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L
Lkretschmar
Inspiring
July 21, 2020
Answered

Can I create a sticky note in Indesign that will transfer to my pdf?

  • July 21, 2020
  • 4 replies
  • 2675 views

I often create indesign documents that need to have sticky notes added to the pdf to alert the writer to questions about what's in the text. The pdf goes through 3 people before it gets to the person who needs to see the sticky note.

Quite often it will come back to me from one of those 3 people to make a change or correction before it gets to the final person. So each time I make a change I make a new pdf and then have to put the sticky note back on again.

 

Is there a way to avoid having to do this?

 

I have been told I can use note tool in Indesign, open the indesign document in Incopy and make a pdf from there ticking the 'include notes as annotation' box. This works well except (1) It is another step, which I was hoping to avoid and (2) most of the hyperlinks in the document don't work after this step.

 

Does anyone know of any other ways I can transfer sticky notes or comments into a pdf?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Barb Binder

The only way I can think of is to change your workflow.

 

After the edits, export to a new PDF, then navigate to Acrobat, open the original PDF with the sticky notes and replace the pages in the original PDF with the pages from the new PDF. This will replace the content on a layer below the sticky notes, but the notes will still be there. If there were major edits, they may need to be adjusted, but they will still be there. 

 

~Barb 

4 replies

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 21, 2020

What about a layer for text notes that is set to not "Print Layer"? That is an old technique that used to be practiced by some.

I agree that the InCopy trick of exporting notes as comments would be very practical here. Even the new Share for Review seems to be yet another slightly-not-interconnected workflow idea.

Mike Witherell
    Geоrge
    Geоrge
    Legend
    July 21, 2020

    In that situations I always like to ask one question: What religion stop your writer to use it InCopy? 

    Is this Scrooge McDuck Religion stops writer to pay 5$ in month? Okay, pay for it yourself this $5 and give access to the writer. 

    Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner
      L
      Community Expert
      LaubenderCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 21, 2020

      Hi Lkretschmar,

      best read into this:

       

      Make PDF Sticky Notes in your InDesign Document
      Kelly Vaughn October 4, 2012

      https://indesignsecrets.com/make-pdf-sticky-notes-in-your-indesign-document.php

       

      Maybe something suggested there is working for you?

       

      Regards,
      Uwe Laubender

      ( ACP )

      Barb Binder
      Community Expert
      Barb BinderCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      July 21, 2020

      The only way I can think of is to change your workflow.

       

      After the edits, export to a new PDF, then navigate to Acrobat, open the original PDF with the sticky notes and replace the pages in the original PDF with the pages from the new PDF. This will replace the content on a layer below the sticky notes, but the notes will still be there. If there were major edits, they may need to be adjusted, but they will still be there. 

       

      ~Barb 

      ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
        L
        LkretschmarAuthor
        Inspiring
        July 21, 2020

        Hi, thanks for your reply. Yes I have done this in the past and it works quite well when there are a lot of sticky notes. I was hoping to eliminate this step also. Maybe one day Indesign will have the capability to export to pdf and keep notes, like Incopy copy does.

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