Maintain changes across multiple indd files

[roryt91880286]

I am working on a cook book where I will produce both an ebook (really just a PDF with links) and a print book version. at the moment I use the exact same layout and all paragraph and character styles are named identically so when i paste from one page to the next they automatically adjust to the correct sizes etc.

What I want is a workflow where a change in one document will be flowed on to the other book version. I have been looking into InCopy and i'm trying to figure out the best way forward to minimise double handling.

Ideally I would like to have a template that my author can initially work on in InCopy to create all the recipes based of my page design. I would then be able to drop on a linked instance of that text into both the print and eBook versions.

Does anyone have suggestions for the best way to go about doing this?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

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.

[Barb Binder]

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

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

InCopy could work--I've done it before, but it can be troublesome to maintain since it requires good file management (usually on the client's end).

Barb's idea would work well too. Be sure to unlink the text blocks you do NOT want to update between layouts.

Another option could be to use conditional text, but I would need to know more about the products to confirm.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Just a quick note: EmSoftware.com WordsFlow Pro can allow bi-directional edits between InDesign and Word/Excel.

[Derek Cross]

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?

[jane-e]

One other thought is that the hyperlinks are assigned a character style by default. You can edit the character style so it has color for the PDF and is the body text color (maybe black) for print.

[Erica Gamet]

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.

[roryt91880286]

Well it sounds like I might have to have another look into Alternate Layouts. I did look at it a while back but I can't actually remember exactly why I decided not to use it.

At the moment I do the eBook which has a different page size to the print book (and subsequently type sizes), and then I simply copy and paste the text from the eBook into a print book template and since the styles are all named identically they all flow and pick up the sizing from the amended style definitions in the print book. I have also things like hyperlinks that are set to remain as links but just appear differently like a few of you have suggested.

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 also have each recipe as a separate indesign file that I then put into an indesign book for putting it all together. Will that work with alternate layouts?

[Erica Gamet]

I'm not 100% sure about cross-refs remaining intact (though it wouldn't be too much to check). What I like is that editorial changes are quickly made across layouts, you can update and switch out images for the different layouts using the Links panel, and you can have the same styles, but define each layout's version of them differently. It takes a little preparation ahead of time, but if you do it often or if you have lots of pages, it's worth it. Remember you can create the first layout (for instance if you start with the print version), apply all the liquid page rules, then save it as a template. When you're ready to create a new book, open the template and work away, then create the alternate layout when it's done. You really want to make sure you have your first layout as done as you can when you make the alternates. If you were to add something to the original layout afterwards, that item won't appear in the alt layouts...though you can use the Content Collector/Placer tools to add those items in (and still have that connection).

Here's a four-part article I wrote on Alternate Layouts...and there are lots of videos on the subject matter as well: https://creativepro.com/understanding-liquid-layouts-part-one/

[roryt91880286]

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.

[Erica Gamet]

You can export to PDF and choose the right layout in the page range option. When you do the epub, by default it wants to export the whole thing. But if you use the articles panel, you can tell which items you want exported to the ePub.

[roryt91880286]

When ever I go to the Indesign Book and choose to export a PDF the page range section is always greyed out for some reason... So I cant select the set of pages I want it to export. Any ideas why it would appear greyed out?

[Erica Gamet]

I am so sorry...I didn't realize you were using the Book feature (too much turkey on Thanksgiving made my mind stop working haha). Yes, you can't export individual layouts from a book: it wants to do the entire document as a PDF. But...there IS a script for that. Check out: Export individual book documents to PDF | Peter Kahrel 

I think it will do what you need.

[Barb Binder]

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