Multiple layout with same content

[WSC_m&c]

Hello,

I am looking to streamline the process of creating multiple pieces of artwork in the one InDesign document, using the same content (text, graphics, sponsor logos and images).

The company I work for has multiple campaigns which require an assortment of pieces for the marketing campaign. This is often a time consuming process, as it is manually adjusted per campaign currently.

For my purposes, I require the below finished files per campaign:

• Pixel dimensions; Email signature (700x170px), Social media tile (1080x1080px), Social media event tile (1920x1005px), website event tile (1200x800px)
• Millimetre dimensions; Posters (A5, A4 & A3), Flyers (DL - 99x210mm), newspaper advertising (260x93mm)

The issue I face is the pixels vs mm in the ruler. Is there a way to have both forms of measurement in one document?

I would also like to create the alternate layouts automatically, based on the first page (or master page) of content. This would ideally resize the text and images to best suit each finished file, with minimal adjustment if required.

Any assistance or information regarding a custom script will be greatly appreciated.

[Doc Maik]

The issue I face is the pixels vs mm in the ruler. Is there a way to have both forms of measurement in one document?

The ruler selects the unit for input boxes. Since you can quickly switch between units - why would you need two displayed at the same time. You know, even when being in pixel or pt mode, you can always enter values with other units, means mm etc. and Indesign will convert the value into the currently displayed unit.

[John D Herzog]

Personally, I would make a template file with 9 pages each with one of those sizes in the right orientation. This can be done with the page tool, near the top of the tools. I would use the size that you prefer to start with as the first page. The script would then need to grab the items on the first page and copy them to each of the other pages with the correct scale and position. Without knowing how the layout is supposed to change for size, it is hard to say specifically what to do.

Something like this should get you started though.

const app = require("indesign").app;

var doc = app.activeDocument;

var initPage = doc.pages.item(0);

for(x=1;x<doc.pages.length;x++){

initPage.allPageItems.forEach((item) => {

item.duplicate().move(doc.pages.item(x));

//item.transform();

//item.resize();

});

}

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I would be cautious about (==I would avoid) mixing large print pages with small digital pages, no matter how convenient it might seem, unless you are going to follow some quality rules for the digital stuff. InDesign simply is not very good at generating small digital output like web banners, and trying to share graphic elements between those and a letter/A4 page is likely to prove disappointing.

The only good way to do web banners in ID is to work at multiple scale (2X to 4X), and then either export to the desired size, or, generally better, export to the work size and use the more capable Photoshop to do the reduction to working size.

You can do what you're attempting, here (which is, I assume, keeping one ad or promo in one ID file with the idea of multiple layouts and output), but the pixel work in particular needs consideration and workarounds.

There are also some color issues (RGB vs CMYK) but those can largely be taken care of with the right PDF exports for print.

[Loic.Aigon]

Looks to me you are just looking at Liquid Layout. 

https://helpx.adobe.com/fr/indesign/using/alternate-layouts-liquid-layouts.html

On top of that there is the collecter that can create linked text references:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/linked-content.html

As for color spaces, work in RGB and if a print file is needed, output it as PDF/X-4 with the specific output intent.

https://helpx.adobe.com/fr/indesign/using/exporting-publishing-pdf.html

Unless I didn't understand.