Table of Contents

Logging in Overview of the extension Search field Archives/Albums/Pins Asset thumbnails Asset markers Previewing assets Placing assets in a layout Processing files as they are placed in the layout Managing linked assets Relinking an asset Changing a rendition Locating the original asset in the Fotoware archive Extension settings Server hostname Embed mode

Placing assets in InDesign layouts

30. April 2025

Table of Contents

With the Fotoware Extension for InDesign, you can find and place files from Fotoware archives into InDesign layouts.

If the extension isn't visible after starting InDesign, open the Window menu and choose FotoWeb Desktop. If the extension isn't visible there, you need to add it using the Adobe Extensions Manager.

Logging in

When the extension is activated in InDesign, a web browser opens and prompts you to log in. After authentication, the InDesign extension will display the archives that are available to you.

Overview of the extension

The extension has three main content areas:

Search field (outlined in green below)
Archives, Albums, and Pins tabs (outlined in red below)
Asset thumbnails

Did you know? The extension is the Fotoware Selection Widget - which looks and feels exactly the same in all integrations. So whether you place assets in InDesign, your CMS, or another third-party system using the standard Fotoware widgets, the user interface doesn't change.

Search field

Use this to search for specific content in all available archives.

For more information about performing searches in Fotoware, see Searching for assets.

Archives/Albums/Pins

These tabs reflect the archives, albums, and pins you can access. For example, by pinning an asset in the web interface, it can quickly be retrieved on the Pins tab in the InDesign extension. Similarly, albums that you have created and albums that others have shared with you can be accessed in the Albums tab and then placed in the layout. Archives can also be browsed individually.

Asset thumbnails

The screenshot shows the contents of an opened archive - to return to the list of all archives, select Up.

If an archive contains a very large collection of assets or if a search produces too many results to skim through, you can use the filters (taxonomies that have been configured for the archive) to narrow the search. The sort method can be set to filename or modification time in ascending or descending order.

Asset markers

Asset markers can be displayed on the thumbnails. The server administrator may have configured a number of markers to indicate, for example, the validity of assets or their current workflow state. Hover over the marker to display an explanatory tooltip.

Previewing assets

To view a larger rendition of an asset, select it in the asset grid. Additional information about the asset is displayed under the preview. To return to the thumbnail grid, select Up.

Placing assets in a layout

To place a file in the layout, double-click it and use the cursor to place it in an InDesign image frame.

The image can also be dragged and dropped directly into a frame. However, the frame content type must be set to Graphic (Go to Object - Content - Graphic) when using this method.

To place a number of pictures into different frames, double-click the relevant files. Select the frames in the order that you want to place the selected files. The cursor indicates the number of files that remain to be placed.

Note: In the extension settings, you choose to embed the image in the layout or link to the original asset. For more information, see Extension settings.

In on-premise installations of Fotoware, asset linking is only available for Pro license users - other users can only place assets that are copied to the document's working folder.
In Fotoware Veloz, the Adobe CC plugin is a feature dependent on the chosen plan. With the feature enabled, all Editors with access to the InDesign plugin can access asset linking.

Processing files as they are placed in the layout

Right-click on a thumbnail in the extension to process the file using a Fotoware Processing Profile before placing the resulting file in the layout. The available processing profiles may vary from one archive to another as they are based on a set of profiles that are associated with the archive. The processing may involve resizing, color mode changes, or a change in file format. It may also involve processing with an external server-side application before the file is delivered to InDesign.

Managing linked assets

When the extension is configured to link assets to the original asset in Fotoware, you can manage those links in the InDesign Links panel.

The Links information area shows additional metadata about the highlighted link.

Relinking an asset

If InDesign cannot locate an asset when opening a document, you are prompted to choose the asset to link to. The extension can then be used to search for or browse the correct asset, after which you can double-click the asset to update the link.

The same can be accomplished by right-clicking a broken link in the Links panel and choosing Relink from FotoWeb...

Changing a rendition

Having placed an asset in a layout, you may want to change the rendition used. For example, the layout forming the basis of a document for web use may have been created with RGB images, while now a CMYK version of the same document is required for print.

Right-click the link and choose Change Rendition to open a context menu containing all the processing profiles available for the archive where the asset originates. Choose a rendition from the list for FotoWeb to process the image accordingly and update the asset in the document.

Locating the original asset in the Fotoware archive

To locate the original asset in the Fotoware archive, right-click the asset and choose Reveal in FotoWeb... The default web browser will open the Asset Details page for the asset. You may be required to log in to Fotoware through the web browser, depending on whether or not the site supports single sign-on.

Extension settings

The settings for the InDesign extension can be adjusted by opening the Edit menu in InDesign and choosing Preferences - FotoWeb Desktop.

Server hostname

The server hostname is shown but cannot be changed here To change the server, open the Fotoware Plugin settings using the icon in the Windows system tray and change servers there.

Use the correct URL for the Fotoware site or SaaS tenant, including the correct protocol prefix (HTTP or HTTPS). SaaS tenants always use HTTPS.

Embed mode

The user can manage the embed mode of the InDesign plugin in the settings panel. Two embed modes are available - Link to original and Copy to working folder. This setting controls whether the asset is downloaded and stored in the working folder alongside the InDesign document or linked to the original asset in Fotoware.

Important note:

In on-premise installations of Fotoware, asset linking is only available for Pro license users.
In Fotoware Veloz, all Editors with access to the InDesign plugin have access to asset linking.