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Teanna5CED
Participating Frequently
January 18, 2022
Answered

Keeping original styling when exporting an interactive pdf

  • January 18, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 1703 views

I'm in search of a way to get InDesign to keep my original paragraph styling (color, font, justification) once I export my file to an interactive pdf. I know you can change the font and the size, but there is nothing for color or justification. Is there a way to do this in the native program or can it be done in Acrobat? Please help!

Correct answer Derek Cross

Hi there, thanks for your reply!

I'm working on an interactive pdf invitation to a client so they can re-use the pdf but change the information such as date, time, location, rsvp, etc. I set up my text boxes in the buttons and forms panel and filled the information out accordingly and completely. I noticed that this panel only allows you to select the font and the font size, but not the justification and the color. I wanted InDesign to keep my text field styling (justification, text color) once I export it as an interactive pdf. 
Upon doing some meddling around on the internet and in Acrobat, I figured out that I can change the justification and color of my text fields using the "Prepare Form" tool bar. It was annoying to muck around in, however I was able to fix what needed to be fixed.


The process is, you create your PDF form in InDesign then open it in AcrobatPro and there you can change the field's font, colour, alignment and more.

1 reply

Diane Burns
Diane Burns
Inspiring
January 18, 2022

Your PDF should look like your InDesign document. And not sure when in the process you're talking about being able to "change the font and the size, but there is nothing for color or..." Could you provide a little more detail or file samples, please?

T
Teanna5CEDAuthor
Participating Frequently
January 18, 2022

Hi there, thanks for your inquiry.
Basically, when I export my interactive pdf, the only text styling that stays with it is the font and the size. I'm wanting it to export other text styling that I have set up already–alignment, color of my text, so on. I think I might have found a way to fix it in Acrobat, but it's painful to complete. I would send file samples/screenshots, however it's for a client and I do not have permission to release the information in the file.

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
January 18, 2022

As Diane said, export to PDF should almost entirely resemble your ID document as you've laid it out. That's PDF's great strength: it does not impose its own style limitations as does EPUB or HTML.

 

If you're exporting to PDF, and not seeing pretty much what you see in ID, there's something very wrong. The only time it is common for changes to happen is with fairly advanced elements like interactive buttons, live links, embedded video, etc. Text... should be text, exactly as you see it in ID.

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