed this problem. Can anyone help me please.

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

Andrei Koziakov
Inspiring
March 20, 2018

Hi Kerryanne,
I guess it will be much better and also easier to place screenshots directly into InDesign document and scale them also in InDesign, instead of scaling and copying it from Powerpoint.
Use  'Place' command under 'File' menu (Cmd+D shortcut). Or just drag your screenshot file/files from your desktop and drop it directly into document. So your screenshot will be added in your document as linked image inside the rectangular frame.
Then choose 'Selection' tool and scale the frame using any corner marker of the frame.
Keep in mind that in order to scale frame and picture together and keep proportions you have to hold Command and Shift keys while scaling. Or just activate 'Auto-fit' checkbox in Control panel before the scaling.  

Bill Silbert
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 20, 2018

You could also try turning off GPU Performance in InDesign's preferences.

Steve Werner
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 20, 2018

What version of InDesign? What operating system?

Copying and pasting images is definitely NOT the way you go. You should choose File > Place to get the best results. Check the effective (scaled) resolution by using the Info panel (Window > Info).