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Open IDML file in InDesign

Explorer ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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Hello,

 

I was supposed to translate an INDD file from InDesign in SDL Trados, so this file had to be saved as IDML file.

Now that the translation is complete, I need to open this IDML file back in InDesign (i.e. import it). It is a catalogue that should be printed next.

How should I do it, please?

 

I have no experience with InDesign.

 

Thank you very much.

 

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correct answers 2 Correct answers

Community Expert , Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

The IDML file should be on the very same place as its INDD original was, when the origina, IDML was saved or exported. Otherwise  the Font folder fonts and links ma not be detected correctly. Then you can open it as it would be an INDD file. Save the opened file now as iNDD on the same place. Take care not to overwrite any needed existing INDD file. Give it a new name.

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Community Expert , Jan 25, 2024 Jan 25, 2024

The first thing to do is to ensure that you are marking text as English or German or Slovak correctly. The User Dictionary settings aren't the right place. Here's where you would select it if you were just taking a paragraph and marking it as German (two different locations, same setting):

 

germa.gifexpand image

 

(I left Slovak out only because it was so far down the list that the animation would have been unnecessarily tall.  But it's in the list.)

 

Once you've marked text as German (or Slovak) then the spellche

...

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Community Expert ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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The IDML file should be on the very same place as its INDD original was, when the origina, IDML was saved or exported. Otherwise  the Font folder fonts and links ma not be detected correctly. Then you can open it as it would be an INDD file. Save the opened file now as iNDD on the same place. Take care not to overwrite any needed existing INDD file. Give it a new name.

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Explorer ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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Thank you very much.

 

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Explorer ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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Yes, the fonts and links do not work now. So I guess I have to ask my client to provide me with the INDD file, so that I can save it in my PC as IDML files, and I will have to create the translation project again, unfortunately... Then I should save the translation again as IDML, open it in InDesign (would have to buy the licence) and save it as an INDD file with a different name.

Is it then possible to send this new INDD file to my client by wetransfer, for example?

 

Thank you again for your reply.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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Yes, the fonts and links do not work now.


By Miriam348

Fonts: If your client used any fonts that are not available to you, then you will need to acquire the font. 

Links: InDesign is working a lot with external references for graphics and pictures, sometimes also text. You will need all that data to be able to work correctly with the file. An IDML is indeed only an InDesign file under a different format. It is used to "downgrade" an InDesign file, as older InDesign versions do not read newer files. 

 

By asking an InDesign file, you will have the same issues as with an IDML file. 

 

(When getting an InDesign licence for temporary use, be sure to take it as a monthly subscription. You can cancel that one anytime. Do not take the annual subscription paid on the month. Canceling that one early asks for an early termination fee of half of the remaining due!)

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Explorer ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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So how can I acquire the fonts, please?

I opened one of the indd files from the client in InDesign, but the cover image is blurred, there are still missing links and fonts.

I have no idea how the client could send me the file in a different way. I downloaded them from their cloud.

 

So how can I preserve all the formatting of my idml files after opening them in InDesign, please?   

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Explorer ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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The client just sent me a link to the files on their cloud – I downloaded the indb. file of the whole catalogue and two folders – links and document fonts. I opened the indb. file in InDesign, but now I do not know how to relink, for example, the images in the catalogue with the links. When I try to open the link files,  it is not possible to do it. Same for the fonts. 

Could anyone send another piece of advice on this, please?

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Community Expert ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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Is it then possible to send this new INDD file to my client by wetransfer, for example?

By Miriam348

Yes. But the customer needs to either relink his external data, or you need to create an environment that reflects the customer's infrastructure.

 

It is, btw, possible to edit text in an InDesign file, without having access to all the linked graphics, as a preview is stored with the InDesign file. So, if you do only text work, you can securely ignore the link error messages. 

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Explorer ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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So how can I preserve all the formatting of my idml files after opening them in InDesign, please?   

 

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Explorer ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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Now InDesign says some fonts are activating, but nothing is happening, it is just loading.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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Now InDesign says some fonts are activating, but nothing is happening, it is just loading.


By Miriam348

Restart InDesign. Check if that helps.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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So how can I preserve all the formatting of my idml files after opening them in InDesign, please?   

 


By Miriam348

Do not touch the formatting. 

