Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
CC FEATURES FOR CREATIVELY COMBINING APPS
PLACE MULTIPLE FILES
Before IIllustrator CC, placing multiple files into a document was a time-consuming
process of choosing one file at a time. Illustrator CC has now added the option to
place multiple files using a feature that operates similarly to InDesign's “place gun.”
Choose File> Place (
-Shift-P/Ctrl-Shift-P), and in the Place dialog, Shift-click
contiguous files, or -click/Ctrl-click discontiguous files to select several files at the
same time. Choose whether to link the files or embed them, and whether or not to
show Import Options when placing them. The options that you'll be presented with if
you enable the Show Import Options checkbox will vary depending upon factors such
as the selected file's format, whether it's one or multiple files, and whether you've
enabled the Link option or are embedding the file. See the Tip Using Place with Area
Type
“
Using Place with Area Type
”
before attempting to place text. Templates and
Replace are unavailable when more than one file has been selected.
Once you've clicked OK, Illustrator's cursor will display the thumbnail of the file
you're about to place, along with its number in the sequence of files you've selected—
for instance, 2/7 means you've selected the second of seven files. To place a file that
isn't displayed, use the left and right arrows on your keyboard to cycle through to the
one you do want. If you decide now you don't want a file, press the Esc key to drop
that file from the queue.
Place the image in your document by dragging out a marquee, which is constrained
proportionally to the image, or by clicking once in the document to place the file at
full size. If you didn't choose to show Import Options in the Place dialog, and
depending upon both whether the file type supports options and whether or not you
have Link enabled, you can still sometimes choose Import Options on the fly; press
Shift and click once to bring up that file's Import Options, select an option, click OK,
and you're back to the Place cursor ready to place the file. If you choose Show Import
Options in the Place dialog, Illustrator will first page through the files, bringing up
any import options for each one, before you place any of the files.
Illustrator is
not
InDesign
Although Illustrator and InDesign have many similar features, such as the new
multi-file Place feature, Illustrator's Place is not identical to InDesign's. InDesign lets
you undo when placing files, reloading the “place gun” with each undo, even after
you've placed the last file. Illustrator lets you undo and reload the cursor only until
you have placed the last file. Once the place gun is empty, choosing Undo doesn't
reload. InDesign also allows you to select multiple files in Bridge and drag them onto
your document, loading the “place gun” cursor with all those files at the same time.
As of this writing, Illustrator only lets you drag and drop one file from Bridge,
although using Place from the context menu does allow for multiple files. And finally,
you won't be able to create a grid while placing files as you can with InDesign.
Using Place with Area type
When placing Area type, Illustrator doesn't recognize a pre-drawn container. After
selecting the text file, drag with your cursor to draw a frame the size you want, and
the text will pour into that frame. To place text in a vector object, use the Type tool to
copy it to the clipboard, convert the object to an area type container, then paste the
text into it.
