Nested "Place Linked" Files in Photoshop and InDesign: AutoUpdate?
May 5, 2021 9:16 PM Subscribe
I have a bunch of photoshop files, which I'm then using for a layout in InDesign. Some of the files have 3 or 4 files placed as linked files (e.g. face.psd is placed in person.psd, is placed in persondrivingcar.psd is placed into streetscene.psd and streetscene.psd is placed in an InDesign layout)-- all placements are linked not embedded). If I make a change to a file, say face.psd, so I need to open and resave all the placed files for that to update, or will the fully updated versions show up in Indesign?
If InDesign won't update automatically, do I need to go all the way through and open and resave every single file or can I just open the final file that goes into InDesign?
There are lots and lots of nesting things in this project and the nestings overlap, so I'm worried that if I attempt to just open and resave the higher level files if I change something, that I will forget something. Or that if I just reopen every single PSD and resave, I will do it in the wrong order somehow and something won't update.
If InDesign won't update automatically, do I need to go all the way through and open and resave every single file or can I just open the final file that goes into InDesign?
There are lots and lots of nesting things in this project and the nestings overlap, so I'm worried that if I attempt to just open and resave the higher level files if I change something, that I will forget something. Or that if I just reopen every single PSD and resave, I will do it in the wrong order somehow and something won't update.
Yeah, don’t do this, just place each file in Indesign, otherwise you’re asking for trouble.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:57 AM on May 6, 2021
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:57 AM on May 6, 2021
Response by poster: There are literally up to ten files linked in each psd that goes into indesign, with masking and different blending modes etc. (I know InDesign does blending modes and masking, but it's much clunkier) and each of those might have lower levels, so I can't just compose the images in InDesign. But geez, this is going to be a giant PITA. I'm going to have to reopen and save every file before I can finalize the InDesign. I will try to create an action to do it, I guess.
It was also intended as a way to give each piece it's own little white background.
Btw, there is an update content option in photoshop. Right-click on the linked layer and there is "update modified content" and "update all modified content."
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:41 AM on May 6, 2021
It was also intended as a way to give each piece it's own little white background.
Btw, there is an update content option in photoshop. Right-click on the linked layer and there is "update modified content" and "update all modified content."
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:41 AM on May 6, 2021
Can you create just a single photoshop file, with the various elements, to place in Indesign?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:44 AM on May 6, 2021
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:44 AM on May 6, 2021
This is a Photoshop question not an InDesign question. InDesign has just one file placed in it: Streetscene.psd. If Streetscene.psd changes, then InDesign will ask if you want to update it.
But Streetscene.psd isn't just going to update itself if face.psd is changed (without being opened and reviewed at least). The question is, if you open your composite image, streetscene.psd, does Photoshop prompt you to update it with the new face.psd? That I don't know because I don't work with many placed .psd files.
At the very least, you're going to need to open all of your composite images to ensure that their links are up-to-date.
Are you using face.psd in multiple files, or is there another reason why you're placing it into a nested composite image?
posted by hydra77 at 9:27 AM on May 6, 2021
But Streetscene.psd isn't just going to update itself if face.psd is changed (without being opened and reviewed at least). The question is, if you open your composite image, streetscene.psd, does Photoshop prompt you to update it with the new face.psd? That I don't know because I don't work with many placed .psd files.
At the very least, you're going to need to open all of your composite images to ensure that their links are up-to-date.
Are you using face.psd in multiple files, or is there another reason why you're placing it into a nested composite image?
posted by hydra77 at 9:27 AM on May 6, 2021
Response by poster: Can you create just a single photoshop file, with the various elements, to place in Indesign?
Yes, that what I have. Each InDesign page is a single PSD. But that PSD is made of many linked files and a few of those linked files are made from other linked files.
Are you using face.psd in multiple files, or is there another reason why you're placing it into a nested composite image?
And yes, face.psd and sometimes person.psd goes in multiple files and sometimes something like say tree.psd might go more than once in a single file (sometimes with each linked file transformed or puppet-warped or regular-warped or whatever).
I think at this point I will write an action to open all the psd files in a folder/subfolders, update all modified content in each file and then resave. Then I'll run the action 8 times. I think the deepest the links go is 4 files, so if there's any "wrong order" issues, running it 5 times should get everything covered. (Feel free to check my logic on this!) I don't remember how the batch actions work, but if I can I'll try to run on the files likely to be most deeply nested (e.g. face) first and the ones that are most aggregated (e.g. streetscape) last.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:30 AM on May 6, 2021
Yes, that what I have. Each InDesign page is a single PSD. But that PSD is made of many linked files and a few of those linked files are made from other linked files.
Are you using face.psd in multiple files, or is there another reason why you're placing it into a nested composite image?
And yes, face.psd and sometimes person.psd goes in multiple files and sometimes something like say tree.psd might go more than once in a single file (sometimes with each linked file transformed or puppet-warped or regular-warped or whatever).
I think at this point I will write an action to open all the psd files in a folder/subfolders, update all modified content in each file and then resave. Then I'll run the action 8 times. I think the deepest the links go is 4 files, so if there's any "wrong order" issues, running it 5 times should get everything covered. (Feel free to check my logic on this!) I don't remember how the batch actions work, but if I can I'll try to run on the files likely to be most deeply nested (e.g. face) first and the ones that are most aggregated (e.g. streetscape) last.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:30 AM on May 6, 2021
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Let's say I've got two images. Image 1 is placed inside Image 2, and Image 2 is placed in an InDesign document.
If I edit Image 2 and save it, and then I go to the InDesign file, it will give me a warning that the linked file has been changed. I then have the option to right click on the image in the Links panel and choose "Update Link", which will load the new saved version of Image 2. All is well.
But if I edit Image 1, and save it, and open the InDesign document, the change does not register, and I can't update the link. When I exported the InDesign document to PDF, it also didn't show the changes to Image 1, so it's not just a preview problem.
What I had to do is open Image 2 in Photoshop, right click on the placed Image 1 in the layer panel, and choose "Replace Contents" and point to the new saved Image 1 file, as there is not an equivalent of "Update Link" in Photoshop.
Then, when I open the InDesign document, the change to the file registers and I can use "Update Link". I think that's where the problem lies, in that Photoshop doesn't register updates to placed images in the same way that InDesign does.
So it looks as if you might have a problem, because simply saving the nested files won't result in the changes being registered and updated. There might be a way around it though, I have only done this simple test.
posted by Zumbador at 2:24 AM on May 6, 2021