InDesign

Crop content using the Position tool

The Position tool  in InDesign functions similarly to the Crop tool in Adobe PageMaker. The Position tool works in conjunction with the Selection tool  to help control the placement of content within a frame as well as change the size of the frame.

The Position tool is dynamic, automatically changing to reflect different states. When it’s placed directly over a graphic, it changes to the Hand tool, to indicate that you can drag the content within a frame. When it’s over a text frame, it changes to an I‑beam, to indicate a text insertion point.

You can also use the Position tool to adjust inline images and nonimage content, such as text frames and buttons.

  1. Put the pointer over the Direct Selection tool  in the toolbox, and hold down the mouse button. When the Position tool  appears, select the tool.
    Selecting the Position tool from the toolbox

  2. Select the frame of the graphic that you want to crop.
    Important: Make sure you select the frame and not the graphic itself.
  3. To resize the graphics frame, place the Position tool over any handle on the frame, and drag until only the part of the graphic you want in your document remains. To show more of the graphic, drag away from the center of the graphic.
    Resizing a graphics frame

    A.
    Increasing frame

    B.
    Decreasing frame

  4. To move the graphic within the frame, place the Position tool over the contents of the graphics frame, and drag the contents. The Position tool automatically changes to the Hand tool  when over the content of the frame.
Moving an image within its frame

Set Position tool options

When using the Position tool  to move a graphic, you can hold down the mouse button for a few seconds to display a dynamic graphics preview (a ghosted-back image) of any part of the image that is outside of the frame. You can control the display and delay of the preview.

  1. Double-click the Position tool  in the toolbox.
  2. From the Show Masked Portion of Image menu, select the rate at which the entire image will appear while dragging, or select to turn it off entirely.