InDesign and Word workflow?

December 8, 2005 6:36 PM

InDesign workflow? Help me, print designers! I'm using InDesign for the first time and need to collaborate with several clients making edits to this one big text file while I work on the design....

I'm doing both the design and a bit of text editing, but they are also still doing extensive rewriting. Thus far I have just taken the latest INDD file and pasted it into Word to send to them, but all that back and forth re-formatting is going to get old fast. They don't have Acrobat Pro or anything, and really they are only comfortable using Word (but Word doesn't have a lot of the features I need for layout.) The last time I did print design was 1997 and I'm hoping that now there is a more efficient way than this, or faxing marked up documents back and forth...thanks for any help! :)

posted by eileen to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Not sure what your budget is, but it sounds like this is exactly the type of problem Adobe InCopy is supposed to solve. I haven't used it myself, but I've heard good things about it from a few people who have.
posted by lewistate at 7:21 PM on December 8, 2005

InCopy is indeed the ideal solution here. However, if your clients are reluctant to learn new software or if the price is too expensive, InDesign (since CS at least, perhaps before as well) also has the ability to pre-style placed Word documents based on style sheets set up in Word and in InDesign. Depending on how complicated your InDesign document is, this may be all you need.
posted by chrominance at 7:30 PM on December 8, 2005

You *can* link a single word document to your indesign file . . . Straight from the help file:


Working with linked text files

When you place text, the name of the text file appears in the Links palette if the Create Links When Placing Text and Spreadsheet Files preferences option is selected. You can use the Links palette to update and manage the file. When you update a linked text file, any editing or formatting changes applied within InDesign are lost. Because of this risk, linked text files are not automatically updated when the original file is edited. However, you can easily update the linked file using the Links palette.

For more information on working with the Links palette, see Managing links and embedded graphics. For information on importing text, see Importing styles from a Microsoft Word document.

To determine whether placed text files are linked or embedded:
Choose Edit > Preferences > Text (Windows) or InDesign > Preferences > Text (Mac OS).
To create links in placed files, select Create Links When Placing Text and Spreadsheet Files. If this option is turned on, use the Links palette to update, relink, or remove links. If this option is turned off, text files are embedded.

To edit a linked text file in its original application:
If necessary, choose Window > Links to open the Links palette.
In the Links palette, select the text file you want to edit, and then choose Edit Original in the Links palette menu.

To update a linked text file:
If necessary, choose Window > Links to open the Links palette.
In the Links palette, select the text file you want to update. If the original has been edited since the file was placed in InDesign, the Linked File Modified icon* appears to the right of the filename.
In the Links palette menu, choose Update Link.
If you have applied any additional formatting to the file in InDesign, an alert message notifies you that all new formatting will be lost. Click OK if you want to update the file anyway.

To remove the link to a text file:
In the Links palette, select the text file.
posted by jeremias at 7:36 PM on December 8, 2005 [1 favorite]

WOW! I knew something like that had to be possible, I just didn't know exactly what terms to look for...thanks!
posted by eileen at 8:09 PM on December 8, 2005

What version and platform are you using Indesign on?

You should be able to place the Word documents in Indesign as a link, which can be updated as the clients make changes.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:13 PM on December 8, 2005

Ahhh. InDesign. Is there anything it can't do? (hugs indesign box).

But seriously, if you have to do this sort of thing on a regular basis, InCopy is your bestest friend. And then some...
posted by ninthart at 3:21 AM on December 9, 2005

InDesign. Is there anything it can't do?

How about cross-references to arbitrary numbered sections (not TOC page numbers)?

In Word, you can do automatic outline section numbering, and then do something like "See section <xxxx> on page <yyyy>", and it will automatically update the section number and the page reference as the target changes. I haven't been able to figure out how to get InDesign to replicate even page tracking cross references, let alone section outline numbering (which I think should be possible using paragraph styles, but I can't see how).
posted by Caviar at 6:41 AM on December 9, 2005

InDesign. Is there anything it can't do?

I have to say I am loving it so far...my last print experience was with PageMaker 6. InCopy looks neat too, but unfortunately this is just a one-off project for this client and they're not going to be buying/installing/learning anything new. I am normally just a web designer. Thanks again!
posted by eileen at 8:20 AM on December 9, 2005