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<ul class="navigation"><li class="prev"><a accesskey="p" class="prev" href="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ffaa.html" title="Overview of selection methods"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Previous" width="17" height="17" /></a></li><li class="next"><a accesskey="n" class="next" href="WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-6f17a.html" title="Select nested or overlapping objects"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Next" width="17" height="17" /></a></li></ul><div class="hierarchy"><a href="WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-6f30a.html">Frames and objects</a> /
     <a href="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ffca.html"><b>Selecting objects</b></a> 
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                <h1>
                    Select objects
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                <br clear="both" /><div id="minitoc"><div class="t"><div class="b"><div class="l"><div class="r"><div class="bl"><div class="br"><div class="tl"><div class="tr"><div><h3>Contents [<a href="#" onclick="return toggleMiniToc('minitoc-links', this);" class="hideLink">Hide</a>]</h3><ul id="minitoc-links"><li><p><a href="#WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff8a"><h4 class="topictitle4">Select a bounding box</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff7a"><h4 class="topictitle4">Select a path or points on a path</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff6a"><h4 class="topictitle4">Select text inside a frame</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff5a"><h4 class="topictitle4">Select an object inside a frame</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff4a"><h4 class="topictitle4">Select multiple objects</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff2a"><h4 class="topictitle4">Select or deselect all objects</h4>
</a></p></li></ul></div></div><br clear="both" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br clear="both" /><div><div class="section"><p>An <dfn class="term">object</dfn> is any printable
element on a page or on the pasteboard, such as a path or an imported
graphic. A <dfn class="term">frame</dfn> or <dfn class="term">path</dfn> is a shape you
draw or a container for text or graphics. A <dfn class="term">bounding box</dfn> is
a rectangle with eight selection handles that represents an object’s
vertical and horizontal dimensions. Before you can modify an object,
you must <dfn class="term">select</dfn> it using a selection tool. </p>
<p>For
a video on selecting objects, see <a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/vid0070" target="_blank">www.adobe.com/go/vid0070</a>.</p>
<p>There
are two ways to select an object in InDesign: <div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="gh_33" src="images/gh_33.png" /><div class="figdesc">Path with bounding box selected (left), path selected (middle),
and path with anchor point selected (right)</div><br /></div></p>
<ul><li><p>You can use the Selection tool <img src="images/P_Select_Lg_N.png" /> to
select the object’s bounding box for performing general layout tasks,
such as positioning and sizing objects. </p>
</li>
<li><p>You can use the Direct Selection tool <img src="images/P_AnchorSelect_Lg_N.png" /> to
select the contents of a container (such as an imported graphic)
or individual points on a path for tasks involving resizing imported
graphics, drawing and editing paths, and editing text.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>An
imported graphic is always contained within a frame. It’s possible
to select the graphic and its frame, the graphic only, or its frame
only. The frame and bounding box of an imported graphic can be different
sizes. To see how InDesign indicates what’s selected, see <a href="WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-6f2da.html">Modifying objects using graphics frames</a>.</div>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="gh_32" src="images/gh_32.png" /><div class="figdesc">Bounding box selected (left) compared to rectangular path
selected (right)</div><br /></div><p>With rectangular objects, it
can be difficult to tell the difference between the object’s bounding
box and the path of the object itself. A bounding box always displays
eight large hollow anchor points. A rectangular path always displays
four small anchor points (which can be hollow or solid). </p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff8a" class="nochunk"><a name="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff8a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Select a bounding box</h3><div><div class="section"><p>For any object, you can select its <dfn class="term">bounding
box—</dfn>a rectangle that represents the object’s horizontal and
vertical dimensions. (For grouped objects, the bounding box is a
dashed rectangle.) The bounding box makes it possible to quickly
move, duplicate, and scale the object without having to use any
other tool. For paths, the bounding box makes it easy to work with
an entire object without accidentally altering the anchor points
that determine its shape. </p>
<div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>For more precise moving and
scaling, and for other modifications such as rotation, use the Control
panel or the Transform panel.</div>
</div>
<div class="p"><span><img src="images/dingbat.png" />&#160;Using the Selection tool <img src="images/P_Select_Lg_N.png" />, do
one of the following:</span><ul><li><p>Click the object. If the object is an unfilled
path, click its edge.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Drag a dotted selection rectangle or marquee around
part or all of the object.</p>
</li>
<li><p>With a graphic object or nested content selected,
click the Select Container button&#160;<img src="images/P_SelectUp_Md_N.png" /> on
the Control panel.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="section"><p>When you select one or more objects with the Selection
tool, you see a bounding box that indicates the size of each object.
