The tools used to create frames — Type tool, Frame tools, and shape tools — are located in the toolbox.

Frames can be created and used as placeholders (a frame without content).

Text and images in InDesign reside within a frame. When you place images or text in InDesign, a frame is created automatically for that content.

For text, the frame indicates the area where text is to be shown. Text frames have small boxes in the upper-left and lower-right corners which can be used to connect frames together so text can flow from one frame to another.

For images, the frame can be used to crop or mask parts of the image.