Scaling contents with frame

InDesign: InDesign places all imported graphics into frames. If you drag the frame to scale it your graphic will normally not scale with the container. Also in text frames, when you drag and scale them, you only scale your boxed container but the font size is intact.

To scale frame contents with the box container, hold SHIFT+CTRL (SHIFT+Command) while scaling. This will scale your contents along with the frame. If the frame contains text this will scale the font size along with the frame.

Saving time on Save

Illustrator: Having trouble with time consuming document Saves? You can set your options so that Illustrator takes less time Saving documents.
First of all a good rule while you work is to Place your images into Illustrator using Links. This allows you to create a link to the original image and Illustrator will just display a low-quality preveiw for your images. If you choose not to use linked images, Illustrator will embed the images and save them every time you save the document. When you open Place and select your image for placing, remember to select ‘Link’ from the side menu, as seen below.

Secondly, when you Save your document for the first time as ‘.ai’ you have the option to Save with or without PDF preview and compression.

A good practice for fast saving is to deselect ‘Create PDF Compatible File’ and also ‘Use Compression’. If you use these settings Illustrator will create a PDF preview of your document an compress it a little bit, and that can take some time, especially when using embedded images.

NOTE: Embedding images can be very useful when you have to send your editable .ai files to someone else, but can slow down your workflow if you embed them right from the start.

Using ‘Create PDF Compatible File’ can also be useful, for instance when you have to import .ai files into another program like InDesign or PhotoShop. If your document has no PDF preview you are likely to recive an error message in these programs, saying your document is not compatible for import.

PDF settings for print

InDesign: InDesign offers a good way to create a press production pdf similar to Acrobat Distiller. However, often you have to create these settings yourself so they are compatible for any print studio, similar to creating a custom profile for Acrobat Distiller. The following settings should be applied to create a highly compatible PDF export in InDesign, ideal for print production (not for your office BubbleJet).

To begin with you should go to File>PDF Export Presets>Define. A window pops up showing all the pre-defined settings shipped with InDesign. The ‘Print’ setting in the pre-defined settings can be used for print production but might not be compatible for every print studio.
Click ‘New’ to add your custom preset and set it just like shown here:

Name your profile anything you like, be sure to set Compatibility to ‘PDF 1.3′ and select ‘Optimize for fast web view’ but do not select the other options. Advance to the next tab:

Be sure to set your settings as shown here in the Compression tab. For Color and Grayscale images, set it to ‘Bicubic downsampling to’ and the number to 300 pix per inch for images over 450 pix per inch. Set your Compression to Automatic and Image Quality to Maximum. This means the PDF produced will contain full quality images, but images that are over 450 pix per inch will be downsampled to 300 (300 ppi is in most cases the highest printing quality available). Set ‘Do not downsample’ for monochrome images and the compression to ‘CCITT Group 4′.

Set the PDF to include printer marks and bleed (optional) and set the Transparency Flattener to High Resolution.

When you have completed these settings click OK to save them. Now when you go to File>PDF Export Presets, your profile should be in the bottom of the list.

More or less Nudge

InDesign/Illustrator: Nudging a few pixels or units using the cursor keys during design is extremely useful. Furthermore you can hold SHIFT while nudging to nudge even further (normally one Nudge times ten). Hold SHIFT+ALT (SHIFT+Option) to copy your object that distance. This will work for most graphic programs including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Flash.
In InDesign you can also hold SHIFT+Ctrl (SHIFT+Command) while nudging with the cursor keys and you will move your object even shorter than a normal nudge (one Nudge / 10)

You can also set your nudge distance:

In InDesign: Open ‘Preferences’ and select the ‘Units & Increments’ tab, under ‘Keyboard Increments’ you can insert a number for ‘Cursor Key’. The number you set is the distance an object is moved with the cursor key (based on your unit settings).