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Explorer ,
Jan 17, 2024 Jan 17, 2024

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"Yes. But the customer needs to either relink his external data, or you need to create an environment that reflects the customer's infrastructure."

 

So which option is potentially more effective, please? How can the customer do the relinking, please? (So that I could send them instructions...) 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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@Miriam348 

 

If you have only translated IDML file(s) - you just need to send it / them back.

 

- they need to rename or move somewhere else original INDD files - DO NOT DELETE or OVERWRITE THEM!!

- then, they need to open each IDML file - like a normal INDD file - and save with a correct name

- then, they need to open Book file,

- then, they need to open each INDD file from the Book - and update links.

 

As they have all the original fonts - no problem there.

 

The only problem will be with the speed of the process... If those were initially big INDD files - with a lot of images - it can take a while for InDesign to refresh all previews...

 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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Depends on the size of the original location of the catalogue - and how Links are linked - they could do PACKAGE first:

RobertTkaczyk_0-1705593550558.pngexpand image

... and then work in the new location - but they would need to know what they are doing...

 

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Explorer ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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Hello,

thank you for your reply, but... Do you really mean the client (they) has to do all this?

The client and me are two countries apart, it is complicated to have them do all this, unfortunately.

 

To your first sentence: No, I have also original INDD files, but I downloaded them from "Backstage", which is the client's website for putting files online. The client has the original files saved on their computer desktop and then they uploaded them to Backstage and sent me the link to view them.

 

For example, I do not understand why the green image (attached) is blurred even though I linked it with the original image downloaded from Backstage.

 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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For example, I do not understand why the green image (attached) is blurred even though I linked it with the original image downloaded from Backstage.

 

Whenever I handle an InDesign file for a client, I always request a package. This includes the InDesign file, a "Document Fonts" folder, and a "Links" folder. InDesign can remember exactly where any linked image is, but the first place it will look is in a "Links" folder that is in the same folder as the .indd file. 

 

how.pngexpand image

 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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InDesign isn't WORD - "you" need to know a few things to use it properly...

 

LINKS PANEL OVERVIEW:

 

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/indesign/using/graphics-links.html

 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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For example, I do not understand why the green image (attached) is blurred even though I linked it with the original image downloaded from Backstage.

 


By Miriam348

Abambo_0-1705614952633.pngexpand image

If I read that correctly, the .eps file is the //-logo. The iStock image is the hedge. The hedge is linked, the logo is not linked. 

 

You have a big issue with understanding InDesign, and how Indesign works. The hedge shows a preview file. That is efficient and fast. In most of the cases you do not need the high-res preview. 

 

Now, as you relinked an asset (the iStock image), it won't be anymore where your customer will expect them. As long as the images are not relevant for your work, do not touch them. That is best. The customer gets the file back and the links will be OK. Do not solve problems that are not yours.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Explorer ,
Jan 19, 2024 Jan 19, 2024

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No, sorry, it should have probably been screenshotted like this: 

Miriam348477765130_0-1705666269224.pngexpand image

The hedge on the cover page is related to the file starting with 4096, I relinked it, but as you said, there is low resolution. So how can I be sure that the cover will be as on the original cover page when I see it with low resolution now, please?

Miriam348477765130_1-1705669194690.pngexpand image

Because the thing is I downloaded those files from a cloud-like website called Backstage of a German company (the primary client). Now I have to translate the files from German into Slovak for a Slovak company cooperating with the German company, which wants me to do the translation including correct formatting. 

People from the German company might not be very happy if they had to check if the formatting is ok for the Slovak language (I am referring here to Mr. Robert Tkaczyk's yesterday post writing that I should send the Germans the translated idmls back and have them do the 4 steps listed below).

The Slovak company who should pay me says they either want translation with everything correct in InDesign or nothing (they do not want to pay additional money to a DTP/graphic expert)...

And the German people might not be able to know how to perform the 4 steps that Robert mentioned...

 

 

 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 19, 2024 Jan 19, 2024

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Now that you no longer have warnings on the Links Panel - it will be easy. 

 

Open translated file - Slovak version - save it as "original_name_Slovak.indd" - or something like that - to strictly indicate, that it's a new language version - in the same folder as German version.

 

This way - all the links will be pointing to the same files as German version. 