If you don’t see a bounding box when an object is selected, you
may have selected the object using the Direct Selection tool&#160;<img src="images/P_AnchorSelect_Lg_N.png" />. </p>
<p>If
you click a frame and it is not selected, the frame may be on a
locked layer or master page. If the frame is on a locked layer,
a pencil icon appears. If the frame is on a master page, you can
override it to select it.</p>
</div>
</div></div>
<div id="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff7a" class="nochunk"><a name="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff7a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Select a path or points on a path</h3><div><div class="section"><p>Paths
in InDesign are defined by anchor points, end points, and direction
lines. You select anchor points and end points using the Direct
Selection tool.</p>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="gh_36" src="images/gh_36.png" /><div class="figdesc">A path with a single point selected (left) and multiple points
selected (right)</div><br /></div></div>
<ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Using the Direct Selection tool&#160;<img src="images/P_AnchorSelect_Lg_N.png" />, click
the path to select it. </span> <p>Notice how the tool changes when it’s above a path&#160;<img src="images/dirctslash.png" /> or
a point&#160;<img src="images/dirctpnt.png" />.</p>
</li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Do any of the following:</span><ul><li><p>To select an individual point, click it. </p>
</li>
<li><p>To select multiple points on the path, press Shift
as you click each point. </p>
</li>
<li><p>To select all of a path’s points at once, click
the point at the center of the object, or hold down Alt (Windows)
or Option (Mac&#160;OS) and click the path. If you direct-select
any part of the object, the Select All command also selects all
the points.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div>
<div id="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff6a" class="nochunk"><a name="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff6a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Select text inside a frame</h3><div><ul><li><span>To
select text by dragging, click on a text frame using the Type tool.
An insertion point appears.</span></li>
<li><span>To create an insertion point in text, double-click a
text frame using any selection tool. InDesign switches to the Type
tool automatically.</span></li>
</ul>
</div></div>
<div id="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff5a" class="nochunk"><a name="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff5a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Select an object inside a frame</h3><div><div class="p"><span><img src="images/dingbat.png" />&#160;Do any of the following:</span><ul><li><p>Click the object using the Direct Selection
tool&#160;<img src="images/P_AnchorSelect_Lg_N.png" />. The
Direct Selection tool automatically changes to the Hand tool when
placed over a graphic object inside a frame (but not when placed
over a non-graphic object, such as a path).</p>
</li>
<li><p>With a frame selected, choose Select&#160;&gt;
Content from the Object menu or the frame’s context menu.</p>
</li>
<li><p>With a frame selected, click the Select Content
button&#160;<img src="images/P_SelectDown_Md_N.png" /> on
the Control panel.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div></div>
<div id="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff4a" class="nochunk"><a name="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff4a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Select multiple objects</h3><div><ul><li class="stepexpand"><span>To select all the objects
in a rectangular area, use the Selection tool&#160;<img src="images/P_Select_Lg_N.png" /> to
drag a marquee over the objects you want to select. </span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>To select nonadjacent objects, use the Selection tool
to select an object and then press Shift as you click additional
objects. Clicking selected objects deselects them.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>To add more objects to a selection, press Shift as you
use the Selection tool to drag a marquee over additional objects.
Dragging over selected objects deselects them.</span> <div class="tip"><img src="images/tip_help.png" />You can use these same techniques with
the Direct Selection tool to select objects nested inside groups
or frames.</div></li>
</ul>
</div></div>
<div id="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff2a" class="nochunk"><a name="WS714a382cdf7d304e9f688c1003dbfac89-7ff2a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Select or deselect all objects</h3><div><div class="section"><p>To
deselect all objects on the spread and its pasteboard, choose Edit&#160;&gt;
Deselect All. Or, with the Selection tool or Direct Selection tool,
click at least 3 pixels away from any object.</p>
<p>The Select All
command has a different effect depending on the situation: </p>
<ul><li><p>If the Selection tool&#160;<img src="images/P_Select_Lg_N.png" /> is
active, all paths and frames on the spread and pasteboard are selected,
with their bounding boxes active. </p>
</li>
<li><p>If the Direct Selection tool&#160;<img src="images/P_AnchorSelect_Lg_N.png" /> is
active and an object is direct-selected, Select All selects all
the anchor points of that object but does not select any other object.
If nothing is selected, Select All selects all the path objects
on the spread and pasteboard.</p>
</li>
<li><p>If the Type tool is active and there is an insertion point
in a text frame (indicated by a flashing vertical line), Select
All selects all text in that text frame and any text frames threaded
to it, but selects no other objects.</p>
</li>
<li><p>If an object in a group is selected, Select All selects the
rest of the objects in the group but no other objects on the spread. </p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Select the tool you want to use. If desired, select
an object or place the insertion point in a text frame.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Choose Edit&#160;&gt; Select All.</span> <div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>The Select All command doesn’t select nested objects,
objects that are positioned on locked or hidden layers, master page
items that are not overridden on document pages, or objects on other
spreads and pasteboards (except for threaded text).</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div>

                <div id="related">
                    <div class="separator">&#160;</div>
                    <div><p>&#160;<a href="WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-70f0a.html">About paths and frames</a></p><p>&#160;<a href="WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-6c23a.html">Understanding paths and shapes</a></p><p>&#160;<a href="WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-6f17a.html">Select nested or overlapping objects</a></p><p>&#160;<a href="WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-712ea.html">Work with ruler guides</a></p>
</div>
                    <p><a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/vid0070" title="http://www.adobe.com/go/vid0070">Selecting Objects video (adobe.com)</a></p>
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