How to publish an InDesign project online using another host/url?

Report · Dec 29, 2023

Hello,

I would like to publish an InDesign project online, but it must to be published in an institutional url - instead of the Adobe one. How can I do it?
I have tried exporting the file into HTML format, but the formating disapears, along with the buttons and the interactive features, and all shapes get transformed into squares.

Many thanks!

Report · Dec 29, 2023

It is not possible with the publish online command. But you can invest in 3rd party plugins like this: https://ajarproductions.com/pages/products/in5/

Report · Dec 29, 2023

Hi @erikg62513114 , You can set the initial URL of a Publish Online project by wrapping its address in an iFrame tag. Here’s an example where I’ve put this HTML code in an index.html page in a folder named AdobePublish on my web server, so the URL address is:

http://www.zenodesign.com/forum/AdobePublish/

Here‘s the example HTML code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
	<head>
		<title>Adobe Publish</title>
	</head>
	<body>
		<iframe name="Framename" src="https://indd.adobe.com/view/c2c7aa96-405e-488f-8902-e1d96c1bea4f" width="550" height="550" frameborder="0" scrolling="yes" style="width: 100%;"> </iframe>  
	</body>
</html>

Depending on the links the visitor might be redirected to Adobe’s server, but the initial address can be anything.

Report · Dec 29, 2023

An iFrame is not very responsive now is it 😉

Report · Dec 29, 2023

Neither is the Publish Online document itself. The whole thing, while not without some usefulness to some people, is something I can't recommend as a substitute for a website.

Report · Dec 29, 2023

The responsiveness depends on the HTML DIV wrappers and styles. Something like this would respond to the screen (ratio.png is a 1x1 px image):

<!DOCTYPE html>
<head>
<title> Title</title>


<!-- Styles-->
<style type="text/css">
	.vid-wrapper         {width:100%;height:100%;}
	.h_iframe .ratio {display:block;width:100%;height:auto;}
	.h_iframe iframe {position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%; height:100%;}
</style>
<!-- End Styles-->


</head>
<body>
	<div class="vid-wrapper">
    	<div class="h_iframe">
        	<img class="ratio" src=".../images/ratio.png"/>
        	<iframe src="https://indd.adobe.com/view/c2c7aa96-405e-488f-8902-e1d96c1bea4f" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen autoplay="true" ></iframe>
    	</div>
	</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

The page:

http://www.zenodesign.com/PubOnline/

Report · Dec 29, 2023

Much better. I wrote about this on my Dutch blog in... 2016! 😱

https://fvdgeest-dtp.blogspot.com/2016/03/publish-online-op-je-eigen-website.html

Report · Dec 29, 2023

Well, yeah, but all that does is shrink up or expand the Publish Online window. Those will look like garbage on a phone which was my point about all of this. Why anyone would think to use anything that's not responsive in this day and age of mobile content consumption is a complete mystery to me.

Report · Dec 29, 2023

Whether one should use Publish Online or not is a different question—I was simply showing a way to set the initial URL to something other than https://indd.adobe.com

Report · Dec 30, 2023

Just to tack on: I am perpetually bemused at how little HTML is remembered/used for document purposes. The sweeping mindset is that it has to be a Web Page, darnit, with all the baggage and structure that implies. But HTML/CSS can be used to create staggeringly beautiful and efficient web documents that are (of course) absolutely at home in nearly any modern browser, without all the hosting and access and compatibility BS of nearly every other format.

And while ID doesn't make very good "web pages," bring a little extra skill, as noted above, and it's excellent for web documents.

Report · Dec 29, 2023

I think Rob's answer (an initial redirect) is the best you're going to get if you want to use Publish Online.

And Willi is right in that In5 is very much the solution for the full spectrum of (user-managed) online publication using InDesign, but many would-be users balk at the subscription cost. If your institution or company will pay for it, it's your most straightforward choice. (And yes, the big limitation of Publish Online is that the hosting is completely under Adobe's control, with the possibility of changes or discontinuation always looming. In5 simply requires competent web hosting and continuity.)

There is a third option, which I have often used, but I do bring considerable web-design and e-doc experience to it: use InDesign's HTML export to produce highly formatted web documents, then host them anywhere suitable. No, ID does not do a perfect export by itself and does not support all ID features, but if you need to produce lots of web-accessible content from ID source documents (e.g. print and web versions of reports, brochures, reference materials, etc.) then mastering HTML export from ID might be worth the effort. The short road to that is to have decent web-design chops at the code level, and a solid mastery of CSS styling that you can apply at the time of export. It's not for everyone and it's not the easy road, but it does have its uses and can be the right solution for some needs. Its primary benefit is relatively simple documents that don't depend on specific hosting, complex server support or other "fussy bits," meaning more universal access and typically long document lifespan.

Report · Dec 29, 2023

You might also gave a look at this:

https://creativepro.com/exporting-from-indesign-to-html5-amazing-free-script/

Report · Dec 30, 2023

Thanks so much for all these insightful answers! Your help is much appreciated.

How to publish an InDesign project online using another host/url?

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