 

Fix all texts - in case they are overset or look bad.

 

Do you need to supply your customer with print-ready PDFs or just INDD files? 

 

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Explorer ,
May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024

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The customer needs both print-ready PDFs in CMYK and INDD files in RGB. How can I make the PDFs from the INDD files, please?  

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Community Expert ,
May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024

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The customer needs both print-ready PDFs in CMYK and INDD files in RGB. How can I make the PDFs from the INDD files, please?  


By Miriam348

 

Ctrl+E on PC or Cmd+E on Mac:

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/indesign/using/exporting-publishing-pdf.html#:~:text=Choose%20File%20%3E%...

 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 19, 2024 Jan 19, 2024

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The Slovak company who should pay me says they either want translation with everything correct in InDesign or nothing (they do not want to pay additional money to a DTP/graphic expert)...

 

Oof.

 

Unfortunately, it feels like you need the graphics expert. I mean, I'm sure we can walk you through the process, but there's a great deal of material to cover. If your project is small enough, I'd say that you should send it over to me (send me a PM!), allow me to bash it into shape for you, and then send it back to you for you to do the things that one would actually expect a translator to do in InDesign - little tweaks relating to text only, without worrying about image quality, or file structure, or any of the many aspects of an InDesign project for which you'd need to acquire immediate expertise to deliver this to your client in the format they've requested. 

 

For example - the way InDesign works is that it lets you link to files, and then it shows you a preview when you're working in the file. If the hedge image file that is your cover background - is the same file they used (yep!) and it's correctly linked in InDesign's Links panel (yep!) then you don't have to think about its resolution or appearance. You can choose the resolution of the image preview in View -> Display Performance. You can even "Allow Object-level Display Settings" if you like, and can right-click on the hedge image and choose its Display Performance setting in the context menu. You can also look at the image's Link Info and reassure yourself that the image is of sufficient resolution to print well, and then ignore the low-res preview:

actal.pngexpand image

See what I mean? I'm completely unworried about the coin-lady's jaggies, because I know that InDesign is just showing me a low-res preview. Print resolution is fine! Once you've refreshed InDesign's link to to the client's source hedge file (and you have!) then you can stop thinking about this.  But if you don't already have significant amounts of InDesign knowledge, you won't be able to know when you can stop worrying about any given InDesign feature. @Abambo is on the right track when they post these words:

 

As long as the images are not relevant for your work, do not touch them. That is best. The customer gets the file back and the links will be OK. Do not solve problems that are not yours.

 

Would you like to become an expert InDesign operator? Today? I mean, you're in the right place, if that is what you want to do. 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

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There's a great deal of good advice for you in this thread. However, I want to encourage you to be careful with your client, here. There's usually a whole layer of localization engineers or DTP professionals in between a translator and a client, right? That's who would ordinarily clean up your translated IDML; me! 

 

A completed translation of an InDesign book file (that's what the .indb file is, a Book file that collects a bunch of individual chapters that are all in .indd format) is not a small formatting task, and probably if you've never used InDesign before will be extremely challenging, unless you already have a great deal of expertise in page layout applications. I mean, even someone who is e.g. a Framemaker expert will find some stumbling blocks on their first InDesign project. 

 

If your customer sent you an IDML file to translate, with no package or fonts or linked images, then I feel like it'd be reasonable to return that IDML file to them, without all of the DTP work that you're trying to do right now. If your client wants you to open the IDML file and format all the text into place, then @Abambo 's advice is completely correct; you can leave all of the images in their current state, which I imagine is a bunch of grey boxes, right? You'd just need to get the fonts to work correctly, which if it's not working for you is something that can be fixed (usually by logging out of fonts.adobe.com then logging back in). Then there's just the formatting work of handling text expansion, which can sometimes be as simple as resizing a text frame or three to allow for text expansion, and sometimes is a massive undertaking requiring significant reengineering of the document. 

 

But, if your client is expecting a completed Book file from you, then I'd have two things to say: a) @Robert at ID-Tasker 's advice is completely correct, he's already told you exactly what you'd need to do, but also b) maybe you've bitten off more than you can chew? Maybe think about jobbing this out to someone who does this kind of work for a living? 

 

(Not flogging my own services, here; I'm pretty much working at 100% capacity already 🙂 )

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