In Illustrator: Open ‘Preferences’ and select the ‘General’ tab, there you can insert a number for ‘Keyboard Increment’. The number you set is the distance an object is moved with the cursor key (based on your unit settings).

Paste editable shapes from Illustrator

InDesign: By default, copying from illustrator and pasting into InDesign, InDesign will handle your clipboard as PDF and your pasted vector shapes will not be editable. This can however easily be set, so you can keep your Illustrator drawings editable in InDesign.

Open ‘Preferences’ in InDesign and select the ‘General’ tab. At the bottom of the page are settings that control how your clipboard is handled by InDesign. To keep your clipboard fully editable, deselect ‘Prefer PDF When Pasting’.

Now you have to set your Illustrator clipboard settings to be able to copy your shapes intact. Open ‘Prefenrences’ and select the ‘File Handling & Clipboard’ tab. In the settings for ‘Clipboard on Quit’ you have to keep ‘AICB’ and ‘Preserve Paths’ selected, but deselect the ‘PDF’ option.

Now you can copy your shapes from Illustrator to InDesign and keep the shapes fully editable.

Going back in History

PhotoShop: Some of you may already know this but a great shortcut all the same. To go back a few steps in the History, is to press CTRL+ALT+Z (Command+Option+Z). Rather than undoing just back and forth normally, with this shortcut you can undo a few steps back (as far as the History is set to go back).

Replacing items on the timeline

AfterEffects: To replace an item on the timeline with another footage while keeping it’s original movement and effects, you can do the following:
Click on a layer in the timeline once to select it, go to your project window, select a new item (footage, etc.), then hold down the Option key (ALT) and drag the new item over the old one in the timeline. That will replace that item for only that layer in that comp. Also, you can select multiple layers on the timeline and replace them all using the same technique.

Creating default styles

InDesign: You can create default Character Styles, Paragraph Styles and Swatches that will always be included in new documents.
To create a default style or swatch, you need to open InDesign without opening a document. You add a new style or swatch like normally, and set all options within styles as you whould like them to appear. When done you should see your style or swatch in the list, and every time you create a new document that style or swatch will be in the list.
NOTE: This technique will not insert styles by default in documents you have already created. To delete a style or swatch from your default list, open InDesign without opening a document, and trash the style from the list.

Changing various settings in InDesign wihout having any document open will make those settings default. This also works for other programs in the Adobe Creative Suite bundle. You can try it with default brushes in Illustrator or even default master page settings in InDesign.

“þ” changes to “fl”

InDesign: Using the new ‘OpenType’ standard, the ‘Ligatures’ option is on by default. This option will replace certain characters with alternate glyphs. In some languages this can be a slight problem (like in Icelandic, my mother language), as it will change some language-specific characters into OpenType glyphs. A good example of this is the repalcement of the icelandic letter “þ” into an OpenType “fl”.
Obviously, removing this option is a must for some languages.

Open InDesign without opening any document, select the ‘Character’ palette and on that palette click the little arrow for more options. In the option drop-down list, deselect an option named ‘Ligatures’. Now when you create new documents you should see all your language specific characters as they should be.

NOTE: Changing attributes like these in InDesign without opening any document, makes a default setting for new documents. Deselecting this option for documents you have already created, you need to open your document, select all textboxes and follow the same procedure (caharcter palette>options>de-select Ligatures).

Changing multiple text layers

Photoshop: Having multiple text layers can be a hassle when you have to change the same attribute for all of them. The hard way is to select them one at a time and change things for each one. You can however change them all at once using a very simple technique:

1. Link all the text layers you need to change.
2. Open the ‘Character’ or ‘Paragraph’ palette.
3. Hold SHIFT while setting new attributes.

Holding SHIFT while selecting new attributes on the Character or Paragraph palette, changes the selected attribute for all the linked text layers at once.

UPDATE: In Photoshop CS2 this process is a lot easier, as there is no need to link your layers. Just select multiple layers at once to change them all.