How to Create a Clipping Path in Adobe InDesign

Clipping paths are silhouettes around portions of images. They can be used to mask out opaque white backgrounds, as well as create contours around portions of an image for text wraps to follow. Clipping paths are often created using Photoshop, but InDesign can do it too, when there is enough contrast between the image edges and the background.

1. In this example, a clipping path will be used to remove the white background from the photo of a tea set.
2. To create the clipping path, select the image, then go to the Object menu. Scroll down to Clipping Path and choose Options.
3. In the dialog box, check Preview, then go to the Type menu and choose Detect Edges. If there are areas inside the silhouette of the image that should be clipped, check Include Inside Edges. Tolerance can be used to adjust the tightness of the fit of the path. Threshold is used to set the levels of color contrast in the image to be included or ignored.
4. The white background is now removed.