Creating large print documents

[hollyc25643971]

I'm trying to find a way to create large print documents to meet accessibility standards, preferably exported from my original InDesign file. Is there any sort of plug-in or tool that can be used to achieve this?

The publications I work on are initially created in InDesign for print with the body copy laid out at 12pt but I need to be able to create a 16-18pt large print version to meet accessibility standards. At present, all I can do is simply copy and paste into a Word doc and increase the font size/style as necessary but this is obviously time-consuming. I'm hoping someone can help me with a much quicker way of doing this!

Many thanks in advance.

[BobLevine]

The proper use of styles should make it relatively easy. Increase the base font and leading and let the document autoflow.

[hollyc25643971]

Thanks for the response. Sorry I should have included an example page to show you what I'm working with. I'm using styles etc properly but the text doesn't flow in continuous text boxes as each section is separated by a sub head bar. As I'm sure you can imagine everything jumps around and misaligns causing more work. Do you see what I mean? The large print version doesn't need to layout the same as this, it's just needs to be exported in some way like into a Word doc so it can be easily read as a whole in a larger font. That's why instead of just adjusting my styles, I've been chucking the final version into a Word doc and styling. This is far easier than messing around InDesign so far...

[BobLevine]

I'm not sure what your guidelines are but if this has to be printed, there is simply no easy way to do this.

[hollyc25643971]

The accessible version is electronic, just a simple plain Word doc at 18pt font. I can keep the original file Word doc file of the copy updated with proofing marks etc throughout the process and then simply use that at the end, but it would be great to save the hassle of making all the marks twice and using some sort of tool to export the final PDF to Word (without fuss) or extract all the text from InDesign itself.

[BobLevine]

Then I don’t understand why an accessible PDF won’t do the trick.

[hollyc25643971]

How would I do that? Can I create an accessible PDF from my InDesign file?

[BobLevine]

Yes. You’ll certainly need to do a bit of reading but it’s gotten much easier in recent versions of InDesign.

[hollyc25643971]

The accessible PDF stuff I've found explains about tagging and alt text etc but I don't really need any of this – I just need a large text version of the body copy itself. I don't think the accessible PDF does that, from what I can see?

[BobLevine]

That seems crazy to me.

Anyone can zoom in on a PDF to read larger type.

You’re either overthinking this or underthinking it and I’m not sure which.

[hollyc25643971]

Ok sorry, it will be circulated electronically but then probably printed off for those who do not have access to a computer. I need to have an 18pt text version for this purpose, apologies I hadn't really explained this in my initial question.

[Jongware]

hollyc25643971  wrote

At present, all I can do is simply copy and paste into a Word doc and increase the font size/style as necessary but this is obviously time-consuming. I'm hoping someone can help me with a much quicker way of doing this!

Is "so do this in InDesign" the kind of suggestion you are looking for? I cannot imagine any possible advantages it would have to edit font sizes in Word over doing the exact same thing in InDesign.

[hollyc25643971]

Thanks for your response but no – I've attached an example showing how it's not quite as simple as that... would appreciate your thoughts?

[vinny38]

Do you use CC2018?

If so, I guess you could create a style for your subhead bar using rounded paragraph border and make it span over your two columns?

Then, increasing your body text size should reflow everything properly?

Or am I missing something? ^^

BTW, screenshots are great, but using the Normal view is even greater...

[hollyc25643971]

I don't need the design/layout to remain, I need it stripped it back so it ends up as text at 18pt in one column across the page. I can't really keep the layout at that size, the two columns will be unhelpful and possibly confusing for the reader. I essentially need to get the text into a plain, continuous 18pt layout in it's final state. That's what I'm trying to achieve after it's all been laid out.

[vinny38 · Accepted solution]

Right, then why not setting your body text paragraph style as 18pt and use the Span column feature?

[hollyc25643971]

Thank you very much – span columns and paragraph borders are what I need in my life. Unaware of both but certainly the best way to work. Bit of housekeeping and I'll be set for future publications. Thanks everyone who tried to help

[hollyc25643971]

Hi again, I can't work out if there's a way to do this with another layout I work with. It works to a 7 column grid with the body copy only across 6 of them and the main header spanning across the lot. Any ideas please?

[vinny38]

Please provide screenshots in Normal view.

Hard to tell how is your page built in Preview mode

[hollyc25643971]

Good point – here we go:

[vinny38]

Not sure what you want to achieve exactly. (by the way, I should have asked for a Preview mode screenshot with everything selected... that's even more helpful)

I assume you've got this 2 columns text frame starting at the second grid column and that you want to make it start at the first one...

In this case, you'll have no other solution to increase your text frame width I'm afraid.

Maybe you worked with primary text frames and it will make things easier, or you just manually created those frames...

Impossible to advise without knowing how exactly you built your layout, sorry...

[hollyc25643971]

All separate frames so am trying to get everything in one text box and use span columns like I have with the other layout. With the main header not aligning with the text below, I'm not sure this is possible?

[vinny38]

not possible without manual intervention (I'm not talking scripting)

[hollyc25643971]

As I suspected, thank you

[hollyc25643971]

But yes, I'm on CC2018