Maintain changes across multiple indd files

Hi Rory:

X-refs change things.

I do use quite a lot of cross references in the copy referring between different recipe pages that I then have to re-do when I create the print book pages. Will Alternate layouts be able to maintain correct page numbers with cross reference, or will I still have to create a separate text anchor for each print and ebook version?

I played around with this and the x-refs are not going to do what you want in the linked story in the alternate layout.

The advantage of a linked story is that if you edit the original, you can update the link on the second copy and it picks up all of the updates. When using x-refs, however, the page numbers in both versions refer to the original story pages and not the new story pages.

~Barb

I have been doing some tests and I was trying to use an indesign book file with all of my individual indesign file that each have an alternate layout in them for the print and ebook versions.

The problem appears that I am not able to then generate a pdf out of the Indesign book and only select either the ebook or print book pages.

Does that sound right or does anyone have another work around that doesn't involve just doing the whole book in one indesign file? I do like having the indesign book just because it is a bit easier to manage.

I agree with Barb that Alternate Layouts might do the trick...I'm a big fan. Any editorial changes you make in one layout can be updated in the child layout. However, if the only difference is that you need hyperlinks to be obvious as links (colored, underlined, etc.), then I would just re-define the hyperlinks character style before outputting to PDF. You can have the print version with generated hyperlinks, but assign a blank character style. Then before exporting to PDF, add in any hyperlink characteristics you want.

If your author already has and uses InCopy, that might work...but chances are they are more familiar with Word...so you could always create a rich text file with your styles defined, let them open that in Word and create the text, styled, and you could then import that text and map the styles.

Why not create the print version and when it's finalised save a copy, for the PDF version. Then add the live hyperlinks to it, add a single page cover, and export it as an Interactive PDF, single page continuous?

So you are creating two separate versions of the book as two separate files? And want an update in one to update the other?

If I am understanding what you are asking for, then I don't think InCopy would be a great solution. I think it would be easier in to have both versions in a single InDesign file.

InDesign has a feature call alternate layouts that will allow you to have both page sizes in a single file and you can use Place Link to link the stories and images so that a change in one will change in the other. The styles for both versions will also link.

If you want to maintain two separate files, you might consider linking the Word documents, so that a change in Word will update in both files. Note that you will not be able to edit the files in InDesign if you use this workflow, you would have to edit in Word.

Resources:

Liquid and alternate layouts in InDesign (Look at alternate layouts and not liquid layouts.)

Use linked content features in InDesign

Add text to frames in InDesign  (Scroll to the bottom to read "Link or embed imported text files")

~Barb

InCopy should work, but requires usage knowledge on the author's end. Could be a pain depending on the client.

Em Software WordsFlow or DocsFlow allows them to use simple software. I would set up a template with styles for the client to use.