Applying colour to greyscale tif files

[Graham Clarke]

I am just learning InDesign for the first time and I can't seem to apply a colour to greyscale images. It was easy in Quark, but InDesign only lets me change the background colour, not the foreground colour....

Anyone???

[DavidT]

Use the direct selection tool - the hollow pointer. That way, you select the graphic, not the frame.

[Judi Sohn]

Drag a color swatch over the image.

[Philip Gomez]

I hope this will help clarify the situation. Make sure your color swatches are set to affect the fill area and not the stroke.

Use the Selection Tool (solid arrow) to select your image and apply color to the highlight areas of your greyscale images.

Use the Direct Selection Tool (hollow arrow) to select your image within your frame and apply color to the shadow areas of your greyscale images.

Make sure your images are greyscale and not desaturated RGB or CMYK images. This will also work with images saved in Bitmap Mode as either .tiff or .psd files.

Good luck!
Phil

[Carole Miguel]

Phil:

Are you sure about .psd files? I can apply color to TIFs but not native Photoshop files.

Carole

[Kenny Hoff]

And I'm having trouble applying color to TIF files that have any transparency or layers. I'm trying to get in the habit (through another discussion a while back) of applying a layer mask to an image in Photoshop to produce a nice, smooth clipping path in InDesign. This is usually the only layer in the document. But it seems that whether I save this image as a TIF with layers and/or transparency selected, or as a Photoshop PSD file, I cannot change the color of the photo in InDesign (yes, they are all grayscale).

If this is actually how it's supposed to work, how would one go about getting nicely clipped images. I've heard that using an embedded clipping path from Photoshop looks horrible in InDesign.

[Philip Gomez]

Carole, I just tried this with layered Photoshop files and had no problem. Are you sure your image is set to Grayscale or Bitmap mode? Also, make sure you are setting the fill and not the stroke.

I tried this trick on a file with transparency and it DID NOT work.

I suspect you need a "Background" layer in order for this to work. Let's keep looking for a solution!

Phil

[Kenny Hoff]

So, would it be safe to say that there is no way to colorize grayscale images if they have any embedded transparency (either as a TIF or PSD file)?

This would be a big bummer for me, since being able to get nice, smooth, feathered cutouts on images was a huge factor for moving over to InDesign from Quark (don't have to place image on any backgrounds in Photoshop ala Quark). But if we have to go back to Photoshop to add/change colors, it kind of defeats the advantage.

[Bob Levine]

It may be an extra step, but it hardly defeats the purpose. Just click
edit>original which will bring the file up in PS, add a layer effect
with the color you want and save the file. The link will update
automatically.

Bob

[John Kallios]

To be able to colourize a grayscale image with transparency:

Save as a tif with layers checked

In tif options

UNCHECK save transparency.

That is all there is to it.

John

[Kenny Hoff]

Oh, I had my hopes up on that one! I tried what you said, John, using Photoshop 7. I saved a tif that had one layer with a layer mask, and the background layer turned off. All areas that were masked show up as transparent. When saving as TIF, I did check the 'layers' box and did NOT check the ' transparency' box.

When I placed this image in InDesign, sure enough I could apply color to it. But unfortunately, the image had NO transparency (it had white background).

Have you actually been able to get an image into InDesign with transparency and then apply color to it? If so, any ideas why it didn't work for me?? Thanks.

If this was just an image or two, it may not be so bad. But we may have tons of images in a document, and it's MUCH quicker to try different colors inside of the page layout program. Also, color differences between applying in Photoshop and applying in InDesign make me nervous.

[Bob Levine]

>Also, color differences between applying in Photoshop and applying in InDesign make me nervous.

With Color management turned on and set up identically in both apps
there should be no difference in the way color looks or prints.

Bob

[John Kallios]

Sorry Ken

It was a bit of a joke.

When you import a grayscale image, are your whites opaque? Mine are not. Both InDesign and Quark sees the whites as off.

When I save a grayscale with transparency and the preserve transparency checked, I achieve opaque white in the image while maintaining the transparent areas.

I apologize for the joke, I was in a wierd mood when I posted. The joke was that the whites are turned off so is not the image transparent?

The way Bob is suggesting is the route to go. You end up with more control over the image.

John

[DavidT]

"The joke was that the whites are turned off so is not the image transparent? "

And I thought I was strange.

"Have you actually been able to get an image into InDesign with transparency and then apply color to it?"

I haven't, so you and me, Kenny, must be the normal ones round here...

Either it is possible to do this or it is not. If it is, I haven't found the way to do it or no-one can explain it succinctly. If it isn't, then Adobe need telling. I've done this myself but other people need to.

The following was part of a post of mine yonks ago:

Interestingly, page 311 of the ID2 manual states:

"for a greyscale or monochrome image, use the direct-selection tool. You
can only apply two colours to a greyscale or monochrome image"

and then on page 312:

"Note: you cannot apply colour or a gradient to an imported greyscale,
colour or bitmap image"

What's going on?

[Kenny Hoff]

"for a greyscale or monochrome image, use the direct-selection tool. You
can only apply two colours to a greyscale or monochrome image"

and then on page 312:

"Note: you cannot apply colour or a gradient to an imported greyscale,
colour or bitmap image"

I guess that must be how Adobe covers themselves for all situations. It will work, and conversely, it will not. And there, of course, are no specifics as to which types of files it may or may not work on (tif, psd, transparent tif, etc.). And I'm assuming the two colours you can use on a grayscale image would be the image and the frame?!?

Has anyone actually contacted Adobe to see if there is an official position? I'm holding off on my free phone support until I have something catastrophic or a large bundle of things to submit.

And, I appologize John, but I still don't get the joke in your post. I've read it a couple of times, but maybe my blood-sugar is just low right now. I'm sure it makes sense.

[John Kallios]

The joke was that I can import a regular grayscale image and the white IS transparent. Following my instructions would still leave the file with transparency when reopened in photoshop but when placed into InDesign is a flatten image. (But still look transparent with ALL of the white off)

Like I said, I was in slightly a wierd mood that day.

Using the transparency though leaves me with an image that has transparency, opaque white and black ink (grayscale).

So my laymans understanding on why InDesign does not colourize grayscale image with transparency is that there are 3 layers to the image. (White, Black and Transparent) I am assuming that InDesign no longer thinks the file is a grayscale image and thusly will not give the user the option to colourize it.

I do have faith in either future releases of ID supporting this feature or a 3rd party taking on the task.

The best option so far that I know is monotone PS image. (Far greater control)

John