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Participant
August 30, 2021
Answered

Custom footnotes

  • August 30, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 1858 views

Adobe, when will we receive a feature in InDesign to import our own custom footnotes vs what's avialable from Adobe's default batch of footnotes?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Laubender

There are already some feature modification requests about footnotes at InDesign UserVoice.

For example this one where I commented and also voted:

 

Improving the various options of footnotes
Avraham, Nov 4, 2020
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/41850601-improving-the-various-options-of-footnotes

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

3 replies

LaubenderCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 31, 2021

There are already some feature modification requests about footnotes at InDesign UserVoice.

For example this one where I commented and also voted:

 

Improving the various options of footnotes
Avraham, Nov 4, 2020
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/41850601-improving-the-various-options-of-footnotes

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

FRIdNGE
September 15, 2021

I've never voted [it's a personal choice] mainly because I'm an hurry guy! … and my Clients too.  😉

 

Just For Comment:

 

Screenshot of a Script UI built 4 years ago [Just For Fun!]:

 

 

Another sample: Restart footnotes basing on a para style!

 

 

(^/)  The Jedi

 

 

Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
Legend
September 16, 2021

Maestro Jedi @FRIdNGE , where can we mortals buy your incredible scripts?

Love your work!

 

|    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |
Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 30, 2021

What are you missing?

Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
Legend
August 30, 2021

Oh gosh, what are we missing?!!

See the request and comments at  https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/41850601-improving-the-various-options-of-footnotes

 

Summary, we need:

  • Ability to create a custom set of "numbers" or symbols than just the options in the drop-down menu, such as †, ††, †††  which is what a client gave us a few months ago.  Let me create a pattern of any symbols to meet the author's needs.


  • A different pattern of symbols/numbers for tables. Heck, for each individual table. Many documents we receive use 1, 2, 3 for the body text footnotes, but a, b, c, for the table footnotes. Can't do that right now: tables must use the same pattern as the main body text with Type/Footnote Options.
     
  • Table footnotes can vary from table to table. One table could use a, b, c, and the next could use i, ii, iii. Need to set the pattern for each individual table.
     
  • And table footnotes can have different visual formatting: more or less space, rule above or not, etc.

 

But the biggest PITAs (pain in the "anatomy") are the insane way that footnotes for tables are formed. I don't know of any document where either of these are acceptable:

  • Inline tables are woven into the main footnotes for the entire document. Gah!


  • Framed tables put the footnotes at the bottom of the table's frame, and not in the table's footer section. Gah! Why in world have a footer section of the table if its footnotes aren't going to be programmed into it?
     
  • And these footnotes use the same footnote numbering pattern as the body text, not a unique one, like a, b, c. More Gah!
     
  • And it starts at "1" which puts two different footnotes called "1" on the same page. Insane Gah!


And then there are the accessibility errors for table footnotes. Don't get me started.

 

We specialize in accessible STEM-G (science, technical, engineering, mathematical + government) publications that have lots of long tables with lots of footnotes. The current table footnotes can't be used at all, so each one is manually formatted to control the numbering system, placement/formatting, and the accessibility. Imagine the time it takes to do this for 100+ footnotes.

 

And mind you, we can do these controls in Word, but not in InDesign.

 

|    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |
Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 30, 2021

Use endnote additional as footnotes.

Community Expert
August 30, 2021

Hello

 

This is a user to user forum - for feature requests you can post here

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests