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squidz
Known Participant
January 21, 2010
Answered

Tile an image in InDesign?

  • January 21, 2010
  • 7 replies
  • 45729 views

I have a seamless pattern provided by a client for a print piece. But, the source is only 3x4 and need to conver a significant background area. I haven't determined a way in InDesign to tile such an image in a container.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer TREX8905603

    Hello squidz...

    I use Indesign CS5.5

    Have you tried using the Make Grid from the installed scripts that come with Indesign? I use Indesign CS5.5


    Window - Utilities - Scripts - Make Grid, a dialogue box appears, just fill in your preferred settings, this will multiply your image, then go to

    Top Menu - Object Fitting - Content to Frame

    You may have to experiment a little, but another choice to consider to get your effect.

    Trex

    7 replies

    TREX8905603
    TREX8905603Correct answer
    Participating Frequently
    October 21, 2015

    Hello squidz...

    I use Indesign CS5.5

    Have you tried using the Make Grid from the installed scripts that come with Indesign? I use Indesign CS5.5


    Window - Utilities - Scripts - Make Grid, a dialogue box appears, just fill in your preferred settings, this will multiply your image, then go to

    Top Menu - Object Fitting - Content to Frame

    You may have to experiment a little, but another choice to consider to get your effect.

    Trex

      S
      squidzAuthor
      Known Participant
      October 22, 2015

      Trex, it is funny that this post came back alive after 5 years. I honestly don't even remember what I was working on. HOWEVER, this little nugget that you just dropped in here is a really nice one. I had to go ahead and try it out real quick. I fiddled with it for all of 5 minutes and found this to be very useful in a variety of ways I never would have imagined. Thanks!

      Much more versatile than standard step and repeat.

      Kerrigan, you should check this out. Looks like it would be very useful for your children's book task. Set your source image in your document, set the frame it's in to the coverage area you need, run the script, make sure the frame is selected and run the fitting commands from the Object menu. Toy with that and the size of the image you start with, the frame size and you'll find this interesting.

      TREX8905603
      TREX8905603
      Participating Frequently
      October 22, 2015

      Hello squids...I did not realize that this post was that old, but pleased I could be of help.

      It is always amazing what tips and useful advice you can get from this forum, also finding those hidden scripts and plugins within the Adobe programmes that can be very useful.

      Trex

      A
      autodefrost1
      Participating Frequently
      October 20, 2015

      I know what you mean, creating tiling background image should be easy - 10 years ago you could do this in Quark - and in 2015, you cannot do this in Indesign -

        Kerrigan Marois
        Kerrigan Marois
        Participant
        February 17, 2015

        I'd like to drag this post back from the dead.

        I actually don't understand why we don't have the ability with object styles to set bg image as repeat x,y or both. Example, I work on a childrens book catalog that has a hundred or so pages and about 30-40 different repeating backgrounds, it takes me a lot of extra time in photoshop to bring each one in, get it lined up just right and save it as a pattern for future layer styles. Problem is, we change those patterns a lot, and I use that type of repeatable pattern workflow in many different projects.

        The perfect solution in my mind would be to use something similar to photoshops tiling function under layer style, or maybe it would be easier for indesign to read a .pat file. I don't know.

        Maybe this needs to be in feature request, but it would definitely help knock hours off my project times.

          rob day
          Community Expert
          rob dayCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          February 17, 2015

          Have you tried the Step And Repeat Create as a Grid feature?

          Here I have an image where I've fit the frame to the content under Fitting, and entered the frame height under Vertical and the frame width under Horizontal

          You could then group the step and repeat and paste it into a frame:

            Peter Spier
            Community Expert
            Peter SpierCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            January 21, 2010

            Easy enough to check the step and repeat. Zoom in on a four-point intersection...

            S
            squidzAuthor
            Known Participant
            January 22, 2010

            All great options that I didn't even think of.

            If I can do it in InDesign within any container, that would be good and maintain a smaller file size. But it seems all of the suggestions should easily do the trick.

            Thanks!

            E
            Community Expert
            Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            January 21, 2010

            Bob is right - photoshop would be best for this

            Peter has the right approach too

            Something that just occured to me:

            You could set a table up in the background that have 3x4 cells across the page and down the page?

            Remove any insets from the cells and any stroke setting.

            Place the image into each cell.

            Lock the text frame containing the table.

            That might work.

              Peter Spier
              Community Expert
              Peter SpierCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              January 21, 2010

              Place it in the upper left corner. Edit > Step & Repeat... Set the horizontal field to the width of the image, the vertical to 0 and the number to whatever you need to fill the width and click OK.

              Select all, Edit > Step and Repeat... Set teh horizontal offest to 0, the vertical to the height of the image, and the count to whatever you need to fill the sheet. Click OK.

                BobLevine
                Community Expert
                BobLevineCommunity Expert
                Community Expert
                January 21, 2010

                I was a second away from suggesting that but I really didn't trust it. All it needs to be off by is a pixel or so and it won't look right.

                Bob

                BobLevine
                Community Expert
                BobLevineCommunity Expert
                Community Expert
                January 21, 2010

                Do it in Photoshop and save it as PSD.

                Bob

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